Direct ChassisLink, Inc. (“DCLI”), Flexi-Van Leasing, Inc. (“FVLI”) and TRAC Intermodal (“TRAC”) are pleased to announce that, commencing on March 1, 2015, a new chassis provisioning model begins operations in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
On this date, chassis pools managed by DCLI and FVLI the DCLI or DCLP chassis pool (the “DCLP”), the Grand Alliance Chassis Pool (the “GACP”) and the Los Angeles Basin Pool (the “LABP”) which supply chassis for the transportation of marine containers between ports, rail yards and cargo destinations in the LA/Long Beach port complex (including over 30,000 TRAC-contributed chassis in the GACP and LABP), will begin operating under a new agreement that will allow unprecedented chassis interoperability for all chassis contributed to such pools.
This “Pool of Pools,” as it has been dubbed by intermodal industry observers, will provide access to chassis for the containerized cargo supply chain spanning twelve (12) major marine terminals and a network of rail yards, container yards and other locations in the greater port complex. The new agreement will allow users of the DCLP, GACP or LABP to interchange chassis of the other pools, making over 80,000 total chassis “gray” from the perspective of supply chain stakeholders.
The chassis providers will continue to manage their respective pools, independently establish their proprietary rates for daily chassis usage, and continue to compete openly with each other for customers. The participating pool managers will monitor usage of the fleet and cooperate on the positioning of chassis across the complex, and will utilize a third party service provider to facilitate operation of the concept. This third party service provider will audit cross-pool chassis usage to allow the pools to compensate one another for such usage on a regular basis, and assist in preventing the exchange of competitively sensitive information between the pools and chassis providers.
Interoperability of chassis across the terminal complex should reduce time spent in travel to pick up or return chassis, improving motor carrier productivity that will also benefit the steamship lines and beneficial cargo owners utilizing the ports. Marine terminal operators will no longer be required to segregate chassis from the participating pools which, along with greater utilization efficiencies, should free up valuable terminal real estate in the crowded port area. The general public and the environment should also see the benefits of this program, in the form of decreased fuel usage, reduced engine emissions and less port congestion as the transportation of containers entering and exiting the ports becomes more efficient.
