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Here we are going to discuss about the largest RORO Shipping Companies in 2023.
In the 19th century, RORO ships were constructed for moving trains through waterways which were too large to cross through bridges. The abbreviation RORO referred to Roll on/ Roll off. Using RORO ships, wheeled cargo is transported on and off from the ships that are designed for this purpose. So, the RORO vessels are solely utilizers for crossing seas in terms of transportation of automobiles.
The RORO ships are distinct from the Lift on lift off (LO LO) ships which load goods using cranes. In a RORO Ship, contracted ramps are used to load and unload the vehicles inside the ship. Such ramps are typically constructed near the “stern” of a ship. Those can be found not just on the side of certain vessels as well as on the front of the vessels.
Based on the type of operation there are few RORO ship types. Pure car carriers or PCC are used to carry cars only, whereas pure car truck carriers or PCTCs are not only cars but also used to carry any kind of wheeled vehicles.
Additionally, the CONRO vessels are used to transport vehicles and containers. In the RORO shipping operations Adria Ace, Alliance Fair fax, Alliance Norfolk and Adriatic Highway are a few of the major players.
There are several benefits of RORO ships over conventional ships including straight operation from origin to destination, speed advantage, and the possibility of integrating with other cargo such as containers.
The capacity of a RORO vessel is measured by “CEU” which stands for Car Equivalent Unit”. One CEU is equal to a single car or a light vehicle. Generally, a CEU measures in 5 meters in length and 2 meters in height.
Read our article on “RORO Ship” to know more about a RORO carrier.
The safe operating load and the ramping capability of the ships as well as the hatch or deck height are the size restrictions for RORO vessels. With that, the industry competition for RORO is quite high. By referring to this article it intends to explain the Largest RORO vessel operators in the world in 2023.
1. Grimaldi Group
Grimaldi Group is a prominent shipping company headquartered in Naples, Italy. And founded by the Grimaldi family in 1947. Today, the company is recognized globally as a leader in maritime transport for rolling cargo, including cars and trucks.
The Grimaldi Group manages an extensive fleet of RoRo vessels, container ships, and ferries, serving various ports across Europe, North and South America, Africa, and Asia. The company has a presence in the Baltic and Mediterranean seas, and it is known for providing dependable and frequent connections between significant ports in these regions.
The RoRo division of the Grimaldi Group operates through multiple brands, such as Grimaldi Lines, Finn lines, Minoan Lines, and Atlantic Container Line.
Grimaldi Line’s RORO fleet is capable of handling various types of rolling cargo, including heavy machinery, buses, trucks, and cars.
On top of the shipping services, the Grimaldi Group is involved in logistics, port operations, and other related businesses.
2. Wallenius Wilhelmsen
With the commencement of the Wallenius Wilhelmsen in 2012, up until now, they are the largest RORO shipping company in the world. Also known as “WW Ocean car carrier”. The company fleet consists of 130 vessels with more than 8200 of the workforce.
The total capacity of the RORO fleet consists of more than 1.5 million car equivalent units (CEUs). To provide worldwide efficiency services, Wallenius Wilhelmsen maintains 121 processing centers spread over 29 countries.
Additionally, it provides online facilities to schedule the voyage and the routes including real-time monitoring of the shipments. The headquarters of the company is based in Norway. The Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean and the Wallenius Wilhelmsen solutions are the main brands operated under the Wallenius Wilhelmsen group.
The vessels of the company provided service by sailing through 15 trade routes that cover 6 continents to build a strong global network.
3. Hyundai Glovis
Hyundai Glovis, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, was founded in 2001 in South Korea as the logistics division of the company. As a leading roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) carrier, Hyundai Glovis specializes in ocean transportation services for automobiles, heavy equipment, and other types of rolling cargo.
With a fleet of RoRo vessels, the company operates in major markets across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, offering a total capacity of more than 440,000 car equivalent units (CEUs). Major vehicle brands transported by the Hyundai Glovis include General Motors, Kia, Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, and Toyota.
Hyundai Glovis provides a range of transportation and logistics services to customers in the automotive industry, including port-to-port and door-to-door services, as well as value-added services such as pre-delivery inspection, customs clearance, and inland transportation. The company is committed to meeting the specific needs of its customers, which may include just-in-time delivery and temperature-controlled transport.
4. CLdN Cobelfret
CLdN Cobelfret is a prominent company that deals with shipping and logistics and offers Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo) services to transport cargo throughout Europe. Their RoRo line enables fast and reliable transportation of various items, including trucks, trailers, and other vehicles by linking major ports in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
CLdN Cobelfret fleet has more than 29 Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo) vessels, ranging in capacity from 1,300 to 8,000 lane meters.
