OOCL plans to stop providing chassis on Sept. 1 at six additional port and inland locations in the East and Midwest, including the Port of Charleston, S.C., the Journal of Commerce reported.
The Hong Kong-based carrier said Tuesday it will extend its no-chassis policy for merchant haulage to Charlotte, Knoxville, Birmingham, Minneapolis and Cincinnati in addition to Charleston, the nation's eighth-largest port for container traffic and the largest so far on the carrier's list for halting chassis service.
OOCL said that after Sept. 1, all motor carriers, either working as suppliers to OOCL or the company's customers, must provide chassis for these shipments. Chassis usage fees for merchant moves should be billed by the motor carrier directly to their customer.
In its announcement, OOCL referred customers to various chassis-leasing or rental companies that can provide chassis in each of the six locations.
This is the fourth stage of the chassis policy that OOCL first announced last July when it said it would stop providing chassis in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as of Sept. 1, 2010.
As of Jan. 1 this year, it extended the new no-chassis policy to Buffalo, El Paso, Harrisburg, Huntsville, Jacksonville, Laredo and Tampa. The company stopped providing chassis, as of May 1, in Denver, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans, Oakland, Salt Lake City and Wilmington, N.C.
Several ocean carriers have announced a similar phase-out of providing chassis in the last year, raising concerns among shippers about patchwork and uncoordinated service for the essential equipment.
The Hong Kong-based carrier said Tuesday it will extend its no-chassis policy for merchant haulage to Charlotte, Knoxville, Birmingham, Minneapolis and Cincinnati in addition to Charleston, the nation's eighth-largest port for container traffic and the largest so far on the carrier's list for halting chassis service.
OOCL said that after Sept. 1, all motor carriers, either working as suppliers to OOCL or the company's customers, must provide chassis for these shipments. Chassis usage fees for merchant moves should be billed by the motor carrier directly to their customer.
In its announcement, OOCL referred customers to various chassis-leasing or rental companies that can provide chassis in each of the six locations.
This is the fourth stage of the chassis policy that OOCL first announced last July when it said it would stop providing chassis in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as of Sept. 1, 2010.
As of Jan. 1 this year, it extended the new no-chassis policy to Buffalo, El Paso, Harrisburg, Huntsville, Jacksonville, Laredo and Tampa. The company stopped providing chassis, as of May 1, in Denver, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans, Oakland, Salt Lake City and Wilmington, N.C.
Several ocean carriers have announced a similar phase-out of providing chassis in the last year, raising concerns among shippers about patchwork and uncoordinated service for the essential equipment.