Iconic book will see its final year in print form, as online version ClassIT® will now be standard for the LTL industry
Alexandria, Va., Jan. 12, 2023 — The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) announced today that its iconic National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) Book will be available in print form for the final time in 2023. Going forward, the information contained in the Book will be available exclusively from ClassIT – the online version originally released in 2006.
Classification continues to be the LTL industry’s standard. It aids pricing programs and negotiations, establishes minimum packaging requirements, and provides uniformity for everyone in the supply chain. The decision to provide this critical classification information exclusively in digital form is part of NMFTA’s digitizing and sustainability initiatives.
2023 NMFC Book subscribers will be offered a coupon discount to cover much of the first year using ClassIT.
“The NMFC Book has been of great value to the LTL industry for many years,” said Joel Ringer, Vice President of Classification for NMFTA. “Digitization is one of the cornerstones of our mission here at NMFTA, and ClassIT offers functionality that a hard-copy book simply cannot match. Combined with the fact that just about all stakeholders can now access and utilize digital assets like ClassIT, we knew it was the right time to make this transition.”
“Over the last several years, members have been making the shift to online classification, as today we host over 7,000 users of ClassIT versus just under 700 printed books that are distributed throughout the year,” said Debbie Sparks, Executive Director of the NMFTA. “ClassIT has more functionality than the book, and as an organization one of our strategic endeavors is to help digitize the industry and this can be another way we will accomplish that.”
The NMFC is a standard that provides a comparison of commodities moving in interstate, intrastate and foreign commerce. Commodities are analyzed based on four transportation characteristics – density, handling, stowability, and liability – and assigned one or more classes reflective of their transportability.
The NMFC also establishes minimum packaging requirements to ensure the adequate protection and handling of goods during transport. Additionally, classification plays a critical role in safety, as the NMFC identifies various types of hazardous materials and assigns classifications based on the types of hazards involved, as well as the regulations that apply to those hazards. This information is vital to carriers so they can understand the associated hazards of the freight.
With the NMFC soon residing exclusively on ClassIT, users will have the benefit of robust search capabilities (including the ability to access historic classification files and search for multiple terms and definitions, as well as trademarked names).
ClassIT also offers numerous calculators not found in the Book, which assist in determining not only density, but also the applicable provisions where necessary.
NMFTA has announced that 2023 (NMF 100-AW) subscribers of the Book will receive promotional pricing through December 31, 2023 for ClassIT licenses as follows: Participants: $199 annually with additional users at $179; and Non-Participants: $293 annually with additional users at $263.
About NMFTA
Since 1956, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA) has represented the interests of the less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carrier industry. NMFTA is committed to helping LTL carriers meet the challenges confronting the transportation industry in the 21st century through research, education and the publication of specifications, rules, transportation codes and the preparation and dissemination of studies, reports and analyses. Membership in NMFTA is available to all for-hire interstate and intrastate motor carriers.
Contact
Joel Ringer
Vice President of Classification
joel.ringer@nmfta.org
703-838-1810
SOURCE National Motor Freight Traffic Association
