Container vs RORO Shipping to Ghana: Which Should You Choose?

The single biggest decision after you win your vehicle at auction is how to ship it. Container shipping or RORO can swing your total cost by $400–$800 — and shipping decisions get reversed at significant cost if you change your mind after the vehicle leaves the auction yard.

Here is how the two options compare.

RORO: Roll-on, Roll-off

The vehicle is driven onto the ship at the origin port and driven off at Tema. It sits on the vehicle deck of a specialized RORO vessel for the voyage.

Cost from US East Coast to Tema:

• $1,100–1,400 per vehicle (most cars)
• $1,300–1,700 for SUVs and pickups
• $1,800–2,400 for large trucks

Transit time: 18–22 days at sea, 28–35 days total including terminal handling.

Schedule: ACL, Hoegh Autoliners, Grimaldi, and WWL run weekly sailings.

Container: Inside a sealed 20ft or 40ft

The vehicle is strapped inside a container and shipped as breakbulk cargo. You can choose:

• FCL (Full Container Load) — entire 20ft or 40ft container is yours. Fits 1–2 cars.
• LCL (Less than Container Load) — you share with other importers. Common for single small cars.

Cost from US East Coast to Tema:

• LCL: $1,500–2,200 per vehicle
• FCL 20ft (single car): $2,800–3,400
• FCL 40ft (2 cars): $3,400–4,200 total

Transit time: 22–28 days at sea, 35–45 days total.

Schedule: Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM run weekly. More carriers = more flexibility.

Side-by-side comparison

Factor	RORO	Container
Cost (typical car)	$1,200	$1,800
Transit time	28–35 days	35–45 days
Vehicle must be drivable	Yes	No
Theft/vandalism risk in transit	Medium	Very low
Risk of weather damage on deck	Medium-low	Very low
Personal items inside	Not allowed	Permitted (within limits)
Loading damage risk	Low	Very low
Stowage cost at Tema	Lower (cars off-loaded quickly)	Higher (container unstuffing)
Track shipment	Limited	Excellent (container ID)
Demurrage risk if clearance is slow	Higher	Lower (containers stored longer)

When to choose RORO

✓ Vehicle is fully drivable (engine starts, drives in/out of holds) ✓ Standard car, SUV or pickup — no oversized cargo ✓ You're cost-sensitive and willing to accept slightly higher exposure ✓ No personal items inside the vehicle ✓ You want the fastest transit option

RORO is the usual choice for vehicles that run and drive: it is generally cheaper and faster, with a well-established carrier network.

When to choose Container

✓ Vehicle is not drivable (salvage with mechanical damage, no engine, wrecked) ✓ High-value vehicle ($30K+ where the $600 premium is small) ✓ You're shipping two cars together (40ft FCL splits the cost) ✓ You want to ship parts, tools, or personal effects in the same shipment ✓ You're shipping during the worst hurricane months (Aug–Oct) and want enclosed protection

Hidden costs people forget

Booking deposits

RORO carriers usually want a non-refundable deposit ($200–400) within 5 days of vehicle arrival at the export terminal. Containers are more flexible but need 7–14 days advance booking.

Terminal storage at origin

If your vehicle arrives at the export terminal before the booked sailing date, you pay storage at $15–30/day. This is more common with container shipping (longer scheduling lead times).

Marine insurance

Mandatory for both modes. 1.5–2% of CIF value. Container shipments are slightly cheaper to insure due to lower in-transit damage rates.

Tema terminal differences

• RORO arrives at GPHA Terminal 1. Lower terminal handling charge (THC), faster off-loading, but limited storage if your clearance is delayed.
• Container arrives at MPS Terminal 3. Higher THC, but containers can sit 14 days before demurrage hits.

A specific example: 2020 RAV4 with rear-end damage

Imagine you bought this car at IAAI Atlanta for $11,800. Damage is moderate — rear bumper, tailgate, broken tail lights, no frame damage. The car drives.

RORO option:

• Inland transport to Baltimore: $400
• RORO Baltimore to Tema: $1,300
• Marine insurance: $290
• Total shipping cost: $1,990
• Transit time: ~30 days

Container LCL option:

• Inland transport to Baltimore: $400
• LCL container Baltimore to Tema: $1,950
• Marine insurance: $260
• Total shipping cost: $2,610
• Transit time: ~38 days

Difference: $620 and 8 days.

For this car, RORO wins. The damage is cosmetic, the car drives, and 8 days of saved time matters more than enclosed protection.

If the same car had a non-running engine, container becomes mandatory (RORO refuses non-running vehicles) and the comparison vanishes.

Our default recommendation

For most clients we recommend RORO with full marine insurance. The $600 savings vs container plus 8 days of faster transit outweigh the modest additional risk. Container only when the vehicle can't drive or when shipping multiple cars or parts together.

If you want a specific shipping recommendation for your vehicle, submit a quote request with the auction listing and we'll spec it out with both options priced.