The United States is currently facing a container chassis trailer shortage, with bottlenecks causing delays in moving containers from ports and railyards. With the crisis showing no signs of alleviation soon, trucking and logistics groups are turning towards chassis pools as a solution.
An intermodal chassis pool consists of a shared fleet of chassis available to multiple users, like shippers and trucking companies. These pools improve efficiency and reduce equipment shortages and idle time. There are multiple types of chassis pools in the intermodal industry, each classified according to management and access.
1. Competitive Pool
A competitive chassis pool is a logistics system where a single asset owner or provider manages a fleet of chassis. This model competes to serve customer needs, driving competition and service quality.
In competitive chassis pools, customers have the flexibility to use chassis from the pool. At the same time, the owner is responsible for managing, maintaining, and repositioning the equipment to ensure availability and efficiency. Competitive chassis pools enable owners to invest in better equipment and technology, while customers benefit from increased purchasing power and expanded service options.
2. Gray Pools
While competitive pools are managed by a single owner, gray chassis pools involve multiple contributing intermodal equipment providers (IEPs). This collaborative pool is managed by a third-party manager who handles logistics, such as billing, maintenance, and repositioning. Each IEP charges its rates according to commercial agreements with ocean and motor carriers.
Gray pools allow truckers to use any chassis from the pool, regardless of which provider owns it, for any container movement within a designated area. This model increases chassis efficiency, reduces costs for providers, and maximizes space at busy ports or intermodal locations.
3. Motor Carrier-Controlled Pool
Motor carrier-controlled pools are a logistics model wherein a motor carrier owns chassis or leases them long-term from an IEP. The owner or manager of motor carrier-controlled pools is responsible for managing equipment and is in charge of maintenance, repair, storage, and repositioning. The pool manager is also tasked with billing chassis usage to motor carriers.
In motor carrier-controlled chassis pools, truckers can pick up and drop off chassis at specified start/stop locations established by the pool manager.
Streamline Chassis Pool Operations with Reliable Chassis from CIE Manufacturing
All chassis pool types are vital in maintaining the consistent and effective operations of the U.S supply chain. While each pool varies in terms of ownership, asset allocation, and distribution, they all rely on quality chassis to ensure streamlined processes.
If you are a pool manager or IEP looking for top-grade intermodal chassis for your operations, partner with CIE Manufacturing. We are one of the world’s leading manufacturers of safe, durable, and innovative intermodal equipment, providing exceptional performance to all of our clients.
Visit https://ciemanufacturing.com/ or fill out our contact form to discover our products and capabilities.
