FMCSA Clears Way for Intermodal Registry

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will expand its “roadability” rule for intermodal chassis, clearing the way for industry efforts to launch a global registry for intermodal equipment.

FMCSA will add a fifth equipment marking option to its rules, allowing chassis to be identified through a system that uses technology to match equipment to the company responsible for its maintenance.

“I am very pleased that FMCSA has made the decision to allow for a fifth option,” said Joni Casey, president and CEO of the Intermodal Association of North America, which had pressed for the option.

IANA is developing the Global Intermodal Equipment Registry, an industry-sponsored registry that will use existing unique alpha-numeric control numbers already on equipment to identify chassis.

Those control numbers are the newly required intermodal equipment provider, or IEP, USDOT numbers. With those numbers, GIER will be able to correlate equipment IDs with driver vehicle inspection reports.

“This decision positions GIER to move ahead and help the intermodal industry quickly and cost-effectively comply with the new roadability regulations,” Casey said. The system, in final beta testing, will be launched late this month, according to IANA.

Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com.