How Chassis Pools Work (2026)
Most carriers do not own their own chassis. Instead, they pick them up from shared chassis pools at ports, rail terminals, and depots. How these pools are structured — who owns the chassis, who can use them, where you can pick up and return them, and what fees apply — directly impacts your productivity, costs, and daily frustration level. This guide explains every pool type, how to access them, and how to navigate their rules.
3 Types
Major Pool Models
200K+
DCLI Chassis Fleet
$15-$30
Daily Pool Usage Fee
30+ Ports
US Pool Locations
O Trucking Editorial Team
Trucking Industry Experts
Fact-Checked by O Trucking Dispatch Team
5+ years navigating chassis pools at major US ports and rail terminals, managing interchange agreements, and optimizing chassis availability for intermodal carriers
This article was written by the O Trucking editorial team with 9+ years of combined trucking industry experience. Learn more about us.
O TruckingHow Chassis Pools Work: Competitive, Third-Party & Gray Pools (2026)
What Is a Chassis Pool?
A chassis pool is a shared fleet of intermodal chassis available for multiple trucking companies to use at a specific location — usually a port, rail terminal, or inland depot. Rather than every carrier owning, storing, and maintaining their own chassis, the pool provides chassis on a shared-use basis. You arrive at the pool, pick up an available chassis, use it to transport a container, and return it when done.
The concept is similar to a rental car fleet — except chassis pools are managed by ocean carriers, equipment leasing companies, or multi-party cooperatives, and the “rental” terms are governed by interchange agreements rather than typical rental contracts.
Understanding pool types matters because each type has different rules for who can use the chassis, where they can be returned, how much they cost, and who is responsible for damage and maintenance. The wrong pool or the wrong interchange agreement can cost you hundreds of dollars per load in unexpected fees.
Carrier-Owned (Proprietary) Pools
Historically, ocean carriers (steamship lines) owned and provided chassis for the containers they shipped. Maersk containers went on Maersk chassis. MSC containers went on MSC chassis. Each ocean carrier maintained their own pool of chassis at ports where their vessels called.
In this proprietary model, the chassis was “bundled” with the container — when you picked up a Maersk container, you automatically got a Maersk chassis. The ocean carrier bore the cost of purchasing, maintaining, and managing the chassis fleet.
Starting in the early 2010s, ocean carriers began divesting their U.S. chassis fleets to reduce operating costs and capital requirements. This shift — often called “chassis divestiture” — moved chassis ownership from ocean carriers to third-party leasing companies. Today, carrier-owned pools still exist in some regions, but the U.S. market has largely transitioned to third-party and gray pool models.
Why Ocean Carriers Sold Their Chassis
Third-Party (IEP) Pools
Intermodal Equipment Providers (IEPs) are companies that own large fleets of chassis and lease them to ocean carriers, shippers, and motor carriers. The three largest IEPs in the United States are:
DCLI (Direct ChassisLink, Inc.)
The largest chassis lessor in the U.S. with over 200,000 chassis. DCLI provides chassis at major ports and inland locations nationwide. They offer both “merchant” chassis (available to any authorized motor carrier) and dedicated lease programs for high-volume customers. DCLI is a subsidiary of EFG Hermes (Fortress Investment Group).
FlexiVan Leasing
One of the oldest and largest chassis and trailer leasing companies in North America. FlexiVan provides chassis at ports and intermodal terminals with a fleet of approximately 100,000+ units. They offer a range of chassis types including standard marine, domestic, and specialty configurations.
TRAC Intermodal
A major IEP with a fleet of approximately 100,000 marine chassis and domestic containers/chassis. TRAC operates primarily through pool arrangements at ports and maintains an extensive depot network for chassis maintenance and storage. They provide chassis for most major ocean carriers.
Third-party pools are the dominant model in the U.S. today. To use a third-party pool, your trucking company must have an interchange agreement with the pool operator (or with the ocean carrier who leases chassis from the IEP). The interchange agreement specifies usage terms, fees, damage liability, and return requirements.
