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Container Chassis Guide

Container Chassis Guide

Chassis Types, NY/NJ Pools and Daily Rates, Chassis Splits, UIIA Interchange and Tri-Axles for Heavy Boxes

Quick answer

What is a container chassis?

A chassis is the wheeled steel frame an ocean container locks onto with twist locks so a truck can pull it. At the Port of New York and New Jersey many are rented from pools by the day: DCLI charges $45.00 a day in the Northeast and Flexi-Van's North East Pool $37.75, and pools such as Flexi-Van's require a UIIA interchange agreement before a trucker can take one.

Updated October 2026 by the HTS Logistics broker team (FMCSA MC# 1178470).

Container chassis types and sizes

A container has no wheels of its own, so every truck move out of a terminal needs a chassis sized to the box and built for its weight. Choosing one is part of booking any container drayage out of Port Newark and Elizabeth: the wrong length means a chassis change at the terminal ($189.78 under the NYTC tariff), and too few axles can put a heavy box over New Jersey's axle limits.

Container chassis types, what they carry and when they are used
ChassisCarriesWhen it is used
20 ft chassis One 20 ft container Standard 20 ft boxes whose weight stays inside normal axle limits.
40 ft chassis 40 ft and 40 ft high-cube containers Standard or gooseneck. Hapag-Lloyd builds every 40 ft container with a gooseneck tunnel in the floor so it can ride on a gooseneck chassis.
40–45 ft extendable 40 ft and 45 ft containers One frame for both lengths; TRAC lists 40–45 ft marine chassis in its pools.
Tri-axle (20 ft slider, 40 ft, "anysizer") Heavy containers A third axle spreads the weight; DCLI lists 20 ft tri-axle slider, 40 ft tri-axle and tri-axle anysizer chassis. A slider's tandem moves, and its locking pins must be engaged before the truck leaves.
Genset chassis Refrigerated containers Carries a generator set to power a reefer on the road; TRAC lists genset chassis among its specialty units.

Flat racks ride the same chassis as other containers, and 40 ft high-cube racks can take a gooseneck chassis too. When the cargo on a rack is tall, the chassis deck height decides whether the load stays under 13 ft 6 in, which is covered on our page on flat rack and open top loads.

Who supplies chassis at the Port of NY and NJ

TRAC, DCLI and Flexi-Van each publish pools that cover the port, and motor carriers also run their own chassis; at APM Terminals Elizabeth, pool chassis from TRAC and DCLI must use in-gate lanes 14–24, while company-owned chassis use the other lanes. Rates and return rules as published in October 2026:

Chassis pools serving the Port of New York and New Jersey: rates, locations and return rules
ProviderPoolDaily rateNY/NJ start and stop locationsReturn rules and fees
TRAC Intermodal TRAC Metro Pool, over 17,000 chassis across the Port of NY and NJ, Philadelphia, Baltimore and western New York; more than 55% of the fleet new or rebuilt (BlueEdge) Not shown on the public pages we checked C&C Maintenance Marsh Street, CSX South Kearny, Elizabeth Chassis Depot, Norfolk Southern Croxton, Port Liberty New York $400 drop-off fee for a 40 or 45 ft chassis from any New Jersey location returned to Port Liberty New York (from March 1, 2026)
DCLI (Direct ChassisLink) Direct ChassisLink Pools, Northeast region $45.00 a day: $42.50 base plus a $2.50 damage waiver, for "Northeast (All Other)", the Northeast outside Baltimore (from July 1, 2026); $55.00 for unregistered users C&C Marsh Street Depot (88 Marsh Street, Newark), Elizabeth Chassis Depot (1510 Bay Avenue), Norfolk Southern Croxton, CSX South Kearny, Port Liberty New York $475 migration fee for a chassis that did not start at Port Liberty New York and is returned there (from August 1, 2025). The damage waiver means DCLI does not bill pool chassis damage of $1,000 or less (since July 1, 2025).
Flexi-Van FNEP (FlexiVan North East Pool) $37.75 a day for 20, 40 and 45 ft chassis Start and stop locations are not listed on the rates page UIIA participation, a Flexi-Van addendum and a credit application are required to book. Chassis go back to the location where they were picked up unless Flexi-Van authorizes another, and per diem runs until they do.

