Direct ChassisLink, Inc. (“DCLI”) has announced that it has completed the conversion of its Mobile, Alabama chassis fleet to radial tires. Mobile is the second market to be completed in the company’s push to have all of its pool chassis running on radial tires by the end of 2023.
After exiting CCM’s Gulf Cooperative Chassis Pool last year, DCLI made its radial conversion program in the Gulf Port markets a priority as radial tires are much better suited for the hot weather truckers encounter in the Gulf. To accelerate the conversion program, DCLI has invested over $15 million dollars in replacing older, bias-ply tires with radials. “Our intent behind exiting the GCCP gray pool in early 2020 was always to provide the region’s truckers with the best possible experience via our DCLP competitive chassis pool,” said Ryan Houfek, DCLI’s chief commercial officer. “Converting our equipment from bias-ply tires to radials is just one way we’ve been able to do that.”
DCLI expects to convert the rest of its Gulf Port chassis operating Houston to radial tires by the end of the year – that market is currently around 85% converted. The New Orleans market conversion was completed earlier this year. Radial tire conversion offers several benefits including reducing the number of tire changes per chassis each year, saving approximately 60,000 tires annually, and improving fuel efficiency to help lower fuel consumption by as much as 10%. Truckers in Mobile have already noticed the benefits they experience from a radialized fleet. “Containers moving through our ports are seemingly heavier than ever these days and highways here in the South are not getting any cooler,” said Ralph Amos, vice president of Southern Intermodal Xpress, one of the oldest and largest drayage providers with locations in both Mobile, AL and New Orleans, LA. “Operating safely is our focus and DCLI’s conversion to radial tires has measurably slowed tire failures. In addition, our Ops Planners and Drivers are experiencing much less down time enabling us to keep the wheels turning and be more responsive to our customers’ needs.”
Having a chassis fleet operating entirely on radial tires also helps with port operations and reduces environmental impact. “At the Port of Mobile, chassis are an important part of what we do. DCLI’s decision to invest in chassis tire upgrades demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing Mobile’s drayage truckers with quality equipment, while also helping to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint within our region,” said John Driscoll, Alabama State Port Authority. “We appreciate the company’s support of our port ecosystem.”
While we are calling our radialization project in Mobile complete, we want to be absolutely certain we have not missed any DCLI pool chassis in the market that still need radial conversion. To that end, DCLI is launching a program to enlist truckers’ help with “capturing” any such units. If you happen to see a DCLP marine chassis that hasn’t yet been converted, please contact us at [email protected]. We will direct you to drop the chassis at one of our Mobile start/stop locations so that it can be scheduled for its upgrade. As a token of our appreciation, we will send you a $100 Amazon gift card when the chassis is brought into the specified location.
You can track DCLI’s radial conversion program online to see progress as we complete our programs in the Gulf Port markets and Memphis.
