Peter T. Leach | Jul 08, 2010 4:10PM EDT
CMA CGM plans to gradually phase out providing chassis to truckers at terminals throughout the United States on a schedule starting on the East Coast in October and ending on the West Coast in March of next year.
The carrier said Thursday it expects the new chassis supply management policy will generate greater operational efficiency and reduce the environmental impact. OOCL recently announced a similar chassis supply management policy in three U.S. cities.
“By deleting idle time at terminals waiting for a chassis, by improving turn-around and transit time, this new system will allow not only to better meet the customers’ service expectations but also significantly reduce the carbon footprint of drayage operations, positively impacting the environment,” the French carrier said in its announcement.
It said the new policy, which is in line with what has been in force for years in the rest of the world, will give truckers flexibility and allow them to use chassis for multiple moves at different terminals, for different lines and services, which will remove inefficiencies and improve supply chain processes.
It also said the new policy will improve safety in terminals by removing surplus chassis, will reduce congestion and improve overall chassis conditions, “which will not have to suffer multiple connections/disconnections, generating damage to the equipment.”
CMA CGM plans to implement its new chassis management on the following schedule, which it said is tentative:
Oct. 1: Mobile;
Nov. 1: New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston;
Dec. 1: Jacksonville and Charleston;
Jan. 1: Houston and Dallas;
Feb. 1: Memphis, Nashville, Kansas City and St Louis;
March 1: Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle.
CMA CGM said it will schedule other locations not mentioned at a later date.
-- Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com.
