Storage and Transport
Shipping a Car Overseas: Container, Roll On and Insurance
Roll on freight is the cheap route and container adds 40 to 100 per cent. For a high value car the sole use container can double that again, and the insurance follows the method.
Two methods move a car across an ocean and they are priced differently for a reason that matters more on an expensive car than on an ordinary one. Roll on roll off freight runs about 1,300 to 1,600 GBP on a published lane. Container shipping adds 40 to 100 per cent to that baseline, and a sole use container for a high value vehicle can double the rate again.
The two methods, priced
| Method | Cost | Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Roll on roll off, mid size saloon on a published lane | 1,300 to 1,600 GBP | open deck, multiple handling points |
| Roll on roll off, Japan to US west coast | 800 to 1,400 USD | same |
| Shared 40 foot container slot | 1,450 to 1,850 GBP | enclosed, shared |
| Sole use 20 foot container | 2,600 to 3,400 GBP | enclosed, exclusive |
The relationship between them is published as a percentage: container shipping adds 40 to 100 per cent to the roll on baseline, and enclosed or sole use shipping for high value vehicles can double the rate again. At the top of that chain, a car that would move for 1,450 on an open deck can cost 5,800 or more in exclusive enclosed transit.
The insurance follows the method
Marine cargo insurance is typically 1 to 1.5 per cent of declared vehicle value, and the method changes the rate. Premiums for roll on shipments run 10 to 20 per cent higher than for the same vehicle in a container, because open deck exposure and multiple handling touchpoints raise the statistical risk of scuffs, dents and theft.
| Declared value | At 1.0 % | At 1.5 % | Roll on loading at 15 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50,000 | 500 | 750 | 575 to 863 |
| 200,000 | 2,000 | 3,000 | 2,300 to 3,450 |
| 500,000 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 5,750 to 8,625 |
That table contains the whole argument for the expensive freight option. On a 200,000 car, the insurance loading for choosing roll on is 300 to 450, which erodes part of the freight saving before any damage occurs. On a 500,000 car the loading is 750 to 1,125, and the freight difference between a shared container and a sole use one is roughly 1,150 to 1,550.
The full landed picture
Freight and insurance are the visible costs. Three more attach to the same movement and are frequently left out of a comparison:
- Customs duty and import VAT at the destination. Into the European Union from a third country without a preferential agreement, that is 10 per cent duty on customs value and import VAT on value plus duty.
- Freight inside the customs value. Shipping and transit insurance form part of the value the duty and VAT are calculated on, so an expensive freight choice is taxed as well as paid.
- Approval and registration at the far end, which on a car under 10 years old may require an individual approval examination before it can be registered.
The second of those has a counterintuitive consequence. Choosing sole use container freight at 3,000 rather than roll on at 1,450 adds 1,550 to the invoice and also raises the taxable base, so at a 10 per cent duty and 19 per cent VAT the same choice carries roughly 479 of additional tax on top of the freight difference.
Which method for which car
- Roll on: a car whose value is comfortably below the point where handling damage is expensive to put right. It wins on pure cost for a single standard vehicle.
- Shared container: the middle position, enclosed at a modest premium over roll on.
- Sole use container: published as making sense specifically for high value vehicles, classics and shipments needing maximum security and privacy. On a supercar this is the default rather than the indulgence.
Questions readers ask
How much does it cost to ship a car overseas?
Published figures are 1,300 to 1,600 GBP for roll on freight on one lane, 1,450 to 1,850 for a shared 40 foot container slot and 2,600 to 3,400 for a sole use 20 foot container. Container shipping adds 40 to 100 per cent to the roll on baseline.
What does marine insurance cost?
Typically 1 to 1.5 per cent of declared vehicle value, so 2,000 to 3,000 on a 200,000 car. Roll on premiums run 10 to 20 per cent higher than container premiums for the same vehicle because of open deck exposure and extra handling.
Which method should I use for a supercar?
Sole use container is the published recommendation for high value vehicles, classics and shipments needing maximum security. Roll on wins on pure cost for a single standard vehicle, and the insurance loading narrows that advantage.
Is the freight taxed at the destination?
Into the European Union yes, because shipping and transit insurance form part of the customs value that duty and import VAT are calculated on. Choosing container over roll on at a 1,550 difference adds roughly 479 of tax at a 10 per cent duty and 19 per cent VAT rate.
What else should I budget for?
Customs duty at 10 per cent into the EU from a third country without a preferential agreement, import VAT on value plus duty, and approval and registration at the destination, which on a car under 10 years old may mean an individual approval examination.
How much can the whole freight chain differ?
At the extremes, a car moving for 1,450 in a shared container can cost 5,800 or more in exclusive enclosed transit, since container adds 40 to 100 per cent over roll on and enclosed sole use can double that again.
Sources
- The Ship Cars, roll on against container cost comparison, for the 1,300 to 1,600 GBP roll on lane figure, the 1,450 to 1,850 shared container slot, the 2,600 to 3,400 sole use container, the 40 to 100 per cent uplift and the marine insurance rates and loadings.
- European Commission, the Combined Nomenclature, for the 10 per cent duty on passenger cars entering the European Union from a third country.