Intermodal Chassis Provisioning and Supply Chain Efficiency: Equipment Availability, Choice, and Quality (2024)
Chapter: Front Matter
Intermodal Chassis
Provisioning and Supply
Chain Efficiency
Equipment Availability, Choice, and Quality
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Committee on the Best Practices for the
Efficient Supply of Chassis for Transporting
Intermodal Containers
Consensus and Advisory Studies Division
Transportation Research Board
Consensus Study Report
Transportation Research Board Special Report 352
Subscriber Categories: Freight transportation; policy
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This publication was reviewed by a group other than the authors according to the procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine.
This study was sponsored by the Federal Maritime Commission.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-72106-6
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-72106-7
Digital Object Identifier: http://doi.org/10.17226/27806
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COMMITTEE ON THE BEST PRACTICES FOR THE EFFICIENT SUPPLY OF CHASSIS FOR TRANSPORTING INTERMODAL CONTAINERS
C. JAMES KRUSE (Chair), Director, Center for Ports and Waterways, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
MARY R. BROOKS, Professor Emerita, Dalhousie University
RICK GABRIELSON, Principal and Owner, RS Gabrielson and Associates
GERALDINE KNATZ (NAE), Professor of Practice, University of Southern California
FRANCINE LAFONTAINE, William Davidson Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
THOMAS J. O’BRIEN, Associate Dean, College of Professional and Continuing Education, California State University, Long Beach
AMELIA C. REGAN, Director, Master of Supply Chain Transportation & Logistics, University of Washington
JEAN-PAUL RODRIGUE, Professor, Texas A&M University, Galveston
BETHANY M. STICH, Professor and Director, Transportation Institute, University of New Orleans
JUAN C. VILLA, Program Manager, International Trade and Border Transportation, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Transportation Research Board Staff
MARK S. HUTCHINS, Study Director, Consensus and Advisory Studies
THOMAS R. MENZIES, JR., Director, Consensus and Advisory Studies
TIMOTHY B. MARFLAK, Program Coordinator
MYAH STROMAN, Senior Program Assistant
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Reviewers
This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
JANEY CAMP, University of Memphis
PHIL CONNORS, Consultant
TOM FRANCE, Trane Technologies
GENEVIEVE GIULIANO, University of Southern California
DANIEL HACKETT, Hackett Associates, LLC
BRENDA LANZ, North Dakota State University
ROGER NOBER, The George Washington University
CHELSEA C. WHITE III, Georgia Institute of Technology
TODD ZANINELLI, Burlington Stores, Inc.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report, nor did they see the final draft
before its release. The review of this report was overseen by CHRIS T. HENDRICKSON (NAE), Carnegie Mellon University. He was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.
Acknowledgments
The committee thanks the numerous companies, organizations, and individuals who contributed to its work through presentations, submitted written materials, and site visits.
Federal Maritime Commission
Chairman Daniel B. Maffei
Kristen Monaco
Dylan Richmond
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Olu Ajayi
Office of Supply Chain, International Trade Administration
Heather Sykes
Institute of International Container Lessors
Dennis Lombardi
Darrell Conner
Elle Stuart
North American Chassis Pool Cooperative, LLC
Dave Manning
Direct ChassisLink, Inc.
Mike Wells
Mike O’Malley
Don Peltier
Christopher Munsell
Jimmy Heidenreich
TRAC Intermodal
Val T. Noel
FlexiVan Leasing, LLC
Nathaniel Seeds
Port of Los Angeles
Eric Caris
Michael DiBernardo
Yusen Terminals, LLC
Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association
Jeff Lawrence
Stacey Normington
Consolidated Chassis Management, LLC
Mike Wilson
Harbor Trucking Association
Matt Schrap
Total Transportation Services
Pam Reinoehl
Port of Long Beach
Noel Hacegaba
International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 13, Port of Long Beach
Gary Herrera
Sal DiCostanzo
Clem Pasquarella
Micky Main
Georgia Port Authority
Flavio Batista
Gemini Shippers Association
Kenneth O’Brien
NFI/California Cartage
Tommy White
South Carolina Ports Authority
Steve Kemp, Jr.