Besides their RoRo line, CLdN Cobelfret provides other logistics services such as warehousing, customs clearance, and distribution, making it a one-stop-shop for all their clients’ transportation and logistics requirements.
The company is committed to providing safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation solutions and invests significantly in their fleet and infrastructure to keep up with their customers’ ever-changing demands
5. Hoegh Autoliners
With the legacy of 90 years, the Hoegh Autoliners started its service in the RORO operation and grew into several other areas including financial advisory and real estate. In 1927 the shipping company Leif Hoegh and Corporation was initiated as a Norway-based company.
After 2006 the company was in operation as two entries to do their RORO Operations and LNG operations. With the restructure, Hoegh Autoliners and Hoegh LNG are formed. When looking at the Hoegh Autoliners, it is operated as pure car and truck carriers which carry both cars and other automobiles.
As a result of the joint venture between Hoegh and Ugland Auto Liners (HUAL), the company plays a significant role in terms of RORO operations. Further, the company held the “Best shipping line of the year -RORO operator” in 2021 awarded by the India Maritime Awards.
6. Eukor Car Carriers
Eukor Car Carriers commonly known as Eukor is a Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC). The company was founded in Seoul, South Korea in 2002.
Eukor operates more than 20 RORO vessels with an average capacity range from 4,000 to 8,000 car equivalent units (CEUs). However, the total carrying capacity of the Eukor exceeds 220,000 CEUs.
Eukor covers service routes to Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas enabling the automotive industry to transport vehicles and wheeled equipment.
And has regional offices in Antwerp, Bangkok, Barcelona, Bremerhaven, Le Havre, New York, Melbourne, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Veracruz to operate its global network.
7. K Line
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha LTD is the company branded itself as K Line. It is a Japanese company introduced to the world in 1919. Recently the company became a part of the Ocean Network Express. K Line expanded its operation in the area of dry cargo ships operations, Container ships, tankers, and especially in RORO operations.
The headquarters of the company was established in Tokyo, Japan and it is operated with the honor of introducing “The TOYOTA MARU NO 10” the first pure car carrier in Japan. The service network of the RORO operations of K Line expands around North, Middle, and South American countries, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
8. MOL
In 1884 the company Mitsui O.S.K.Lines or the MOL was founded as a Japanese shipping and transport company. MOL introduced the 1st car carrier, the Oppama Maru in 1965 to fulfill the demand of the booming Japanese automotive export market.
The company is an output of a merger contract between the two companies Mitsui and OSK. With a group fleet of 100 vessels as a key player in RORO shipping. The company maintained and provided continuous improvements in the confidentiality and trustworthiness of car carrier service in line with global operations.
The Canada Maru is the first pure car carrier launched by the MOL. Also, as a milestone the Emerald Ace is introduced, the world’s first hybrid car carrier, operated using solar power and rechargeable batteries. The MOL operated vessels are named with the suffix “ACE” which is referred to as “Auto Car Carrier Express”, for instance, MV Cougar ACE, and Felicity ACE.
9. NYK Line
The Nippon Yusen Kaisha or the NYK line is a Japanese shipping company engaged in marine and air transport sectors including terminal, harbor transport, and other shipping related services.
137 years ago, on 29th September 1885, the company was founded, and the main headquarters was established in Tokyo, Japan. Other than that, there a sub headquarters is established in London, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
NYK’s fleet consists of around 800 ships that provide services such as tankers, RORO ships, LNG carriers, cruise, and container ships. With special reference to RORO Carriers, the company owns 113 car carriers.
Over 17% of the car operations around the world are denoted by the NYK line with its 66,000 car capacity. The NYK line is currently holding the membership of the Ocean Network Express. In order to provide worldwide service the NYK line set down their office premises in 240 places that cover 27 countries.
10. Siem Car Carriers
Siem Car Carriers is a global provider of ocean transportation and logistics services that specialize in the transportation of cars, high and Heavy, and other rolling cargo. The company’s RORO fleet consists of 16 state-of-the-art Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) with a total capacity of more than 33,000 car equivalent units (CEUs).
The company was founded in 2011 and its headquarters is located in Arendal, Norway. Siem Car carriers operates regional offices in major markets around the world, including Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom. RORO carrier”s main service routes cover markets in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
Siem Car Carriers has a global network of offices and agents that covers major markets in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. And transport vehicles for leading automotive manufacturers, dealers, and rental companies.
Further to the RORO shipping service, Siem Car Carriers offers a range of value-added services, including customs clearance, inland transportation, and terminal handling.