Freight glossaryEquipmentDrayageContainers
Chassis
Definition
A chassis is a wheeled trailer frame built to carry a shipping container over the road; the container is locked onto it for drayage.
In simple English
A container has no wheels. The chassis is the trailer frame it sits on so a truck can pull it from the port to a warehouse.
What it means
The FHWA glossary defines it as "a trailer-type device with wheels constructed to accommodate containers, which are lifted on and off."[1] In federal safety rules, chassis are intermodal equipment, and whoever interchanges them with motor carriers under a written agreement is an intermodal equipment provider.[2]
At the Port of New York and New Jersey, chassis come from equipment providers' pools rather than with the container; TRAC Intermodal, for example, describes its Metro Pool as covering the port's marine terminals.[3] The interchange paperwork is standardized under the UIIA.[4] Chassis are rented by the day, so a container that sits loaded on one keeps a chassis clock running; the fees are explained in chassis split, pre-pull and street turn fees.
Example
A trucker arrives at Port Newark for an import. The terminal has no chassis available from the pool the trucker is allowed to use, so the driver fetches one from a nearby chassis yard first, which the trucker bills as a chassis split.
Related
Related terms
- DrayageDrayage is the short-distance truck move of ocean or rail freight, such as hauling a container from a marine...Glossary
- Chassis SplitA chassis split is a drayage move where the chassis and the container are at different locations, so the...Glossary
- Pre-PullA pre-pull is picking up a container from the port before its delivery day and parking it at the trucker's...Glossary
- Street TurnA street turn is reusing an empty import container for an export load without first returning it to the...Glossary
- UIIAThe UIIA (Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement) is the standard contract that...Glossary
- Shipping ContainerA shipping container is a standardized steel box, most often 20 or 40 feet long and 8 feet wide, built to...Glossary
- Bridge FormulaThe federal bridge formula limits the weight on any group of two or more consecutive axles based on how many...Glossary
Related questions
- What Does a Trucker Need to Pick Up a Container at Port Newark?At the Port Newark and Elizabeth terminals, a driver needs a valid driver's license, a TWIC and a Port...Answer
- How Much Weight Can a 40-ft Container Carry?On one major carrier's published specs, a 40-ft standard dry container is rated for a maximum payload of...Answer
- Live Unload vs. Drop Trailer: What Is the Difference?In a live unload the driver and truck wait at the dock while the trailer is unloaded. In a drop, the driver...Answer
- What Happens After a Container Arrives at Port Newark?After the vessel discharges, the container has to be released by both Customs and the ocean carrier before...Answer
Sources
- Federal Highway Administration, Office of Freight Management and Operations, “Freight Glossary,” Government glossary. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “49 CFR § 390.5, Definitions (intermodal equipment),” Federal regulation. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- TRAC Intermodal, “Marine Chassis Pools,” Equipment provider page. Accessed September 2026.
- Intermodal Association of North America, “Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (UIIA),” Industry association. Accessed September 2026.
General operational information, not legal, customs or regulatory advice. Rules and rates change; confirm current requirements with the agency, carrier or contract that governs your shipment.