The
National Motor Freight Traffic Association publishes the National Motor Freight Classification® (NMFC®), a standard that provides a comparison of commodities moving in commerce. The NMFC® is developed and maintained by the Freight Classification Development Council (FCDC).
The NMFC® is a voluntary standard that provides a comparison of commodities moving in interstate, intrastate and foreign commerce. It is similar in concept to the groupings or grading systems that serve many other industries. Commodities are grouped into one of 18 classes—from a low of class 50 to a high of class 500—based on an evaluation of four transportation characteristics: density, stowability, handling and liability. Together, these characteristics establish a commodity's “transportability.”
The NMFC® also specifies minimum packaging requirements to ensure that goods are adequately protected in the motor carrier environment and can be handled and stowed in a manner that is reasonably safe and practicable. It contains various rules that govern and otherwise relate to the classification and/or packaging of commodities as well as procedures for the filing and disposition of claims, and procedures governing interline settlements. It also contains the
Uniform Straight Bill of Lading, including its terms and conditions.
See also
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Freight
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
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Less than truckload shipping
Less-than-truckload shipping or less than load (LTL) is the transportation of an amount of freight sized between individual parcels and full truckloads. Parcel carriers handle small packages and freight that can be broken down into units less th ...
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Commodity Classification Standards Board
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National Motor Freight Traffic Association
External links
Official WebsiteNMFTA Membership
References
Freight transport
Trade and industrial classification systems
{{Trucking industry in the United States