The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) wants to launch a safety inspection program for intermodal container chassis modeled on the compliance review program already in place for trucks.
Chassis providers will be required to obtain a USDOT number and display it on their chassis. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will apply the same penalty structure and enforcement actions for this equipment, including issuing out-of-service orders and revoking USDOT numbers when needed.
Most chassis are not owned by trucking companies and are not included as part of the existing compliance review process for truck operators. Within the coming weeks, DOT will outline specific details and a timeline for a notice of proposed rulemaking on the issue.