Long-haul ro-ro schedules are facing multiple challenges, causing congestion and delays in handling cars in ports in Europe, China, South Africa, the US and Australia.

According to The Loadstar sources, the movement of cars at ports around Europe, particularly Southampton, Koper and Zeebrugge (now called Antwerp-Bruges), are suffering with space issues, caused by driver shortages and exports are delayed by a lack of ro-ro vessel space.

A spokesperson for Antwerp-Bruges told The Loadstar: “The car terminals in the whole of Europe [are] experiencing congestion.” But it insists, however, that the port is not closed for new cars, adding: “Additional sites are already being made available to the automotive sector, and a more sites are in accelerated development.”

One forwarder said it was sending cars in containers rather than wait for delayed ro-ro services that have seen freight rates spiral due to congestion and shortage of space.

“We can get two large cars into a 40ft box, while smaller cars, with a rack, we can fit four in,” said the forwarder. He added with container rates comparatively low and the scheduling for liner shipping back to normal “the costs for containerising vehicles is on a par with ro-ro costs.

“Inland rates are higher for container movements and that’s what brings the costs up to a par,” he said.Both the industry source and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges reported that an increase in the production of cars in China has added to the congestion challenges.

Congestion and rate increases are: “Due to a bigger demand for the vessels to handle the increase in production of cars in China,” said the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.