The National Motor Freight Traffic Association is considering changes to rule 640 regarding mixed items when they’re not itemized on a bill of lading.
The biggest change from the current rule compared to the proposal calls for allowing a shipment or handling unit of mixed freight to be classified under a 13-sub density scale, the NMFTA said.
That 13-sub density scale caveat is not included in the existing rule.
“However the NMFTA ends up modifying this rule, it will have a wide impact,” LTL veteran Scooter Sayers wrote in a LinkedIn post. “It likely will impact how LTL carriers address this rule in their own rules tariffs.”
The proposal comes from the industry and is part of an overall effort to get more feedback, the NMFTA said in an email. A final proposal is expected on an upcoming docket for review.
Feedback on the classification has included concerns about carriers removing packing lists during inspections and requests to standardize pallet dimensions and simplify requirements on fully itemized shipments.
The proposal is NMFTA’s second version, following industry concerns on an earlier version reviewed at its March meeting, Sayers told Trucking Dive in a message. The “proposed rule is a helpful step forward in one sense, but retains punitive language to the shippers,” he added.
Dimensioners and a simplified classification system aim to improve efficiency in the shipping process, and with advanacements in technology, shipment evaluations should become more practical at a more detailed level, according to the NMFTA.
Industry stakeholders can submit feedback through an online form, email to [email protected] or by mail.
