Ro-Ro and Car Carrier Jobs
No open vacancies on Ro-Ro and Car Carriers right now
No open vacancies on Ro-Ro and Car Carriers right now
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Upload your CVAbout Ro-Ro and Car Carriers
Ro-Ro ships and car carriers move cargo that rolls on wheels. A trailer, a car, a truck or a bus comes up the stern ramp or quarter ramp and is parked and lashed on deck. Car carriers (PCTC) have many decks, movable decks and tight ramps, so cargo work is fast and physical. At sea, officers keep bridge watches. In port, cargo watches run through loading and discharge. The work differs from bulk or tanker ships: there are no holds of loose cargo, but there is fire risk from vehicle fuel and electric batteries, plus ramp and lashing safety. Deck ratings do most of the lashing. Bosun, AB, Chief Officer, Second Officer, ETO and Fitter with ramp and hydraulic experience are the ranks most often needed.
Cargo and operations
A car carrier takes vehicles up a stern ramp or quarter ramp and parks them on fixed and movable decks. On a Ro-Ro ship the cargo is mostly trailers and freight units on wheels. Cargo is held by lashings, web belts, wheel chocks and stoppers. The main risks are fire from vehicle fuel and electric batteries, damage to cars, faults in ramp and deck machinery, injury in tight spaces during lashing, and stability problems from wrong ballast or heavy units on high decks.
Crew on board
The Master is in charge. The Chief Officer plans stowage and lashing and runs cargo work in port. The Second Officer keeps charts and ECDIS and stands bridge watch, and the Third and Fourth Officers share bridge and cargo watches. The Bosun leads the AB and OS group, who guide vehicles and fix lashings. The ETO and Electrician look after ramps, deck machinery and lighting. The Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, Motorman / Oiler and Fitter keep the main engine, ballast pumps and ramp hydraulics running. Chief Cook, Cook and Messman feed the crew.
Special training
STCW sets no special chapter V training for a pure car carrier or a Ro-Ro freight ship. You need BST (STCW VI/1), plus PSCRB (STCW VI/2) if you handle survival craft. AFF (STCW VI/3) and medical first aid (STCW VI/4) go with designated duties. On a Ro-Ro passenger ship on international voyages, STCW V/2 applies: emergency familiarization, passenger safety, crowd management and crisis management training. If the ship itself uses gas or another low-flashpoint fuel, STCW V/3 applies to crew with safety duties for the fuel.
Requirements
| Document | Convention | Note |
|---|---|---|
| CoC - officer in charge of a navigational watch | STCW II/1 | Every officer in charge of a navigational watch on a ship of 500 GT or more must hold a CoC. |
| Certificate for rating forming part of a navigational watch | STCW II/4 | Every rating forming part of a navigational watch on a ship of 500 GT or more must be certificated. |
| Able seafarer deck certificate | STCW II/5 | Every able seafarer deck on a ship of 500 GT or more must be certificated. |
| CoC - officer in charge of an engineering watch | STCW III/1 | Required on ships with main propulsion machinery of 750 kW or more. |
| Able seafarer engine certificate | STCW III/5 | Every able seafarer engine on a ship with main propulsion machinery of 750 kW or more must be certificated. |
| ETO CoC | STCW III/6 | Required for the electro-technical officer on ships with main propulsion machinery of 750 kW or more. |
| GMDSS radio operator certificate | STCW IV/2 | Anyone in charge of or performing radio duties on a GMDSS ship must hold an appropriate GMDSS certificate. |
| BST | STCW VI/1 | All seafarers must receive safety familiarization and basic training. |
| PSCRB | STCW VI/2 | Needed by seafarers who handle survival craft and rescue boats. |
| AFF | STCW VI/3 | For seafarers designated to control fire-fighting operations. |
| Medical first aid | STCW VI/4 | For seafarers designated to give medical first aid on board. |
| Passenger ship training | STCW V/2 | Applies to masters, officers, ratings and other personnel on passenger ships engaged on international voyages. |
Sea service
STCW sets no separate sea service rule for Ro-Ro ships or car carriers. Deck and engine officers and ratings follow the same service rules as on other ships, for example STCW II/1 for watch officers and STCW III/1 for watch engineers.
Medical fitness
MLC 2006 Reg. 1.2 says you may not work on a ship without a valid medical certificate. It is valid for a maximum of two years, or one year if you are under 18. A colour vision certificate is valid for a maximum of six years.
Documents
- Passport
- CDC / Seaman's book
- CoC or CoP for your rank
- Valid medical certificate
- BST certificate
- PSCRB certificate
Ships in our database
6,500+ Ro-Ro and Car Carriers in the Krew Guru ships database
Deadweight (DWT), most ships100–18,500
Gross tonnage (GT), most ships300–49,000
Range covers the middle 80% of ships of this type in our database.
Jobs on Ro-Ro and Car Carriers: questions and answers
What is the difference between a Ro-Ro ship and a car carrier?
A Ro-Ro ship moves cargo on wheels, mostly trailers and freight units. A car carrier is a Ro-Ro ship built for cars, vans, trucks and high-and-heavy units on many decks. Both load and discharge through a stern, quarter or side ramp. A car carrier has more decks, movable decks and tighter ramps.
What is the hardest part of the work on a car carrier?
Cargo work in port. Loading and discharge run fast, decks are tight, and lashing must be correct before the ship sails. You work near moving vehicles and ramps. Fire risk from vehicle fuel and electric batteries means fire rounds, fire patrols and fire drills matter every day.
Do I need tanker or liquefied gas training for a car carrier?
No. STCW V/1-1 covers oil and chemical tankers and STCW V/1-2 covers liquefied gas tankers. A car carrier does not carry those cargoes. If the ship itself uses LNG or another low-flashpoint fuel, crew with safety duties for the fuel need STCW V/3 training.
Can I join a Ro-Ro ship as an OS with only BST?
BST is the start, not the whole set. As a rating forming part of a navigational watch you need the STCW II/4 certificate. You must be not less than 16 years of age and have approved seagoing service with training and experience, or special training plus approved seagoing service of not less than two months.
Is a medical certificate needed for Ro-Ro work?
Yes. MLC 2006 Reg. 1.2 says seafarers may not work on a ship unless they are certified as medically fit. If a certificate expires during a voyage, it stays in force until the next port of call where a new one can be obtained, for no more than three months.
0 vacancies in the last 90 days
Sources
- ILO, Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006)
- IMO, STCW/CONF.2/33 (1 July 2010), Resolution 1: The Manila Amendments to the annex to the STCW Convention
- IMO, Resolution MSC.416(97) (adopted 25 November 2016), amendments to the STCW Convention
- IMO, Resolution MSC.396(95) (adopted 11 June 2015), amendments to the STCW Convention
Checked against the official texts on 26 Oct 2026.