A used car at Copart in New Jersey, an SUV from a dealer in Houston, a salvage truck pulled at IAAI in Atlanta - they all have the same problem on the way to Lagos, Cotonou, or Tema: who picks it up, who drives it to the port, who books the RoRo sailing, who files AES, who lashes it onboard, and who clears it at destination. We do all of that under one file, one invoice, one team.
RoRo at Icon
Used cars are a primary lane, not a side hustle.
What we ship via RoRo
Roll-on/roll-off is the right mode for any cargo that rolls. The vehicle is driven (or towed on a low-pro mafi trailer) directly onto the deck, secured with chains and chocks by certified lashers, and sails inside the vessel - fully enclosed, weather-protected, and far gentler on the cargo than container loading.
Used & new cars
Sedans, SUVs, pickups, hybrids, EVs, and luxury vehicles from auctions, dealers, or private sellers.
Salvage & non-running
Copart and IAAI lots, flood titles, parts cars. Towed, loaded on mafi, lashed for ocean transit.
Trucks, vans, and buses
Pickup trucks, box trucks, Sprinter vans, mini-buses, and full coaches up to 53 ft and 30+ tons.
Heavy & construction
Excavators, backhoes, forklifts, telehandlers, dozers, generators, and yellow iron.
Boats & motorcycles
On cradles or pallets - jet skis, fishing boats, ATVs, motorcycles, and snowmobiles.
RoRo + container hybrid
Pair RoRo with an LCL or FCL load for spare parts, household goods, or accessories.
How it works, step by step
Step 1 - Pickup anywhere in the US
Tell us the auction lot number, dealer address, or pickup ZIP. We dispatch a flatbed, tow truck, or open carrier, get the title released, and pay the auction gate fees in your name.
Step 2 - Drayage to the loading port
We move the vehicle to whichever East Coast or Gulf port has the next sailing for your destination - typically Baltimore, Newark, Savannah, Jacksonville, Galveston, Freeport TX, or Houston.
Step 3 - Pre-loading, dock receipt, AES filing
Our team handles the dock receipt, ITN/AES filing with US Customs (CBP), and the chassis/lashing instructions. You get a booking confirmation and a sailing date in your portal.
Step 4 - Ocean transit
Direct RoRo service to your destination port. Live carrier port-event timestamps surface in the Icon portal as the vessel calls each port. Average transit: 18-35 days depending on lane.
Step 5 - Destination clearance support
We work with our broker network in Lagos, Cotonou, Tema, Lomé, Dakar, Abidjan, Douala, Conakry, and Banjul. We can arrange clearance for you, or hand off to a clearing agent of your choice with the original BL.
Step 6 - Onward inland (optional)
Need the vehicle delivered inland from the port? We can extend the booking to a final address in country.
Pricing - how RoRo quotes are built
There is no single "ship a car to Africa" price because every shipment has at least four moving parts. A quote that ignores any of these is a quote you cannot trust.
1. Inland pickup (US side)
Distance from pickup ZIP to the loading port. A car at Manheim Newark to Newark port is ~$0 in trucking. The same car at Copart Phoenix to Newark is $1,200-$1,800.
2. Ocean freight (RoRo rate)
Charged per cubic meter (m³) for cars, or per linear meter / weight basis for trucks and heavy equipment. Rate moves with bunker (BAF), war risk, and seasonal demand.
3. Origin charges & AES
Dock receipt, terminal handling, ISPS, and the AES/ITN filing. These are flat per shipment and predictable.
4. Destination charges
Port disbursement, terminal handling at destination, customs duty (paid by consignee, not by Icon), VAT, and any inspection fees. We list these line by line so the consignee in country knows what to expect.
Documents you'll need
Original US title (or notarized copy)
Required by CBP before export. If the title is still with the bank or auction, we can hold pickup until it clears.
Bill of sale or auction receipt
Especially for Copart/IAAI lots, the full lot receipt and gate pass.
Photo ID of shipper and consignee
Driver's license or passport copy for both ends of the move.
Consignee details in destination country
Full name, phone, address, tax ID (TIN, NIF, etc. depending on country). Required for the bill of lading and destination clearance.
Power of attorney (if we clear at destination)
Standard form - we provide it. Allows our local broker to release the vehicle on the consignee's behalf.
“
We used to chase three vendors per car - a tower, a port agent, and a forwarder. With Icon, one email, one tracking number, one invoice. We can scale our auction volume because the back office finally scales with us.
”— What dealers tell us
RoRo vs. container - when to choose which
| Factor | RoRo | Container (FCL/LCL) |
|---|---|---|
| Single car | Cheaper, simpler | Wasted space |
| 2-4 cars together | Either works | Often cheaper as 40' HC |
| Salvage / non-running | Loaded on mafi | Possible but harder |
| With personal effects | Items inside vehicle restricted | Pack around the car |
| Schedule | Weekly to most West Africa ports | Depends on lane |
| Theft risk in transit | Lower (sealed deck) | Lower (sealed box) |
| Damage risk | Very low | Low if loaded properly |
For one car, RoRo wins on price and schedule almost every time. For 3+ cars or a car-plus-household-goods move, run the math both ways - we'll quote both.
RoRo schedule
Destinations we ship to weekly
From
- USECUS East CoastNewark · Baltimore · Savannah · Houston gateways
To
- LOSLagos, Nigeria21–28 days · Apapa & Tin Can
- COOCotonou, Benin24–30 days · PAC port
- TEMTema, Ghana22–28 days · Direct RoRo
- LFWLomé, Togo24–30 days · Sahel re-export hub
- DKRDakar, Senegal16–22 days · Port Autonome
- ABJAbidjan, Côte d'Ivoire22–28 days · Port d'Abidjan
- CKYConakry, Guinea20–26 days · Port of Conakry
- DLADouala, Cameroon28–35 days · Gateway for Chad & CAR
- +Other West African portsBanjul · Freetown · Monrovia · Pointe-Noire · Matadi · Luanda · Libreville
- Weekly sailings
- RoRo, mafi, and breakbulk options
- AES filing & port handling included
Frequently asked questions
Can I ship a salvage / flood / non-running car?
Yes. We load non-running cars on a low-pro mafi trailer at the port. You'll need the salvage title and a release from the auction. Add ~$150-$250 for mafi handling vs a driveable car.
Can I put personal effects inside the car?
Limited and risky. Most carriers prohibit loose items in RoRo cars and will refuse loading if anything is visible. A small sealed box in the trunk is sometimes tolerated; anything visible (bags, electronics, spare parts) gets the car offloaded at your cost. If you have personal items, ship them as a separate LCL consol - see our West Africa consolidation page.
How is duty calculated at destination?
Each country uses its own formula, typically based on CIF value × duty rate × age coefficient. Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Togo, and Côte d'Ivoire all penalize older vehicles. We give you a duty estimate per shipment so the consignee can plan cash flow.
Do you ship to landlocked countries?
Yes - through transshipment at Cotonou, Lomé, Dakar, or Tema, then onward by truck to Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Niger, Mali, or CAR. Inland leg is quoted separately.
What's the cheapest US port for West Africa RoRo?
Depends entirely on the destination port and the carrier rotation that week. Generally Baltimore and Newark are cheapest for Nigeria/Benin/Ghana; Galveston or Freeport TX can win for Lagos and Cotonou when carriers reposition. We always quote the cheapest live option.
Ready to ship?
Send us the lot number, the VIN, or just the year/make/model and the destination port. We'll quote within one business day.