Supply has been adequate, with spikes. Depot operators told the Port Authority's Council on Port Performance there was "plenty of chassis availability" in September 2025; in March 2026 they reported more than 700 chassis out the gate from one location in two weeks, and truckers said slow empty returns may be driving the extra chassis use. TRAC posts its Metro Pool counts three times a day: on the morning of October 16, 2026 the Elizabeth Chassis Depot showed 104 twenty-foot, 3 forty-foot and 10 forty-five-foot chassis, and Port Liberty New York showed none.

What is a chassis split?

A chassis split is a move where the chassis and the container are in different places, so the truck makes an extra stop to pick up or drop the chassis before or after the container. At NY/NJ it happens because pool chassis live at off-terminal depots and rail yards, and not every location takes returns: DCLI's Norfolk Southern Croxton and CSX South Kearny locations were open for releases but closed to returns on October 16, 2026, with chassis sent back to C&C Marsh Street or the Elizabeth Chassis Depot instead.

  • Ask before booking where the chassis will be picked up and where it will go back, and whether the carrier prices the extra leg separately.
  • Return to an allowed location. Flexi-Van wants its chassis back where they were picked up, and returning a New Jersey chassis to Port Liberty New York costs $400 with TRAC or $475 with DCLI.
  • Check the location's notes the morning of the return: DCLI's Elizabeth Chassis Depot, for example, does not take its DDCZ and DDSZ series, which go to C&C Marsh Street.
  • Match the chassis to the box before dispatch. A chassis change or lifting a non-standard container on or off a chassis costs $189.78 at the five NYTC terminals.

Chassis days count toward the cost of a drop, alongside the line's per diem on the container; how those two bills differ is explained in our guide to per diem billing rules.

UIIA: the agreement behind every chassis interchange

The Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (UIIA), run by the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), is the standard contract between intermodal motor carriers and equipment providers such as ocean lines, railroads and chassis lessors. IANA says it governs 95% of North American equipment interchanges and that about 13,000 motor carriers take part. Participation costs $409 a year, or $359 for IANA members.

  • Auto liability: a $1 million combined single limit on an "Any Auto," "Scheduled and Hired" or "All Owned and Hired" policy; "All Owned" or "Scheduled Only" policies are not accepted.
  • General liability: $1 million per occurrence, with no self-insured portion.
  • Trailer interchange coverage for physical damage to the provider's equipment, at limits each provider sets, plus the UIIE-1 hold-harmless endorsement on the auto policy; some providers also require workers' compensation.
  • The equipment interchange receipt (EIR) records the chassis and container condition at each gate, and time-stamped images taken there must be available to both sides free for one year.

A broker is not a party to the UIIA. Under section F.3, the motor carrier that takes the equipment stays responsible for it even when someone else holds it, unless the provider consents in writing, and IANA says a UIIA motor carrier that brokers loads must also register with FMCSA as a broker. That is why HTS, as a broker, books only carriers with their own UIIA participation; carriers can see the rest of how to get set up as an HTS carrier.

