RO-RO IS SHORT FOR "ROLL-ON, ROLL-OFF", WHICH DESCRIBES HOW PRODUCTS ARE LOADED AND DISCHARGED FROM A VESSEL. ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF (RO-RO) SHIPS ARE CARGO SHIPS DESIGNED TO CARRY WHEELED CARGO, SUCH AS CARS, MOTORCYCLES, TRUCKS, SEMI-TRAILER TRUCKS, BUSES… AND RO-RO VESSEL ACCEPT TO CARRY STATIC CARGO BY USING FORKLIFT, OR ROLL TRAILER (A SELF-PROPELLED MODULAR TRANSPORTER) AS WELL.
THE ANSWER IS NEITHER. NEITHER SHIPPING OPTION IS BETTER OR WORSE THAN THE OTHER. BOTH RO-RO AND CONTAINER SHIPPING HAVE THEIR PROS AND CONS. ULTIMATELY, THE CHOICE COMES DOWN TO COST, VEHICLE, DESTINATION AND YOUR OWN PREFERRED METHOD.
COMPARED TO CONTAINER SHIPS, RO-RO VESSELS OFFER A NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES, THE MAIN ONES BEING FLEXIBILITY, OPERATIONAL SPEED AND OVERALL TIME SAVING. THE VEHICLES CAN BE DIRECTLY DRIVEN ON TO THE SHIP AT THE PORT OF LOADING AND THEN DRIVE OFF AT THE PORT OF DESTINATION.
MAFI TRAILERS ARE WHEELED PLATFORMS USED BY THE SHIPPING LINES ON ROLL ON / ROLL OFF VESSELS TO MOVE LARGE STATIC CARGO. THE CARGO IS LIFTED ON TO THE PLATFORM AND THEN SECURED SO IT CAN BE TOWED ONTO THE VESSEL. THEY CAN BE USED FOR CRATED CARGO OR BULKY OVERSIZED CARGO SUCH AS BOATS OR MACHINERY.