International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa hailed Monday’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that it will launch a safety inspection program for intermodal container chassis.

"A rigorous DOT inspection program is a giant step toward safer highways," Hoffa said. "Finally, the steamship lines and railroads who own the chassis will be held responsible for poorly maintained equipment."
Truckers enter a port or rail terminal, pick up a chassis and then go to another nearby spot where a crane lowers the container on the chassis. From there, the chassis is hauled out onto the highways. In recent years there have been numerous serious and fatal accidents caused by chassis brake and bearing failures, says the Teamsters.
"The Teamsters will monitor the DOT rule making process to ensure that a rigorous safety inspection program is developed and implemented," Hoffa said.
He said a rigorous program must include:
-- Regular inspection of internal brake and wheel components
-- Putting unsafe chassis out of service and quarantined so that they are not mistakenly dispatched to truck drivers
-- Having the DOT periodically enter the ports and rail terminals to monitor the inspection process and review inspection and maintenance records
-- A method for motor carriers and truck drivers to appeal citations that threaten their livelihood when they are cited due to lax maintenance by the chassis owners and providers.
"These chassis carry 80,000-pound loads at highway speeds," Hoffa said. "This program, if carried out properly, will save countless lives."