Updated October 14, 2026 · USAutozilla
Short answer: ship by RoRo unless the car is worth enough, or fragile enough, that the extra cost of a container stops being a question. RoRo is cheaper and simpler and it is what we quote by default — $2,500 to the East or Gulf Coast, $3,200 to the West Coast, included in every landed price on this site. A container costs more and is quoted per shipment. The real decision is not price, it is what each method does and does not allow.
What the two methods actually are
- RoRo (roll-on/roll-off): the car is driven onto a dedicated vehicle ship, secured on an enclosed deck, and driven off at the destination. It is how new cars cross oceans.
- Container: the car is strapped into a steel container, which is then handled like any other freight. A full container (FCL) carries your car alone; a shared container (LCL) carries it with other cargo.
The differences that decide it
| RoRo | Container | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lower; $2,500 East / $3,200 West on our quotes | Higher; quoted per shipment |
| Personal items in the car | Not allowed. Carriers require the car to be empty — cabin, trunk and storage spaces | Possible, but only with the carrier’s written acceptance and a packing list |
| Must the car run? | It must roll and steer. Carriers refuse oil leaks, and a car without brakes is loaded only if a safe handling method is agreed | Easier for a non-running car, but confirm acceptance first; carriers refuse flooded vehicles and usually require the tank drained and the battery disconnected |
| Handling | Driven on and off by port staff | Fewer handovers once sealed, which is why a full container is considered lower risk |
| Timing | Sailings on fixed schedules; space is not held until a firm booking is placed | A full container routes directly; a shared container can wait for consolidation |
| Spare parts with the car | No | Yes, declared properly — the usual reason to choose one |
The personal-items rule catches people out
Major RoRo carriers are explicit: no personal property inside the vehicle, including the cabin, the trunk and storage spaces. That is not a formality. A box of spares in the boot, a toolkit, a set of wheels in the back — any of it can hold up a shipment or create a customs problem, because undeclared goods in a vehicle are exactly what customs is looking for.
If you want the spare parts, the service history box and the original seats to travel with the car, that is a container decision, made before booking.
Insurance is the part people skip
Both methods carry limited carrier liability, and both carriers recommend separate marine insurance. We include marine cover at about 1.5% of the car’s value in every landed price — see the full cost breakdown.
One detail worth knowing for containers: cover typically depends on the car having been professionally braced and on a pre-shipment condition report existing. Without that report, cosmetic damage — a scratch, a dent — is usually excluded. We photograph every car before it is loaded, for exactly this reason.
When we recommend a container
- High value. On a car like a 959 or a Shamal, the freight difference is a rounding error against the value at risk.
- The car does not run, or runs badly. A project car is a container conversation.
- Parts travel with it — spare wheels, a second engine, the original interior.
- Very low ride height or fragile bodywork, where loading ramps are a genuine risk.
- You want it untouched between the European workshop and the US port.
When RoRo is simply the right answer
For a running, driving car of ordinary value — a 205 GTI, a Panda 4×4, a S8 — RoRo is cheaper, the schedules are more frequent and the car spends less time sitting. Most of what we ship goes this way, and it is what the prices on this site assume.
What does not change either way
The paperwork is identical. Form HS-7 and EPA 3520-1 are filed the same way, the duty is the same, and the build month still decides eligibility. The shipping method changes the handling, the cost and what can travel in the car — not the rules.
Tell us the car and where you are, and we will quote both: start a custom search.
Sources
- Wallenius Wilhelmsen used-unit acceptance rules (no personal property in the unit; oil leaks; units without brakes).
- Maersk vehicle shipping guidance (flooded vehicles, drained tank, disconnected battery; FCL versus LCL handling and consolidation).
- Carrier cargo-insurance terms (bracing and pre-shipment condition report as conditions of vehicle cover).
Carrier rules differ and change. We confirm acceptance and conditions with the carrier for each shipment; this is general information, not a quotation.
Looking for a specific European car?
We find it in Europe, have it inspected where it is, and deliver it to a US port with the import paperwork done. Start a custom search or browse the inventory.