Roadability and inspections: who checks what

The UIIA splits safety duties on an interchanged chassis among the driver, the motor carrier and the provider, and both parties affirm their responsibilities under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

Chassis roadability and inspection duties under the UIIA and at NY/NJ terminals
WhoDutyWhere it is written
Motor carrier (the driver) A pre-trip check of 16 items before leaving with interchanged equipment: twist locks and safety latches, slider pins, bolsters, landing legs, sand shoes, crank handle, mud flaps, tires (flat, leaking, 2/32 in of tread or less, bulges), rims, rear underride guard, lights, reflectors and conspicuity tape, air lines and glad hands, license plate, hazmat placards, and a current federal inspection sticker. UIIA D.3.b and Exhibit A
Chassis provider Keeps a valid FMCSA inspection sticker on the chassis and reinspects it on the trucker's request if the sticker will expire during free time. Pays for repairs to brakes, axles, lights, tire renewals and other Exhibit B items unless the damage happened during the interchange. UIIA D.3.c and Exhibit B
Motor carrier (the company) Reinspects and recertifies if the inspection will expire before the chassis is returned, and pays for damage during the interchange, such as cut, run-flat or flat-spotted tires and missing tires or rims. Neither side invoices repairs of $50 or less per interchange. UIIA D.3.d, D.3.e and Exhibit C
Terminal Records the container's condition at the gate, but roadability under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations stays with the trucker, the chassis provider and the equipment provider. APM Terminals Elizabeth sends outbound empties through lanes 4–11 for a mechanic's roadability check and reefers through its reefer roadability garage. Maher tariff; APM driver information

Heavy containers: tri-axle chassis and New Jersey weight limits

A 20 or 40 ft general purpose container can be loaded to 32,500 kg (71,650 lb) gross, according to Hapag-Lloyd. That leaves 8,350 lb under New Jersey's 80,000 lb limit for the tractor and chassis together, so boxes loaded near their rating run on New Jersey's annual ocean-borne container permit or a single-trip permit, and the axle limits decide which chassis can carry them.

  • Without a permit (N.J.S.A. 39:3-84): 80,000 lb gross, 34,000 lb per tandem axle and 22,400 lb per single axle.
  • Annual ocean-borne container permit (N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.2(c)): sealed containers up to 90,000 lb gross, 38,000 lb per tandem and 56,400 lb per tri-axle, within the statute's other axle and tire limits and off the structures listed on the permit.
  • New Jersey Turnpike: the Turnpike Authority bars vehicles over 80,000 lb, 34,000 lb per tandem or 56,400 lb per tri-axle unless it authorizes them (N.J.A.C. 19:9-1.9).
  • Port Authority terminal roads in Port Newark and Elizabeth and the Doremus Avenue overweight route: 128,000 lb gross, within the equipment maker's safe working load (PA-10 subrule 34-046).

The permit's axle caps are why heavy boxes move on tri-axles: even with the permit, a tandem axle group may carry 38,000 lb, while a tri-axle group may carry 56,400 lb. The routes where each limit applies, including the 90,000 lb Staten Island corridor, are in our guide to overweight container corridors at Port Newark and Elizabeth, and heavier or oversize loads follow our New Jersey overweight permit page.

Container chassis questions

What are the different types of container chassis?

By length: 20 ft, 40 ft (which also carries 40 ft high-cube boxes) and 40–45 ft extendable chassis. By job: tri-axle chassis for heavy containers, including 20 ft sliders whose axles move, 40 ft tri-axles and 'anysizer' frames; gooseneck chassis for 40 ft boxes built with a gooseneck tunnel; and genset chassis that power reefers on the road. TRAC and DCLI list these types in their fleets.

How much does a container chassis cost per day at the Port of NY and NJ?

DCLI charges $45.00 a day in the Northeast outside Baltimore from July 1, 2026 ($42.50 plus a $2.50 damage waiver), or $55.00 for unregistered users. Flexi-Van's North East Pool is $37.75 a day. Returning a New Jersey chassis to Port Liberty New York adds $400 with TRAC or $475 with DCLI.

What is a chassis split?

A move where the chassis and the container are in different places, so the truck makes an extra stop to pick up or drop the chassis. At NY/NJ, pool chassis start at off-terminal depots such as the Elizabeth Chassis Depot or C&C Marsh Street, and some rail yards take no chassis returns, so a split adds a leg and time to the move. Ask whether the carrier's quote prices it separately.

