Auto carrier (PCC/PCTC)

An auto carrier is a roll-on/roll-off ship built only for wheeled cargo, the family that splits into the pure car carrier (PCC) and the pure car/truck carrier (PCTC). Its slab-sided hull holds 10 to 14 vehicle decks, several of them hoistable to clear taller units, and capacity is quoted in car equivalent units (CEU) keyed to the 1966 Toyota Corona RT43 footprint of about 4.125 by 1.55 by 1.4 meters. Mid-size ships run 5,000 to 6,500 CEU; the largest reach 8,000 to 9,300 CEU. Loading is by a stern quarter ramp and side ramps, not cranes, so port time is short. The PCTC variant adds reinforced decks and 6 to 6.5 meter clearances for trucks, buses, and high-and-heavy machinery.