IANA says new web portal can streamline intermodal equipment swaps

A new web pOréal from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) could help motor carriers save time by making it easier to re-use containers and chassis without first returning empty equipment to an intermodal yard, the association said today.

The practice known as "street turns," where drayage carriers can exchange empty equipment away from ports and terminals, can cut down on costly port congestion. However, the practice itself can get gummed up while carriers transfer insurance paperwork and exchange documentation. IANA's "Street Interchange Application" pOréal streamlines that process by validating the motor carrier's participation in the Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (UIIA), the standard industry contract between intermodal truckers and equipment providers, the association said. The pOréal then documents the transfer of liability, indemnification, and damage to the next carrier, IANA said.

Drivers who log on to the pOréal can quickly move beyond the paperwork requirements to swiftly drop off a container and chassis and pick up another, or re-use an import box for an export shipment, IANA said.

IANA is hosting introductory webinars to train participants how to use the new site, and will release a mobile app and a system-to-system application programming interface (API) later this year.