Subject:                          NMFTA February 2010 e-Newsletter

 

 

 

February 2010 e-Newsletter             

 

Recent NMFTA | CCSB | CRC Meeting - Significant Commodity Reclassifications and Changes

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA), Commodity Classification Standards Board (CCSB), and the Classification Resource Committee (CRC) held their February meetings in Tampa, Florida on Monday, February 8th – Wednesday, February 10th.

The most significant commodity reclassifications resulting from the CCSB meeting were:

·         Machinery or Machines, NOI, or Machinery or Machine Parts, NOI

·         Coffee, Tea or Herbal Tea

·         Cable or Wire

·         Snack Foods

·         Mail

·         Wheelchairs, other than motor-propelled

·         Canes (Walking Sticks)

·         Rear Projection Screens, rigid, other than curved

·         Spark Plug or Ignition Cables, Cable Sets, Wires or Wire Sets

·         Conveying, Dredging, Dumping, Excavating or Hoisting Buckets, Dippers or Skips

·         Tool, Ammunition or Fishing Tackle Boxes or Chests

 

The CCSB also:

·         Clarified the application of item 44155, Corrosive Materials

·         Amended item 178690, Stands, other than furniture, by adding a listing for Stanchions, pedestrian traffic or

         crowd control, with or without rope or retractable belt

·         Approved a new numbered package for Wooden Storage Cabinets

·         Amended Packages 1F, 2F and 19F

·         Canceled Packages 78, 86 and 730 as obsolete

·         Withdrew a proposal to establish a new rule for Products Requiring Special or Additional Care or Attention

         in Handling or Stowing; research will continue

 

In addition, the CCSB deferred disposition of a proposal to reclassify footwear to its next regularly scheduled public meeting on June 7, 2010.  The classification provisions for footwear that became effective on January 9, 2010 will continue to apply.

Complete details are available on our website; refer to the Public Docket Files for Docket 2010-1.  The changes approved by the CCSB are scheduled to become effective on May 1, 2010.

Current Research Projects

We welcome any information that you can provide on the some of the current CCSB Research Projects listed below.

·         Air Bags, automobile crash protection (Lisa Winter)

·         Assemblies, chimney or smoke flue (Bill Mascaro)

·         Cameras or Camcorders (Lisa Winter)

·         Chairs or Stools, including Folding or Revolving Chairs or Stools – Various Items (Bill Mascaro)

·         Clothing (Bill Mascaro)

·         Cloths or Rags, cleaning, dusting, polishing or wiping (Lisa Winter)

Feel free to use the spreadsheet here to enter shipment data: Research Spreadsheet

Proposed Changes to the NMFC

The CCSB investigates, initiates, considers and acts on matters affecting the provisions of the NMFC, including: proposals for amending the classification of commodities; commodity descriptions; classes; rules; packaging definitions, specifications or requirements; bill of lading formats, terms and conditions; and any other provisions contained in the NMFC.

Anyone or any group having an interest in the content of the NMFC can file a proposal to amend the NMFC.

 

Proposals are considered through a formalized, transparent decision-making process in which all interested persons are invited to participate.

 

Learn How to Use the NMFC

The FREIGHT CLASSIFICATION webinar series brought to you by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association - the publishers of the NMFC consists of four modules.

 

Module 1 - Basics

Module 2 - Rules, Bills of Lading, and Packaging

Module 3 - Introduction to Interpretations

Module 4 - Advanced Interpretations and Recap

Panel Discussion on State of Technology of Dimensional Equipment by use of LTL 

A panel discussion regarding the state of technology of dimensional equipment for use by LTL carriers was held during the Classification Resource Committee (CRC) meeting on Monday, February 8th.  The participants on the panel consists of four vendors;  Mettler-Toledo, LTS Scale, Quantronix, and Kanawha Scale. They provided insight into the industry's latest advancements and how dimensioning technology can affect the LTL carriers' bottomlines.

"Transportation Contracts in the 21st Century" presented by NMFTA General Counsel John R. Bagileo

Counsel John Bagileo presented a seminar on transportation contracts at the NMFTA meeting on Wednesday, February 10, 2010. The one-hour presentation traced the evolution of transportation contracts and included a Q&A session at the end. The topics covered included:

-The key changes that have occurred in the requirements which previously governed motor carrier transportation contracts, but which are frequently overlooked.
-The statutory and regulatory changes that govern modern motor carrier transportation contracts.
-The type of provisions that can render a transportation contract void or voidable.
-When is a contract really a "tariff" and what is the appropriate role for a motor carrier's tariff in a contract. 

NMFTA BY-Laws Changes

At the February 10, 2010 meeting, the NMFTA members approved changes to the By-Laws to require the Association to meet at least once a year instead of three times a year and to move Canada from Region 1 to Region 6.  These changes were previously approved by the Board of Directors at their June 1, 2009 and October 19, 2009 meetings. 

Directory of Standard Carrier Alpha Codes (SCAC)

The 2010 SCAC Directory was issued on February 14th.  The new Directory of Standard Carrier Alpha Codes (SCAC) provides a listing of more than 74,000 transportation-providing firms and their unique Standard Carrier Alpha Codes.  Also included are separate lists of special alpha codes specifically designed to identify privately owned railroad cars, freight containers, and intermodal chassis and trailers.  SCAC is a unique two-to-four letter code assigned to transportation companies for identification purposes. It is required for EDI, intermodal interchange agreements, U.S. Customs entry, when doing business with many shippers, on rate tariffs filed with regulatory agencies, government bills of lading, and on bids for government traffic. Supplements are issued quarterly and the directory is reissued annually.

Useful Links

Current Docket  (Docket 2010-1)

Most Recent Docket Action (Docket 2010-1)

Current Research Projects

Classification Making Procedures

 

NMFTA * 1001 N. Fairfax St., Suite 600 Alexandria, VA 22314 * 703.838.1810 * www.nmfta.org

 

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