DCLI ramps up radial conversions

Gulf port region chassis fleet will be 100% radial by the end of 2020 and Memphis by mid-2021

Charlotte, NC - Since its inception, Direct ChassisLink, Inc. (“DCLI”) has been focused on improving truckers’ experience with our chassis. We have invested over $80 million in upgrading the equipment in chassis pools across the country, with a particular focus on converting our fleet from bias-ply tires to radials. Enabled by our exit from the GCCP and MCCP chassis pools, we are pleased to announce the conversion of the entire DCLI chassis fleet operating in the Gulf port region to radial tires by the end of this year and in Memphis by mid-2021.

The hot road conditions on which our fleet operates for most of the year in markets like Houston, New Orleans, Mobile, and Memphis are hard on chassis tires. Radial tires are much more durable and better suited for such conditions than are bias-ply tires, the all-too-common equipment found on the majority of pool chassis. By accelerating our radial conversion efforts in these markets, we will increase the reliability of our fleet and provide a greater level of assurance that truckers who pull a DCLI chassis will have an incident-free experience with our equipment. 

Currently, around 50% of DCLI’s Gulf port chassis fleet and 30% of the Memphis fleet operate on radials – those figures will be 100% by the end of 2020 and mid-2021, respectively. On average, truckers can expect to see about 700 more chassis on radials each month in the Gulf port region markets and 250 per month in the Memphis area. “The radial conversion initiative is one of the most direct ways that we can improve our motor carrier customers’ experience using our chassis,” said Ron Joseph, EVP and chief operating officer of DCLI. “Our migration away from third-party-managed cooperative pools and toward our own proprietary pools unlocks our ability to invest in essential fleet improvements and ensures that the benefits of these equipment upgrades accrue directly to our customers. Our ultimate goal remains that every single DCLI pool chassis across the country will be on radials before the end of 2023.” 

“This effort is just one of the ways that we are making sure DCLI chassis are the most dependable in the industry and that we remain our customers’ chassis partner of choice,” said Ryan Houfek, chief commercial officer for DCLI. “Our focus is on improving the trucker’s experience when using our chassis because we believe that delivering a great driver experience is good for the whole industry.”