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[[File:HK Bus 962 view Tsing Kwai Highway 葵涌貨櫃碼頭 Kwai Tsing Container Terminal piers September 2018 SSG 06.jpg|thumb|200px|A semi-tractor hauling a bare chassis.]]
[[File:HK Bus 962 view Tsing Kwai Highway 葵涌貨櫃碼頭 Kwai Tsing Container Terminal piers September 2018 SSG 06.jpg|thumb|200px|A semi-tractor hauling a bare chassis.]]


'''Container chassis''', also called '''intermodal chassis''' or '''skeletal trailer''', is a wheeled metal frame onto which a shipping container can be mounted for road transport by a [[Tractor unit|semi-tractor]]. Chassis are used by [[Truck driver|truckers]] to deliver containers between [[Container port|ports]], railyards, container depots, and shipper facilities.<ref name="Chassis">{{cite book |author=National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. |author-link=National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine |doi=10.17226/22682 |title=Guidebook for Assessing Evolving International Container Chassis Supply Models |publisher=[[National Academies Press]] |location=Washington, DC |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-309-25863-0}}</ref>{{rp|pages=2-3|quote=The chassis plays a critical role in supply chains and is involved in all first/last mile ocean container truck moves...An ocean container chassis is a wheeled structure designed to carry marine containers for the purpose of truck movement between terminals and shipping facilities.}} This type of trucking is referred to as [[drayage]] or intermodal trucking.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erera |first1=Alan |last2=Smilowitz |first2=Karen |editor-last=Ioannou |editor-first=Petros |date=2008 |title=Intelligent Freight Transportation |chapter=Intermodal Drayage Routing and Scheduling |location=Boca Raton, FL |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |page=172 |isbn=978-0-8493-0770-6}}</ref>
'''Container chassis''', also called '''intermodal chassis''' or '''skeletal trailer''', is a specialized semi-trailer, basically a wheeled metal frame, that a [[shipping container]] can be mounted onto for road transport. Chassis are used by [[Truck driver|truckers]] to deliver containers between [[Container port|ports]], railyards, container depots, and shipper facilities.<ref name="Chassis">{{cite book |author=National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. |author-link=National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine |doi=10.17226/22682 |title=Guidebook for Assessing Evolving International Container Chassis Supply Models |publisher=[[National Academies Press]] |location=Washington, DC |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-309-25863-0}}</ref>{{rp|pages=2-3|quote=The chassis plays a critical role in supply chains and is involved in all first/last mile ocean container truck moves...An ocean container chassis is a wheeled structure designed to carry marine containers for the purpose of truck movement between terminals and shipping facilities.}} This type of trucking is sometimes called [[drayage]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erera |first1=Alan |last2=Smilowitz |first2=Karen |editor-last=Ioannou |editor-first=Petros |date=2008 |title=Intelligent Freight Transportation |chapter=Intermodal Drayage Routing and Scheduling |location=Boca Raton, FL |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |page=172 |isbn=978-0-8493-0770-6}}</ref>


[[File:View from RTD commuter train passing UP DIF during A-Line opening, 2.jpg|thumb|200px|Bare container chassis parked at an intermodal facility.]]
[[File:View from RTD commuter train passing UP DIF during A-Line opening, 2.jpg|thumb|200px|Bare container chassis parked at an intermodal facility.]]

Revision as of 15:32, 14 September 2021

This article is about the semi-trailer used in intermodal freight transport. For other uses, see Undercarriage.
A semi-tractor hauling a bare chassis.

Container chassis, also called intermodal chassis or skeletal trailer, is a specialized semi-trailer, basically a wheeled metal frame, that a shipping container can be mounted onto for road transport. Chassis are used by truckers to deliver containers between ports, railyards, container depots, and shipper facilities.[1]: 2–3  This type of trucking is sometimes called drayage.[2]

Bare container chassis parked at an intermodal facility.
A port crane lifts a container from a container ship to a chassis for road transport.
A truck hauling a bomb cart drives past stacks of containers at Chittagong Port.
40' gooseneck chassis. Chassis can be stacked to reduce parking space.
An APL 20-foot container and chassis at a loading dock.
Twistlocks.

