Union Rotoiti was also interesting in its use of ro-ro for the Trans Tasman route. The cargo did not necessarily just contain truck and trailer units, but also had cargo stacked in the decks using forklifts. This necessitated the vehicle decks of the ship being built to withstand the loading of up to 39 t per axle that could be exerted by a heavy forklift. Union Rotoiti was built with a large angled stern ramp that allowed her to unload her cargo at any wharf without the need for a specialist linkspan as required by most ro-ro ships. She also had a bow door which could be used if a linkspan was present in a port, thus allowing cargo to be worked both forward and aft speeding up turn around time.