Gray Pools / Cooperative Pools
A gray pool — also called a neutral pool or cooperative pool — combines chassis from multiple owners (ocean carriers, IEPs, and sometimes motor carriers) into a single shared pool where any authorized user can take any chassis regardless of who owns it. The concept eliminates the problem of chassis sitting idle because they “belong” to a specific ocean carrier whose containers are not in demand at that moment.
Gray pools are managed by a neutral pool operator — often a consortium or cooperative formed by the pool participants. Notable gray pool operations include:
Pool of Pools (South Atlantic Consolidated Chassis Pool - SACP) — Operates at the Port of Savannah and other Southeast ports, combining chassis from multiple IEPs into a single neutral pool available to all motor carriers.
Consolidated Chassis Management (CCM) — Manages cooperative pools at several U.S. port and inland locations, coordinating chassis from different owners into accessible shared pools.
Various port-specific pools — Many ports have established their own cooperative chassis arrangements to improve chassis availability and reduce congestion at port gates.
Gray Pools Are Better for Drivers — Push for Them
Interchange Agreements
An interchange agreement is the legal contract between a chassis pool operator (or equipment owner) and a motor carrier that governs chassis use. It is the document that gives you permission to take a chassis from the pool and specifies all the terms of that usage. Without an interchange agreement, you cannot legally take a chassis.
Key terms in a typical interchange agreement include:
Usage authorization — Which chassis types you can use, at which locations, and for which ocean carriers' containers.
Fee schedule — Daily usage rates, split fees, per-diem charges, and any other applicable fees. See our chassis fees guide for details.
Damage liability — Who pays for chassis damage during your use period. Most agreements make the motor carrier responsible for any damage occurring between pickup and return.
Return requirements — Where the chassis must be returned, how quickly, and penalties for late returns or out-of-network drops.
Insurance requirements — Minimum liability insurance and physical damage coverage the motor carrier must maintain.
Read Your Interchange Agreement Carefully
Pool Fees & Charges
Chassis pool fees are a significant cost for intermodal carriers. Here are the most common charges:
| Fee | Range | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Usage | $15-$30 | Every day you have the chassis out of the pool |
| Split Chassis Fee | $25-$75 | Container and chassis are at different locations |
| Per-Diem / Late Return | $25-$75/day | Chassis kept beyond free time period |
| Flip / Transfer Fee | $50-$100+ | Moving container between chassis (wrong type) |
| Out-of-Network Return | $50-$200+ | Returning chassis to a non-designated location |
For a complete breakdown of every chassis fee type with strategies to minimize costs, see our chassis fees explained guide.
How to Access a Chassis Pool
Getting access to a chassis pool requires several steps:
Register with the pool operator
Contact the IEP (DCLI, FlexiVan, TRAC) or the pool manager directly. You will need your MC authority, DOT number, insurance certificates, and company information.
Sign the interchange agreement
Review and sign the pool's interchange agreement. This legally authorizes you to take chassis from the pool and binds you to their usage terms, fees, and damage liability provisions.
Get gate access credentials
Most pools issue RFID tags, access codes, or driver ID numbers that allow your drivers to enter the pool area and check chassis in and out. These credentials are tied to your interchange agreement.
Pick up, inspect, and use
At the pool, select an available chassis, perform your pre-trip inspection, report the chassis number for checkout, and proceed to pick up your container.
How Our Team Manages Pool Access
At O Trucking LLC, we handle chassis pool logistics for our intermodal carriers:
Pool availability monitoring
We check chassis availability before dispatching drivers. When a pool is running low, we route drivers to alternative locations or adjust pickup times to avoid peak shortages.
Fee tracking and dispute resolution
We monitor chassis fees on every load and dispute incorrect charges. Pool operators sometimes bill for fees that do not apply or charge damage fees for pre-existing issues. We keep documentation and fight unfair charges.
Interchange agreement management
We ensure our carriers have current interchange agreements with all relevant pools in their operating territory so they are never turned away at a pool location due to paperwork issues.
Need Help Navigating Chassis Pools?
Our dispatch team manages chassis pool access, monitors availability, and tracks fees so our intermodal carriers can focus on hauling containers efficiently.