Atlantic Container Line to phase out chassis fleet

WESTFIELD, N.J. — Starting June 1, Atlantic Container Line (ACL) will shift all of its carrier-arranged trucking moves in the US to motor carriers who furnish their own chassis.

According to officials, ACL has concluded negotiations with a broad range of truckers who have convinced the company that these same trucking companies and owner/operators can manage a chassis fleet more cost-efficiently than an ocean carrier. As a result, ACL will no longer provide chassis to its contracted truckers. This will affect all container pick-ups and deliveries.

Additionally, ACL will begin to phase out its carrier-owned chassis fleet for shipper-arranged haulage shipments during 2010. On June 1, this new policy will initially affect Miami, Boston and the Ohio Valley. 

Officials note that all motor carriers working directly for ACL customers in these areas will have to provide chassis for shipments after June 1.

“This policy will be identical to the system that has been successfully working in both Canada and Europe for many years,” ACL said in a release. “Once this shift in policy is fully operational in Miami, Boston and the Ohio Valley, ACL will gradually extend it to rest of the country.”