WASHINGTON, (Jan. 27, 2004) — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will launch a safety inspection program for intermodal container chassis, announced Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta.

The inspection program will provide added oversight to help ensure that the trailer beds used by truckers to haul cargo containers are safe.

The new inspection program will be modeled on the compliance review program already in place. Chassis providers will be required to obtain a USDOT number and display it on their chassis so that data could be captured. The department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will apply the same penalty structure and enforcement actions for equipment, including issuing out-of-service orders and revoking USDOT numbers when needed.

“Every day millions of dollars worth of cargo are transferred from ships and rail to trailer beds and hauled away by trucks,” said Mineta in a press release. “It is essential that we have a full and complete safety program focused on the trailer beds used to haul cargo containers.”

Intermodal container chassis have been subject to routine safety inspections and review during federal and local enforcement actions. 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.