Virginia chassis pool launches new billing platform

Hampton Roads chassis pool will use IAS to develop ChassisManager, which is designed to bring the beneficial cargo owners into the billing equation based on based on their carrier- or merchant-haulage contracts.    The Port of Virginia’s chassis pool said this week it will implement a direct-to-beneficial cargo owner billing system that aimed at streamlining and simplifying the billing process for paying chassis usage fees.
   The system, called ChassisManager, is due to go into effect Jan. 1 for the Hampton Roads Chassis Pool II, the Virginia Port Authority’s chassis management subsidiary. The system was developed by Oakland-based International Asset Systems (IAS).
   “Offering BCOs the option to take control of their chassis usage and manage the associated costs is an important step in this progression,” said John F. Reinhart, chief executive officer and executive director at the Virginia Port Authority.
   IAS data management and billing rule functionality will be extended to shippers and consignees, whose goods are picked up and delivered on HRCPII chassis, regardless of geographic location. BCOs will provide ChassisManager with shipment data indicating the moves for which they are responsible for chassis costs, based on their carrier- or merchant-haulage contracts.
   BCOs will also be able to view their daily chassis rental activity and dispute erroneous events before chassis usage invoices are produced, ensuring accurate billing.
   “Chassis billing to-date has been a two-dimensional activity to the ocean carrier or to the motor carrier, but there is a third party, arguably the most important, who controls the cargo,” said Ed Schriger, vice president of product at IAS. “Our new BCO billing module takes the burden of rebilling and reconciliation out of chassis operations.”
   ChassisManager derives billing rules from facility gate move and shipment data to provide accurate visibility of chassis movements to responsible parties. The system allows motor carriers, ocean carriers and BCOs to view and track their HRCPII chassis usage in real time.