Every ocean container that leaves the Port of Charleston by truck rides on a chassis, the wheeled frame that turns a steel box into a trailer. SC Ports is offering truckers more ways to rent its own.
The South Carolina State Ports Authority said Sept. 15 that its SMART Pool chassis program has expanded direct leasing. Motor carriers that lease chassis directly lock in rates for a set period and can count on equipment being available when and where they need it, the authority said.
The port-owned pool has nearly 10,000 GPS-equipped chassis, according to SC Ports. Users can rent them daily through the pool, choose direct billing, which the authority pitches to beneficial cargo owners, the importers and exporters that own the freight, or lease for a longer term to secure a fleet.
The program offers depots on the terminals, repair support, billing visibility and an in-house chassis team, SC Ports said. Its website posts a chassis inventory by location that it says is updated every 15 minutes.
“In a dynamic market, where every minute and dollar counts, reliability is critical to a successful supply chain, particularly for just-in-time manufacturers and retail distribution centers fulfilling online orders,” said James Caudill, the authority’s director of chassis and SMART Pool.
CEO Micah Mallace said in the announcement that ocean carriers, truck drivers and shippers “can lease chassis directly, ensuring they can confidently plan and expertly meet demand.”
Use of the equipment rose even as the port’s container count fell. Chassis usage days rose 6% in September from a year earlier, to 196,470, while the number of containers handled at the port’s marine terminals fell 4.3%, according to SC Ports. For July through September, chassis usage days were down 4.4%.
