Why It Matters

Direct ChassisLink Inc. reported $110,214 in third-quarter federal lobbying expenditures focused on intermodal chassis regulation and policy, amid federal scrutiny of equipment-provider restrictions, chassis pools, and safety requirements. The filing identifies no specific legislation. Intermodal chassis are trailers used to transport shipping containers between ports, rail terminals and other facilities.

By the Numbers

Direct ChassisLink's in-house third-quarter report, signed Oct. 2, disclosed $110,214 in lobbying expenditures, down from $125,959 in the second quarter and $169,883 in the third quarter of 2025. The company also retained Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP for outside lobbying from the third quarter of 2025 through the second quarter of the current year. No third-quarter Brownstein filing was identified in the records reviewed. Mike O'Malley Jr., the company's chief administrative officer, is listed as an in-house lobbyist.

The Agenda

The disclosure describes lobbying on "regulation or policy tied to intermodal transportation and equipment, specifically intermodal chassis." The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) opened an investigation into whether ocean carriers improperly restrict truckers' and shippers' ability to choose chassis providers, potentially violating the Shipping Act.

The agency separately investigated possible noncompliance with a February 2024 cease-and-desist order involving chassis provisioning in Los Angeles/Long Beach, Chicago, Memphis and Savannah.

The FMC previously upheld, by a 4-1 vote, a decision finding that exclusive chassis-provider arrangements for certain merchant-haulage movements violated federal law. A National Academies study commissioned under the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 examined chassis availability, provider choice and equipment quality.

Transport Topics reported that the study recommended stronger safety oversight. Motor carriers also reported equipment-condition problems that caused delays, repair costs, and safety concerns.

The Bottom Line

Direct ChassisLink has consistently reported in-house lobbying on intermodal chassis regulation since the third quarter of 2025. The absence of an identified Brownstein filing for the latest quarter marks a change from the preceding four quarters, although available records do not establish whether it reflects a strategic shift.

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