According to today's USDA Grain Transportation Report, with a $500,000 contract, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) recently commissioned the National Academies of Science (NAS) to study intermodal chassis pools and recommend best practices for managing them. As mandated by Section 19 of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA), a committee of independent experts will examine different approaches used by motor carriers, railroads, marine terminal operators, and other stakeholders to supply chassis to transport intermodal ocean containers. The research aims to determine which approaches and chassis models support maximum efficiency. For each model, the committee will identify best practices, necessary conditions, and practical obstacles (as well as possible solutions) to implementation. Chassis constraints have caused problems at several ports this year, even closing part of the Port of Oakland in May. Over the next few weeks, NAS will assemble the committee by consensus, and then the public will have an opportunity to comment on the makeup of the committee. Read the full report here. |