Inside a car carrier

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced that the company, in collaboration with Yamato Chain Mfg. Co., Ltd. and MOL Techno-Trade Co., Ltd., has developed the “Skater,” a device designed to move vehicles that are temporarily unable to move under their own power while on board car carriers, and has begun deploying it throughout the MOL-operated fleet.

Until now, moving vehicles that could not travel under their own power required arranging a tow truck, and at ports where securing such resources was difficult, this could delay cargo handling for several hours. With the introduction of the “Skater,” however, these vehicles can now be moved in about five minutes. This significantly reduces cargo-handling bottlenecks and departure delays, helping to strengthen the automobile transportation system.

On car carriers, thousands of vehicles are densely loaded, with extremely limited spacing—approximately 30 cm front-to-back, 10 cm side-to-side, and a minimum vertical clearance (Note 1) of 10 cm. Because vehicles are loaded and unloaded in a predetermined sequence, even a single vehicle that is temporarily unable to move under its own power—due to low fuel, a dead battery, or similar issues—can disrupt the loading and unloading operations of surrounding vehicles. This has presented an ongoing challenge, as bottlenecks in the overall cargo-handling process can lead to departure delays. Deploying a tow truck often results in long waits, and in some ports, it may be impossible.

The “Skater” is a specialized device that is mounted directly onto the vehicle to assist with movement. It enables the swift resumption of loading and unloading operations without relying on external support, ensuring safe and reliable cargo handling at any port in the world.

MOL will continue working to maintain a stable automobile transport system and ensure safe, high-quality transport services.