If you ship LTL freight, you’re likely aware of the direct impact that your shipment’s freight classification has on the cost required to ship it, but you may not be aware of the organization and processes that actually determine the classification for the commodity you ship. Believe it or not, your commodity is constantly at risk of having its classification changed – and you need to stay in the loop. We can help!

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) is the group that maintains and publishes the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) guidelines, which outline the LTL freight class for every commodity you could possibly ship here on planet Earth.

Here’s what you may not know: Every year, a group at the NMFTA called the CCSB (Commodity Classification Standards Board) meets and goes over potential classification changes, either voting them into effectiveness, or rejecting the changes. Based on the density, handling, stowability, and liability of a commodity, it may be decided that the previous classification was not an accurate fit. LTL carriers play a huge role in this process, being the ones actually out there on the road, shipping LTL freight – they’re in constant contact with the NMFTA with ideas on which commodities to review in their meetings.

The official commodity classification changes for January 2014 were published last month and are available on www.nmfta.org. It can be a little overwhelming sorting through the document with all the changes up for review, so we did the leg work and made a list of all the commodities that actually had their class changes approved. They are as follows:

If you ship one of the affected commodities, please let us know and we’ll get you more details about the change! One of the perks of using Trinity’s LTL Services on your LTL shipments is that we’ll keep you in the loop on these classification changes. We’re constantly looking out for our customers – if we notice your commodity is on the docket list, you’ll likely be hearing from us. This is just another way we’re able to provide a higher level of service to our customers as a complete 3PL solution.

If you have any questions about the most recent classification changes or want to talk to us more about how this process works, you can contact us here! If you’re concerned that your commodity’s classification is having a negative impact on your shipping costs, we welcome you to request an LTL shipping quote here and see if our rates can help you save some money – there’s a good chance they will.

As if shipping LTL isn’t complicated enough, things can get even more complicated in the event of a claim! As a member of Trinity’s dedicated claims department, I can tell you that we’re here to help you through the claims process. One of the many advantages of working with a company like ours is the extra assistance we can provide if a claim occurs. Figuring out exactly what you’re entitled to from the carrier can be tricky, but we have extensive knowledge of these processes and can provide you with the resources you need when you’re dealing with a claim.

Did you know that when you ship LTL, the type of quote you get and your product’s freight class will determine the amount of monetary reimbursement on your damaged or lost cargo? Every LTL carrier has a published, customized set of tariffs that state their maximum liability in the event of cargo loss or damage. These tariffs also state what accessorial and special charges the carrier will and will not be responsible for and the amount you will be charged for each particular service in the event they occur (such as liftgate, white glove, or redelivery).

At the time of “booking” or “quoting”, the carrier will class the items being shipped in accordance with their NMFC number. The class the items are shipped under will determine the freight rate and your return on loss or damage. There are also certain types of quotes that can initially dictate the carrier’s maximum liability in the event of loss or damage: volume, spot and truckload quotes. In the event you are quoted by one of these methods, your return for loss or damage will be covered at $1.00 per pound, regardless of the stated maximum liability for that class.

Remember, after a formal claim has been filed and before any claim funds are paid out by the carrier, they will perform an investigation to establish liability for the loss or damage. If you are a party in charge of packaging or shipping merchandise, you are responsible for making sure the product is labeled correctly and packaged in accordance with the NMFC packaging requirements for that particular item. Otherwise, the carrier may rightfully decline your claim due to insufficient packaging.

If you are a party involved in shipping or brokering LTL freight, it is a very good idea to familiarize yourself with the tariffs of each of the LTL carriers you will be utilizing, as all of them carry different amounts of liability and vary in the amounts they charge for their accessorial or special services. All LTL carriers’ tariffs are public information that is available on their websites or upon request.

As always, if you have any questions regarding limitations of liability, claims, or what to do in the case of OSD’s (overages, shortages and damages) feel free to contact the claims department via email or give us a call at 1-800-846-3400 x. 2146!