53' Container Chassis

Prototype Information

A container chassis is a wheeled trailer that hauls intermodal shipping containers over land, usually by truck. Its story starts in the 1950s, when American trucking pioneer Malcolm McLean launched the modern container shipping industry. To move his new steel containers efficiently, McLean developed a simple trailer frame—what became the first container chassis.

As container shipping expanded in the 1960s and 1970s, the chassis evolved. Manufacturers built them to match the new international standards for container sizes, mainly 20-foot and 40-foot lengths. Truckers, ports, and rail yards now had equipment that could handle containers quickly and consistently.

In the 1980s and 1990s, container traffic boomed. Ocean carriers controlled most of the chassis fleets and leased them to truckers. But this system often created bottlenecks. Drivers waited for hours at ports due to equipment shortages or mismatched chassis, slowing down deliveries.

The industry began to shift in the early 2000s. Ocean carriers exited the chassis business, and leasing companies stepped in. Neutral chassis pools formed, giving trucking companies more choice and flexibility. These pools helped reduce congestion and made container transport more efficient.