What Is the Best Shipping Method for Exporting Cars to Indonesia? | GVE London – Blog

No matter if you’re a supercar showroom, luxury car exporter, or just an individual thinking of exporting luxury cars from the UK to Indonesia, a shipping method is arguably one of the most important things you need to take into consideration. After all, without it, you risk shipment getting delayed, damaged, or incurring unnecessary costs—bad for everybody. So, in this blog post, we’ll help you decide the best shipping method.

Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) Shipping

One of the most popular methods of exporting cars from the UK to Indonesia or, frankly, anywhere else in the world is RoRo, or Roll-on/Roll-off, shipping. Here, a special type of ship or vessel is used wherein cars are driven onto it, secured in place, and then transported to their destination.

RoRo handles a major chunk of the world’s global vehicle trade thanks to being highly cost-effective and efficient. However, the problem is, it isn’t particularly ideal for luxury car export. You see, here, the cars are all exposed to the mercy of the elements and can get damaged. Furthermore, no personal belongings can be transported within the vehicle, paired with the fact that shipping routes and schedules aren’t that flexible.

Container Shipping

RoRo shipping is generally used for affordable, daily driver cars, and very rarely does a supercar showroom or luxury car exporter like GVE London use it for shipping high-end vehicles. Their preferred method is container shipping because it involves placing the vehicle inside a dedicated or shared container, offering enhanced protection from weather and potential transit damage.

There are multiple containers to choose from as well, such as:

• 20ft container – Fits one car.
• 40ft container – Fits two cars or one with extra accessories.

Now, naturally, this extra protection comes at a cost. It isn’t as much as our next entry on this list, but it is certainly higher than RoRo. That isn’t surprising considering you occupy more space on the ship, the loading and unloading process takes more time and is more labour-intensive, and the availability of container slots might affect scheduling flexibility.

Read Also: How to Handle Customs Clearance for Indonesian Luxury Car Exports

Air Freight

For those wanting the fastest and arguably the safest option, air freight is the way to go—no doubts about it. There is minimal handling risk here, and it is four to five times faster than sea freight. Makes sense; flights are always faster than a journey on a boat and, at least in this case, always considerably more expensive as well. Air freight is far more cost-intensive, so it is often reserved for really special high-value cars or those that require expedited shipping. So, if you need your supercar in Indonesia fast, air freight is the quickest but most expensive option.

Choosing the Right Method

So, let’s address the elephant in the room first. Air freight, for the most part, is not the chosen shipping method. It is in a league of its own, so let’s put it out of the equation. That leaves us with the choice between RoRo and container shipping—a choice that hinges on several factors:

• Vehicle Value and Type – Naturally, luxury and classic cars benefit from the added protection that container shipping offers.
• Budget Constraints – Since container shipping is the more expensive option, for those on a budget, RoRo presents itself as the more cost-effective choice, though it isn’t necessarily better.
• Destination Port – Not all ports can accommodate RoRo vessels, so in that case, you’re stuck with container shipping.
• Shipping Extra Items – If transporting additional items with the vehicle is something you wish to do, container shipping allows for that, whereas RoRo does not.

Conclusion

The choice of shipping method requires careful assessment of factors like a vehicle’s value, shipping budget, and other specific requirements. For high-end vehicles, container shipping is usually the route to take. If you’re a buyer from Indonesia looking to purchase a vehicle from the UK, get in touch with us here at GVE London. We have a massive collection of cars and ensure they reach you in the best condition possible. Furthermore, being enthusiasts, we not only perform the usual repairs and service but can work on customisation, modifications and detailing as well. To know more, hop on a call with us today!