Dedicated lanes for pool chassis at Port of New York and New Jersey

Container vessels calling the Port of New York and New Jersey are getting larger and we are serving more of these larger vessels each year.  Just this past weekend we welcomed the CMA CGM Brazil, a 15,072 TEU vessel and the largest to ever call the US East Coast.  One third of the total container volume in the Port through July was shipped on a vessel with a capacity of 10,000 TEU or more. Just three years ago when the Bayonne Bridge Navigational Clearance Project was completed, less than seven percent of all container volume in the Port was transported on a 10,000 TEU or larger vessel.    

Larger ships mean fewer ship calls, but each vessel exchanges more and more cargo in a single port call. With more cargo being exchanged at one time, the need for efficiency and productivity throughout the supply chain increases. The Port’s Council on Port Performance (CPP) has remained steadfast in continuing to work with leaders from all supply chain sectors to address issues that impact the productivity, efficiency and competitiveness of the gateway. 

With 85 percent of containerized cargo in our port being moved by truck, the chassis are an essential component of the supply chain. The various intermodal equipment providers serving the port have done an incredible job in recent years to increase the supply of chassis and with the support of the International Longshoremen’s Association mechanics, improve the quality and safety of the units and decreasing the out of service level of chassis to single digits.  

With the chassis now all being consolidated in off terminal depots, a complete intensive roadability inspection is conducted before a trucker leaves the depot with a chassis. The chassis would then be subject to a second inspection upon arrival at a container terminal which is most often, just minutes later. In an effort to further streamline the process at the terminal and increase efficiency, we are pleased to announce that beginning Monday, September 21, 2020, there will be dedicated gate lanes at each container terminal for pre-inspected pool chassis. A trucker presenting a pool chassis in one of these lanes will only be subject to a cursory inspection. This is another important step in providing efficiencies and reliability for chassis which was one of the CPP’s top priorities.  

“Implementing dedicated lanes for pre-inspected pool chassis is another step in improving truck processing times through a better use of resources for all gate moves as port volumes continue grow.” – John Nardi, President of New York Shipping Association and Co-Chair of the Council on Port Performance

Each container terminal will provide instructions to the trucking community on where these lanes are located and how to use them. 

“Implementing dedicated lanes for pre-inspected pool chassis is a great solution that will decrease congestion at the marine terminals, improve trucker productivity and turn times, and also reduce emissions. Great for all truckers. Great for the Port. Great for the environment.” – Joe Ragusa, President of the Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors Association