Chassis
For containers to be towed or carried by trucks, they must be supported by an undercarriage system. This system is called the chassis, consisting of a skeletal frame and various other components mounted to it. These components typically include wheels, brakes, suspension systems, axles, engines, etc.
Different types of chassis have distinctive features to adapt them to different purposes and modes of transport. For instance, a Tilt Container Chassis has an in-built mechanical system that allows easy loading/unloading without the help of external equipment, while the back of an Extendable Container Chassis can be extended to fit containers of any size.
Using chassis in cargo transport warrants a chassis fee, which is often incurred when a cargo arrives at the port and is then transported by truck to the warehouse and vice versa. The logistics provider charges the chassis fee to facilitate this transportation. It covers the costs of maintenance, management, and provision of chassis for transporting containers.
However, there are situations where the container and chassis are not in the same location. This is called a chassis split, and often occurs due to the chassis and the container being owned and managed by different entities.
In this case, the trucker can first collect the chassis from the chassis pool before traveling to the port where the container is located. This separation allows for more flexibility in logistics operations. However, an additional chassis split fee might be incurred.
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