To win labour peace, waterfront employers of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) agreed to give members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) the right to inspect roadworthiness of chassis before leaving terminal. 

 

"They are asserting they have the legal authority to do this, which they do not," said Curtis Whalen, executive director of the American Trucking Association's (ATA) intermodal conference.

 

But ILWU spokesman Craig Merrilees said the inspections were necessary and not "significantly different" from the way things have worked for some 18 months.

 

To many it's a make-work project to give surplus union members something to do. 

 

But what was acceptable when the carrier members of the PMA owned the chassis they provided shippers, was no longer acceptable after they sold them to leasing companies, say truckers.

 

Truckers say it was no longer the maritime employers' work to give, as state and national trucking associations have been saying for weeks.

 

The California Trucking Association (CTA) says needless inspections contribute to congestion at west coast ports.

 

Exempt from inspection are 80,000 chassis are under the control of three leasing companies that established a "pool of pools" of chassis.

 

What's more, said the ATA's Mr Whalen, federal law already requires whoever is providing chassis to make sure gear is safe before the equipment is hooked to a rig.

 

Mr Whalen and Alex Cherin of the California Trucking Association both said their groups plan to obtain opinion from federal regulators as to whether the ILWU has the right to inspect.

 

Mr Whalen said chassis owned by motor carriers are not subject to inspection, but it's still burdensome for drivers to have to prove their trucks are exempt.

 

One of the three firms is TRAC Intermodal and its chief operating officer, Val Noel, said the company is still studying the inspections issue.

 

(Source:shippingazette)