Chassis vs Trailer: When to Use Each
Chassis are now available as a dedicated resource type in Qargo. This helps planners and drivers clearly distinguish container chassis from regular trailers, so planning, restrictions, exports, and integrations behave correctly.
What is a chassis?
A chassis is a wheeled frame designed to carry a container. Unlike a trailer, a chassis has no cargo space of its own—the container is the “load unit.”
In Qargo, chassis are modeled as a first-class resource type so they can be planned, restricted, allocated, and communicated without being misclassified as a trailer.
What is a trailer?
A trailer is equipment used to transport cargo directly (or cargo inside/onto the trailer), and it typically includes trailer-specific attributes (e.g., cargo capacity/compartments/roof type) that do not apply to chassis.
The key difference: use case and behaviour
Use a Chassis when…
Operating intermodal or container-based transport, where the container is the main unit and the chassis is simply the frame that carries it.
Common scenarios:
Port / terminal operations where containers are picked up and dropped
Drop & swap workflows where chassis may stay in a yard while containers move on/off
Intermodal legs (ferry/train) where the container and chassis may have different operational handling
Why this matters:
It becomes visually clear in planning which equipment is a chassis vs a trailer
Integrations and documents can classify the equipment correctly (instead of sending “TRAILER” where “CHASSIS” is intended)
Apply resource restrictions and filters specifically to chassis
Use a Trailer when…
Transporting cargo with a standard trailer workflow, where the trailer itself is the relevant equipment type.
Common scenarios:
Standard road transport using dry vans, reefers, curtainsiders, etc.
When trailer-specific fields and behaviour are required (cargo capacity, compartments, roof type)
Example 1 — Container drayage (typical chassis use case)
A driver picks up a container from a terminal on a chassis, drives to a customer site, drops the container, and later returns with the empty container.
Use a Chassis because:
The container is the cargo unit
Planning needs to show equipment as “chassis” (not “trailer”)
Intermodal/EDI and reporting need correct classification
Example 2 — General freight (typical trailer use case)
A driver hauls goods in a trailer from warehouse A to warehouse B.
Use a Trailer because:
The trailer is the cargo-carrying unit
Trailer configuration fields and trailer-based workflows apply
What changes for users in Qargo?
1) Clearer planning & fewer mistakes
Chassis appear as their own resource type, so planners and drivers no longer need to interpret “trailers” that are actually chassis.
This reduces:
Planning board confusion
Incorrect allocations (the wrong equipment used)
Driver confusion when equipment type matters operationally
2) Chassis have trailer-like behaviour—without cargo-related fields
Chassis reuse most of the same configuration structure as trailers, but chassis do not include cargo-specific properties.
Chassis do not use:
Cargo capacity fields (e.g., loading meters, pallet spaces, volume, payload)
Compartments
Roof type
Chassis do use (examples):
General info (name/code/license plate/VIN/manufacturer/model, etc.)
Dimensions (length/width/height, tare weight, GVWR, etc.)
Planning availability and allocation behaviour (like other equipment resources)
3) Migration note: cannot convert a trailer into a chassis
Previously registered chassis as trailers, cannot be switched in place.
To migrate:
Export your existing “chassis-as-trailer” resources
Archive/deactivate the old trailer records
Re-import them as Chassis using the resource master data import
📚 Click the link 👉 to learn more about Importing Resources
FAQ
Why not keep using trailers for chassis?
Using trailers as a workaround makes chassis invisible in planning and can cause incorrect classification in integrations, exports, and operational flows. A dedicated chassis type prevents those issues and aligns with real-world operations.
Does this change how I assign equipment?
Assign chassis where equipment assignment is supported, and filter/restrict them specifically as chassis (instead of mixing them into trailer-only workflows).