Burlington Stores, Inc
Todd Zaninelli
Mallory Alexander
Bob Connor
Intermodal Cartage Company
Donna Lemm
Joel Henry
Christopher Henley
Greg Woitesek
American Cotton Shippers Association
Buddy Allen
Staple Cotton
David Camp
Mohawk Global
Rich Roche
IXT Trucking
Kristen Burkett
TCW
Ben Banks
Blue Diamond Growers
Steve Schult
BNSF Railyard, Memphis, TN
Douglas Gage
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Michael P. Bozza
Union Pacific Global 4 Intermodal Terminal, Joliet, IL
Tom Evenson
Intermodal Association of North America
Debbie Sasko
ARL Network
Ron K. Faherty
C&K Trucking
Anthony Garzolini
American Trucking Associations/Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference
Jonathan Eisen
Virginia Port Authority/Virginia International Terminals
Rich Ceci
Arthur Ellermann
Mark Higgins
Andrew Sinclair
The Wallport Companies
Nate Graglia
Gulf Winds International, Inc.
BJ Tarver
Anna Faford
National Institute for Safety Research
David Hetzel
Independent Consultants
Mark B. Duncan
Robert Picard
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Mark S. Hutchins managed the study and assisted the committee in the preparation of its report under the guidance and assistance of Thomas R. Menzies, Jr. Timothy B. Marflak and Myah Stroman provided administrative and logistical support. Karen Febey, senior report review officer, managed the report review process.
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Preface
In September 2019, the U.S. Senate1 directed the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to identify the advantages and disadvantages of different chassis provisioning models, taking into account local conditions at ports; business relationships among shippers, carriers, and intermodal equipment providers; and public interests in curbing port congestion and ensuring chassis safety. The subsequent 2021 GAO report2 informed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 that was enacted in June 2022. In Section 19 of the act, Congress called on the Federal Maritime Commission to enter into an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) to study “best practices for on-terminal or near-terminal chassis pools that provide service to marine terminal operators, motor carriers, railroads, and other stakeholders that use the chassis pools, with the goal of optimizing supply chain efficiency and effectiveness.”
To conduct the study, the National Academies appointed a 10-member committee of experts in supply chain management, intermodal operations and logistics, economics, and public policy. The committee met in person six times and virtually six more times. To inform the study, the committee held information-gathering sessions with stakeholders in Washington, DC, and on visits to Savannah, Georgia; Los Angeles and Long Beach, California; Memphis, Tennessee; and Joliet, Illinois. These stakeholders and meeting participants are listed in the acknowledgments section of this report.
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1 See https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/116th-congress/senate-report/109/1.
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Acronyms and Abbreviations
| ATA | American Trucking Associations |
| BCO | beneficial cargo owner |
| CCM | Consolidated Chassis Management |
| COCP | Chicago and Ohio Valley Consolidated Pool |
| DCLI | Direct Chassis Link, Inc. |
| EIR | Equipment Interchange Report |
| FEU | 40-foot equivalent units |
| FMC | Federal Maritime Commission |
| FMCSA | Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration |
| GAO | U.S. Government Accountability Office |
| GCCP | Gulf Coast Consolidated Pool |
| IANA | Intermodal Association of North America |
| IDD | Intermodal Driver Database |
| IEP | intermodal equipment provider |
| IICL | Institute of International Container Lessors |
| IMCC | Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference |
| LA/LB | Los Angeles/Long Beach |
| MAP-21 | Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act |
| MCCP | Mid-South Consolidated Chassis Pool |
| MCMIS | Motor Carrier Management Information System |
| MH | merchant haulage |
| MTDS | Maritime Transportation Data System |
| MWCP | Midwest Consolidated Pool |
| NACPC | North American Chassis Pool Cooperative |
| NCFRP | National Cooperative Freight Research Program |
| NHS | National Highway System |
| NVOCC | non-vessel operating common carrier |
| OCEMA | Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association |
| OOS | out-of-service |
| SAFETEA-LU | Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users |
| STRAHNET | Strategic Highway Network |
| TEU | 20-foot equivalent units |
| UIIA | Uniform Intermodal Interchange & Facilities Access Agreement |
| USDOT | U.S. Department of Transportation |
| VIN | vehicle identification number |