Does a drayage carrier need UIIA to pull a container?

In practice, yes. The UIIA governs about 95% of North American equipment interchanges and about 13,000 intermodal motor carriers take part. APM Terminals Elizabeth requires an interchange and insurance agreement with the ocean line, and Flexi-Van requires UIIA participation to book its pool chassis. Participation costs $409 a year ($359 for IANA members) plus $1 million auto and general liability insurance.

What keeps a container secured to a chassis?

Twist locks at the container's corner castings, held by safety latches. They are the first item on the UIIA's driver pre-trip inspection, which says to check that twist locks and safety latches are engaged and properly secured. At APM Terminals Elizabeth, drivers pin the chassis at a pinning station after the out-gate kiosks, before the Customs radiation portals.

Who pays for damage to a pool chassis?

It depends on the item and when the damage happened. Under the UIIA, the provider pays for repairs such as brakes, axles, lights and tire renewals unless the damage occurred during the interchange; the trucker pays for interchange damage such as cut or flat-spotted tires, and repairs of $50 or less are not billed. DCLI also stopped billing pool chassis damage of $1,000 or less from July 1, 2025.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked in October 2026 against the sources below. Rules and rates change; we confirm current requirements on every move.

  1. TRAC Intermodal: marine chassis pools (Metro Pool) (checked Oct 17, 2026)
  2. TRAC Intermodal: Metro Pool availability and Port Liberty New York drop-off fee (inventory as of Oct 16, 2026, 8:14 AM)
  3. DCLI: daily market rates and damage waiver (effective July 1, 2026)
  4. DCLI: Northeast chassis locations and Port Liberty New York migration fee (inventory as of Oct 16, 2026)
  5. DCLI: 20 ft tri-axle slider chassis
  6. DCLI: 40 ft tri-axle chassis
  7. Flexi-Van: pool chassis rates (checked Oct 17, 2026)
  8. Flexi-Van: pool return locations and return rule
  9. IANA: UIIA participation (95% of interchanges; about 13,000 motor carriers)
  10. IANA: UIIA insurance requirements
  11. IANA: Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (sections D.2, D.3, E.1, E.6, F.3; Exhibits A to C) (last revised June 18, 2026)
  12. IANA: UIIA motor carrier packet (annual fee)
  13. IANA: UIIA frequently asked questions (motor carriers that broker loads)
  14. APM Terminals Elizabeth: driver information (pool chassis lanes, roadability, pinning station)
  15. Maher Terminals Schedule No. 010599 (roadability responsibility) (October 1, 2026 (demurrage rates effective May 5, 2025))
  16. New York Terminal Conference Schedule No. 011408 (chassis change charge) (effective October 5, 2026)
  17. Port Authority of NY and NJ: Council on Port Performance minutes, Sept 24, 2025 and Mar 18, 2026
  18. Hapag-Lloyd Container Specification (edition 03/2016) (gooseneck tunnel; general purpose container maximum gross)
  19. N.J.S.A. 39:3-84, vehicle size and weight limits
  20. N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.2(c), annual ocean-borne containerized cargo permit
  21. N.J.A.C. 19:9-1.9, New Jersey Turnpike Authority roadway limits
  22. Port Authority Marine Terminal Tariff FMC Schedule PA-10, subrule 34-046 (effective May 1, 2026)

Need a container moved on the right chassis?

Send the container number and size, its gross weight, the terminal and the delivery ZIP. We book a UIIA drayage carrier with the chassis the box needs, a tri-axle for heavy 20s included, and confirm where the chassis comes from and goes back.

  • FMCSA-licensed property broker, MC# 1178470
  • Drayage carriers with UIIA interchange and NY/NJ port credentials
  • Pickups planned around terminal appointments and free time
  • Importers, exporters, forwarders and customs brokers

Prefer to talk? Call (631) 683-8275.

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