Ports can be a chaotic nightmare, with ongoing concerns for port chassis shortages and delays causing issues in ensuring a continuous and streamlined supply chain movement. Currently, the U.S is facing a major shortage in intermodal equipment, and many factors have been attributed to its sudden spike.
With demand for drayage services growing, understanding the causes of chassis shortages is vital in maintaining the efficiency of logistics. Below are several maintenance problems that can further exacerbate the ongoing chassis shortage:
Structural and Physical Damage
Intermodal chassis are frequently subject to harsh environments and extreme work, which may cause their structural integrity to degrade over time. Poor tire conditions, brake problems, and wear and tear on critical undercarriage components like the suspension and steering are common issues and may cause breakdowns. When such incidents occur, chassis are often put under out-of-service (OOS) and are not permitted to operate until fully repaired.
Additionally, the way chassis are handled and managed may also impact their structural health. Port chassis can become damaged, twisted, or racked from rough handling, stacking, or collisions with other equipment and dock bumpers.
Neglect and Maintenance Practices
Like all equipment, intermodal port chassis must be regularly maintained to ensure roadworthiness and adherence to safety protocols. However, Insufficient planned maintenance, such as regular checks of fluid levels, lubricants, and component wear, leads to a higher incidence of unexpected failures.
Logistics teams must also focus on preventive maintenance to avoid OOS situations. When a chassis is placed under OOS, it is not permitted to travel.
Compliance and Safety
Intermodal port chassis are heavily regulated and must comply with various rules to ensure consistent operations. On top of requiring current license, registration, and inspection tags to be roadworthy, intermodal port chassis must also pass safety standards, including proper load securing with certified chains and binders, mandatory use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and following rules for driver conduct.
Additionally, all port chassis must be in good operational condition to be used, without any damage or missing features that could impact their performance. For example, a chassis without functional lighting is not considered roadworthy.
Maintain Consistent Operations with Reliable Chassis from CIE Manufacturing
The chassis shortage has yet to be resolved, and the best logistics and transportation companies can do is to strategize chassis movement and ensure they are well-maintained to keep going. Equipping trucking companies and chassis pools with reliable intermodal chassis can help sustain the number of available chassis by reducing breakdowns and minimizing issues.
At CIE Manufacturing, we manufacture world-class intermodal chassis trailers. As a pioneer in the chassis industry, we place safety, durability, and efficiency at the heart of our operations, ensuring we deliver intermodal equipment that provides exceptional performance and minimized cost for our customers.
Contact 877.711.0725 or visit https://ciemanufacturing.com/ to discover our products and capabilities.