Operation

A container is lifted onto a chassis by a specialized crane, ensuring that the container's corner castings line up with the chassis’ twistlocks (pins). The container is then locked to the chassis by engaging the pins.[3] Lifting a container on or off a chassis is referred to as a flip.[4] A semi-tractor can hook up to the chassis' kingpin to haul it. Truck drivers also connect the air and electrical lines from their truck to the chassis' gladhand sockets. When not hooked up to a tractor, container chassis have a pair of legs called landing gear which can be lowered to support the chassis.[5]

Portable generators, also called gensets, can be mounted (underslung) onto chassis. These gensets are used to power a refrigerated container.[6]

In the US, some chassis, especially 20-foot and 53-foot chassis, have sliding tandems. The tandems are pulled back for heavy containers to comply with federal bridge law weight restrictions.

An identification number is usually stenciled on chassis to keep track of each unit in a fleet. According to ISO 6346, a chassis should have the letter "Z" at the end of its reporting mark. For example, ABCZ-123456 7 would mean the equipment is a chassis, specifically, number 1234567 in the fleet of company ABC.

Types

The length of a chassis determines which container length it can accept. The standard ISO containers are either 20-, 40-, or 45-foot-long. For example, a 40-foot-long chassis is used for a 40-foot-long container. While some chassis are fixed length, others can be extended or shortened depending on which container needs to be hauled.[7] The most common adjustable chassis lengths are 40/45.[citation needed]

In some countries there are other lengths of containers used domestically. For example, in North America there are 53-foot-long containers used only within North America. For these 53-foot-long containers, there are 53-foot-long chassis.

Gooseneck chassis
40-foot and longer chassis are sometimes called gooseneck chassis. There is a bend in the chassis frame which is designed to fit into the tunnel at the bottom of containers.
Marine vs domestic chassis
In North America, chassis used for 20-, 40-, and 45-foot long containers are called "marine" or "international" chassis. Domestic chassis are used for 48- and 53-foot containers.
Bomb carts
Bomb carts are used by dockworkers to shuttle containers within a port. Unlike typical container chassis, they have side panels instead of twistlocks, which allows crane operators to quickly place containers on them to hasten the container ship unloading process. Bomb carts are not intended for drayage out of a port.
Tank chassis
Tank container chassis are used for portable bulk liquid containers or ISO tank containers. They are characteristically longer and have lower deck height then standard chassis, ideal for transporting constantly shifting payloads. These chassis can also be fitted with additional accessories including: lift kits to facilitate product discharge, hose tubes, and hi/lo kits to carry two empty tanks. The tank chassis has evolved over the past years to accommodate greater payload weights. They come in tandem axle, spread axle, tri-axle, and hi/lo combo configurations.

Logistics

United States

In the US, there are two main types of container terminal operations. The first is called a "grounded" or "lift" terminal. At these terminals, containers are stacked on the ground. When drivers need to pick up a container from a grounded terminal, they must bring a chassis with them or find one somewhere in the terminal. Unless the driver has a privately-owned chassis, then they need to get a chassis from a chassis pool. A chassis pool is a fleet of chassis that are available to truckers for daily rental and return at specific locations in a defined region. The steamship lines formerly owned the pool chassis, but they sold them to leasing companies in the late 2000s.[8]: 24–26  Once the driver has a bare chassis, they take it to where their container is stacked and the terminal personnel lift the container onto their chassis.

The other type of terminal is called "wheeled"—terminal personnel place containers individually on pool chassis and park them before truckers arrive. When truckers arrive, they hook up to the chassis holding their container and drive away. If drivers wish to use a different chassis, they need to get a flip.[9]

Drivers must check-in at a kiosk whenever they enter or exit a container terminal. If the driver is in-gating/out-gating a pool chassis, the kiosk sends a record of the event via EDI to the chassis pool company. This allows the chassis pool company to determine when the billing period for a chassis begins and ends and which trucking company is using the chassis. The trucking company passes the invoice it receives from the pool to its customer.

There is an important caveat—most steamship lines require truckers and container terminals to use a particular chassis pool. This is because of contracts between the steamship lines and the pools.[8]: 26 [10][11] Trucking companies and container terminals have lists of which steamship lines go with which chassis pool. When the steamship line is buying the drayage service (called carrier haulage), drivers should use the steamship line’s chosen chassis pool, otherwise the steamship line usually will not pay the drayage company for chassis rental.[12] Pool chassis are stenciled with the name of the pool they belong to, usually a 4-letter code like "COCP".[a] If the required pool is unavailable at the terminal where the box is located, the driver must first bobtail to another terminal to pick up a chassis (called chassis split). However, if the shipper/forwarder are buying the drayage service (called merchant haulage), the trucker and shipper can make their own chassis arrangements (at wheeled terminals, the driver would need to get a flip to move the container from the provided chassis onto their desired chassis).

