Peter T. Leach | Aug 04, 2010 12:25PM EDT
TRAC Intermodal said Tuesday it will start renting chassis to port truckers on a short-to-medium term basis.
The company, formerly known as Seacastle Chassis, has until now leased chassis to truckers on a long-term basis. Its new product called TRAC Connect enables truckers to rent chassis at $11 a day.
TRAC Intermodal is getting into the short-term chassis rental business as more ocean carriers are starting to get out of the business of providing chassis to the trucking industry.
In recent weeks, Cosco, CMA CGM, NYK Line, Orient Overseas Container Line, Atlantic Container Line and Evergreen Marine all announced they are beginning to phase out proving chassis in certain East Coast locations.
“As the steamship lines transition away from providing chassis to motor carriers, TRAC Connect offers an innovative solution by allowing the motor carrier to enter into a chassis Interchange Agreement directly with TRAC Intermodal via the Web,” said Steve Rubin, president and CEO of TRAC Intermodal.
Rubin said the new service “offers the value and efficiency of pooling, the availability and quality of TRAC Intermodal chassis, and the economy of only paying for on-demand usage.”
He said Trac’s PoolStat software is being enhanced “to provide steamship lines with flexibility to develop customized chassis models as they seek to exit the chassis business on their own terms.”
-- Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com.