Maritime glossary · PCTC
Car Carrier
A pure car and truck carrier, a high-sided ship with many decks built to move finished vehicles.
Definition
A car carrier, or PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier), is a tall, boxy ship with ten or more vehicle decks, some adjustable in height for high-and-heavy cargo. Capacity is quoted in CEU (car equivalent units), with the largest ships above 8,000 CEU. The slab sides give a very large windage area, which makes these ships sensitive to handling in strong wind. The trade is dominated by a handful of deep-sea operators on the main export routes from Asia and Europe.
How Vessel Hunter uses Car Carrier
The car carrier fleet is concentrated among a few operators. Vessel Hunter names the operator and manager behind each hull for the niche service firms that work them.
Related terms
- Ro-Ro VesselRoll-on/Roll-off
A ship with ramps that lets wheeled cargo drive on and off under its own power or on trailers.
- Air Draught
The vertical distance from the waterline to the highest fixed point of a vessel, the constraint under bridges and cranes.
- Time Charter
A charter for a fixed period, paid as a daily hire rate, with the owner providing the crew.
The bigger picture
Car Carrier is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, suppliers, service providers, and port agents. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship, so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
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