TRAC expands U.S. Gulf Coast chassis fleet

Intermodal equipment provider and chassis pool operator TRAC Intermodal is expanding and improving the quality of its chassis fleet in the region in preparation for an expected surge in U.S. resin exports, the comapny revealed Thursday.    Intermodal equipment provider and chassis pool operator TRAC Intermodal is expanding and improving the quality of its chassis fleet in the U.S. Gulf Coast region in preparation for an expected surge in U.S. resin exports, the company said in a statement Thursday.
   The company has added over 1,000 chassis to its TRAC Gulf Regional Pool (TGRP) and refurbished more than 20 percent of the pool, which now offers the largest and most modern fleet of chassis in the ports of Houston, Dallas, Mobile, New Orleans and El Paso, as well as several other locations, according to TRAC.
   “TRAC is systematically upgrading the quality and composition of our fleet in the Gulf,” said Keith Lovetro, president and chief executive officer at TRAC Intermodal. “We’re expanding the size of our fleet by adding additional chassis, we’re improving the quality of the fleet through refurbishing, and we’re adding new technology in the form of ‘lightweight’ chassis to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”
   The lightweight marine chassis, which TRAC introduced in Houston last year, are designed to allow motor carriers to move heavier container loads, such as resin, while still complying with U.S. Department of Transportation weight limits, and carriers are also using them to transport other heavy commodities, such as lumber or other raw materials.
   The U.S. Gulf region is expected to see a sizable increase in the exports of plastic resin as new facilities come online in 2018 and 2019.
   “Lightweight chassis provide high-quality, reliable equipment to meet the specialized cargo transportation needs of our customers,” said Lovetro.