Other countries

In most countries other than the US, truckers own or long-term lease container chassis—steamship lines have no influence on chassis.[1]: 1 [13]

Shortages

In the United States, container chassis shortages are a chronic problem, especially during peaks in freight volume.[14] There are several causes of chassis shortages, but a common problem is excessive off-terminal dwell time. Off-terminal dwell time is the length of time a shipper keeps a chassis/container at their premises. Long dwell times cause shortages at ports and rail ramps where incoming containers need to be loaded onto chassis.[15][16]

See also

References

Annotations
  1. ^ This is not the same as the reporting mark, which is also a 4-letter code. The reporting mark ends in "Z" and is always followed by a 6 or 7 digit number. It is used to identify a particular chassis, not the pool.
Citations
  1. ^ a b National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2012). Guidebook for Assessing Evolving International Container Chassis Supply Models. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/22682. ISBN 978-0-309-25863-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Erera, Alan; Smilowitz, Karen (2008). "Intermodal Drayage Routing and Scheduling". In Ioannou, Petros (ed.). Intelligent Freight Transportation. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-8493-0770-6.
  3. ^ Hildebrand, Michael; Noll, Gregory; Hand, William (2018). Intermodal Container Emergencies (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 69.
  4. ^ "Intermodal Glossary". Union Pacific. Retrieved December 23, 2020. Flip: When a container is picked up off of the ground and mounted on a chassis for street or highway transport.
  5. ^ "Containerisation International Year Book". Containerisation International Year Book. London: National Magazine Company. 1971. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  6. ^ Filina-Dawidowicz, L.; Santos, T.; Guedes Soares, C. (2016). "Refrigerated cargo handling: Demand and requirements for Portuguese ports". In Guedes Soares, C.; Santos, T. (eds.). Maritime Technology and Engineering 3. Vol. 1. Leiden, The Netherlands: CRC Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-1-138-03222-4.
  7. ^ Muller, Gerhardt (1989). Intermodal Freight Transportation. Eno Foundation for Transportation. p. 113.
  8. ^ a b U.S. Container Port Congestion & Related International Supply Chain Issues: Causes, Consequences & Challenges (PDF) (Report). Federal Maritime Commission. July 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  9. ^ Fact Finding 28: The Memphis Supply Chain Innovation Team. A Single Gray Chassis Pool Fosters Fluid Commerce and Improves Supply Chain Velocity (PDF) (Report). p. 2. Retrieved December 29, 2020. truckers do not have a choice on chassis provisioning when rail operators have a mounted operational procedure. Containers are available as a mounted unit; shippers and truckers must take the unit as tendered or wait in line for a flip fee to move that container onto another chassis.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Mongelluzzo, Bill (June 13, 2019). "Chassis 'utility' model proposed for ports, hubs". JOC.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020. 'Carriers bought the chassis and gave them away for free to attract business,' Rooney said. Then, carriers went almost full circle by renting back the chassis from the equipment providers and offering them at discounted rates, once again to attract business, he said.
  11. ^ Ashe, Ari (May 30, 2018). "US truckers, shippers frustrated with chassis splits, shortages". JOC.com. Retrieved December 23, 2020. 'in Memphis, we run a TRAC pool and then we contribute to the CCM pool. If we have assets devoted to the TRAC pool for the steamship line for an agreed upon rate, that's the asset the motor carrier needs to use.'
  12. ^ "Hapag-Lloyd Chassis Program – USA Chassis Provider Summary - January Update - Chassis Program Update". In cases where Hapag-Lloyd is responsible for chassis usage, we will only accept usage from the above providers and pools. If these providers are not used, the trucker will be charged directly, regardless of the terms of chassis provision.
  13. ^ "Changing U.S. Intermodal Chassis Operations". OCEMA. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  14. ^ "Long tail of US chassis shortage snaps shippers". JOC.com. January 22, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2020. The container chassis shortage ranks with the truck driver shortage as a perennial issue that returns to disrupt supply chains whenever freight demand surges.
  15. ^ Ozkan, Utku (October 9, 2020). "WHY THERE IS A CHASSIS SHORTAGE AT THE PORTS OF LOS ANGELES AND LONG BEACH". More Than Shipping. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  16. ^ Mongelluzzo, Bill (July 23, 2020). "Chassis equipment issues reemerge at LA–LB port complex". JOC.com. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
Further reading
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