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PCC vs PCTC — Why Detection Looks Different on Each
By Vignesh D. · April 15, 2026 · 6 min read
Pure car carriers and pure car & truck carriers share the same casualty headlines but not the same cargo geometry. The detection problem shapes itself accordingly.
The trade talks about "PCTCs" as a single vessel class. The cargo decks tell a different story — a 3,000-CEU PCC built in 2002 looks nothing like a 7,500-CEU PCTC built in 2022, and a detection layer that fits one will not fit the other.
Where the geometry diverges
- Deck clear height — PCCs run lower clearance, with hoistable decks reducing access room.
- Lane density — newer PCTCs pack vehicles tighter per square metre.
- Internal column pitch — varies enough to change sensor mounting spacing entirely.
- Ventilation architecture — older vessels rely on natural ventilation that complicates gas sensing.
What changes for the sensor grid
Sensor cells, segment master, and software are the same across vessel types. The mounting plan and cabling run are not. Roughly 60% of the deployment engineering on a new operator is in adapting the cable runs and cell pitch to the specific deck geometry — not in customising the product itself.
The product is portable across vessel classes. The deployment plan is not. We have learned to budget the second carefully.
Sources
- DNV — "Pure Car and Truck Carriers" class notes and rule references.
- ABS — "Rules for Building and Classing Marine Vessels," Part 5C Chapter 6 (cargo decks).
- Clarksons Research — "Car Carrier Fleet Statistics 2025."
- IACS — UR S-Series, structural unified requirements relevant to vehicle decks.