Chassis Usage Surcharge

After your container arrives at the port, the transportation process continues as the freight might be eventually moved to another location, including the destination. Newcomers to shippers might wonder how they can transport their containers by road. After all, sometimes it may not be practical to empty the container and put the cargo on the truck. A device known as a chassis is used for this purpose of moving the ocean freight container via truck. The chassis might also be used when moving the container to the port.

For many years, it was the norm for the ocean freight carriers to supply their own chassis for shippers. The United States was the largest country to have carriers actively do this. Some ocean freight carriers are no longer providing the chassis for these shipments, citing financial reasons, congestion at the ports, a lack of efficiency or environmental reasons.  It all started a few years ago when major shipping carrier Maersk announced they wouldn’t be carrying their own chassis for shippers. Recently, we have seen some trucking carriers provide the chassis for transportation of containers from the port. Your freight forwarder usually books these shipments with a chassis.

When you use a chassis for your shipment, you will be mostly likely be dealt with a Chassis Usage Surcharge. The price is added to your ocean freight shipping rate and varies based on the provider and how long the chassis will be in use. Discuss with your logistics company to plan out the best shipping solution so that you can limit the Chassis Usage Surcharge you might receive.