Domestic (53-foot) Chassis Road Service Policy

Effective: January 1, 2023

1. Contact

Click here to request road service.

Phone: 704-256-8067

2. General Information

Direct ChassisLink, Inc. provides critical road service to applicable Customers/Motor Carriers (MC) operating a DCLI chassis under the DCLI Chassis Interchange Agreement.

Critical Road Service should NOT be engaged following an accident. In the event of an accident, Customer/MC should immediately contact the appropriate law enforcement agency and the Railway/IMC from which the chassis was interchanged. For notification to DCLI, Customer/MC should refer to the Incident Reporting Policy.

All critical road service repairs on DCLI equipment must be facilitated through the DCLI Road Service Call Center (via online form, email, phone, or REACH), utilizing DCLI authorized approved vendor network. Any Customer/MC facilitating repairs and/or utilizing outside repair vendor networks will not be covered nor reimbursed under this policy. All repairs and rebills are at DCLI direction and discretion.

All DCLI authorized road service bills will be paid by DCLI. All road service repairs/failures will be analyzed by DCLI with photo or vendor back-up prepared by DCLI’s vendor(s) to determine financial responsibility between DCLI or the applicable Customer/MC. All repairs determined to be caused by reasons other than wear and tear are considered damage and will be rebilled to the Customer/MC.

DCLI will not cover any damaged tires.

3. Equipment

All 53’ domestic equipment with DCLI prefix (TSXZ, LSFZ, TSFZ, DDRZ, DDTZ, DDGZ, PAHZ, PBRZ, UPDZ, UPHZ) out gating a non-Norfolk Southern ramp (CSX, CN, BNSF, KCS, FEC, CP, UP) would be the responsibility of DCLI excluding damages which are the motor carrier’s responsibility.

All 53’ domestic equipment with NS prefix (TSNZ, NSFZ, NSPZ) out gating a non-Norfolk Southern ramp (CSX, CN, BNSF, KCS, FEC, CP and UP locations in Chicago, Memphis, St Louis and Kansas City) would be the responsibility of DCLI, excluding damages which are the motor carrier’s responsibility.

Note*: All 53’ domestic equipment with prefix (TSXZ, LSFZ, TSFZ, TSNZ, DDRZ, DDTZ, DDGZ, PAHZ, PBRZ, UPDZ, UPHZ, NSFZ and NSPZ) out gating a Norfolk Southern ramp is the responsibility of the Norfolk Southern Railroad (NS) and is governed by the NS road service policy. Please contact the NS regarding their current road service policy.

4. Coverage

Critical Road Service (Over-the-road and driver present):

DCLI will be responsible for wear and tear repairs to DCLI equipment and associated charges (i.e. dispatch fee, service call, mileage, etc.)

Covered critical road repairs (i.e. wear and tear) may include, but are not limited to, the following service requests:

Mechanical Brake Failures
Electrical Failures
Tire Failure:
- Cap Peel / Cap Separation

All repairs determined to be caused by reasons other than wear and tear are considered damage and will be assessed an administrative fee of $30 per occurrence and rebilled to the Customer/MC. DCLI will rebill for all costs including associated charges (i.e. dispatch fee, service call, mileage, etc.).

Critical road repairs that are not covered (i.e. damage) may include, but are not limited to, the following service requests:

Components with the following damage descriptions:
- Broken
- Bent
- Cut/Torn
- Missing

Tire Damage:
- Cut / Sidewall Puncture or Impact
- Punctured (Due to nail or foreign object in tire)
- Run Flat / Run to Destruction / Blown / Blowout
- Flat Spot / Slid Flat / Skid Flat
- Cap Peel on the same axle position caused by the first tire being run to destruction
- Original cause for tire damage can no longer be determined

FMCSA Inspections:

If the equipment is out gated from a port, rail ramp, CY/Depot, or customer with an expired FMCSA inspection, DCLI will cover $50.00 of the FMCSA inspection fees and normal wear and tear items (at a standard terminal repair rate and tariff time). Motor carrier will be responsible for the remainder of the inspection fee over $50.00, plus any and all service call fees, dispatch fees, overages from standard terminal repair rate/tariff time and damages. All charges associated with replacement of registrations/FMCSA paperwork (forms contained in the document box) and license plates are not covered by DCLI. These items are part of pre-trip inspection and should be verified at the time of interchange.

5. High-Level Requirements

DCLI will require the below information for all service requests. Failure to provide proper information could result in additional charges which will be rebilled to motor carriers (i.e. improper tire size reported)

Trucking/Motor Carrier Company Name or SCAC
Driver Name and Phone
Chassis Number
Container Number
Empty/Loaded
Road Service Location: Physical Address, Cross Street, City, State
Identify the Problem (mechanical/tire)
Tire Type, Tire Size, Tire Position
Description of mechanical failure
Declare if Road Service Event involves an accident of any kind

Road Service is intended for critical roadside assistance only. Any critical road service call determined by DCLI to be a non-critical matter, as described in Section 3, will be paid by DCLI, however; DCLI will rebill to the responsible Customer/MC based on requested service failures/repairs requested.

Road Service will NOT be available to any delinquent Customer/MC until all non-disputed invoices for chassis usage or other charges payable by the Customer/MC to DCLI more than forty-five (45) days past due are fully paid to DCLI.

Placing a call for Road Service is a commitment on the part of the Customer/MC to be present for the completion of the service call. If the driver decides to leave the scene of the road service request without receiving arranged service, or prior to the dispatched authorized Road Service vendor arriving, DCLI will rebill the Customer/MC for the vendor’s “Dry Run”.

It is the responsibility of the Customer/MC to retrieve the chassis from the tow/storage yard and satisfy all associated charges. Additionally, it is the responsibility of the Customer/MC to return the chassis to an appropriate DCLI start/stop location and bear all costs for relocation. Please contact your local DCLI representative to identify an appropriate start/stop location.

Any necessary deviation from this policy, as determined solely by DCLI, will be communicated directly to the Customer/MC.

6. Additional Disclaimer

DCLI agrees to accept financial responsibility for critical road service repair costs as outlined above, which include the actual repair costs. DCLI hereby expressly disclaims any responsibility to pay or reimburse any Customer/Motor Carrier for incidental charges such as driver waiting time, missed appointment fees, per diem, demurrage, or similar charges, and per the terms of Section 13 of the DCLI Chassis Interchange Agreement, any such special, indirect, incidental or consequential damages of any type or character resulting from the use, misuse, possession or operation of any intermodal chassis are not the responsibility or liability of DCLI.