National Motor Freight Traffic Association agrees to oversee Digital LTL Council

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Updated Jun 16, 2022

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) has agreed to assume administration and directorship duties of the Digital LTL Council.

The Digital LTL Council is comprised of various industry executives committed to the full digitalization of the LTL industry. Following its start in September 2019, the Digital LTL Council has risen from 12 to nearly 30 members and counts among its membership some of the biggest motor carriers in the industry including CCJ Top 250 fleets ArcBest (No. 24), Averitt Express (30), Dayton Freight (56), Estes Express Lines (11), J.B. Hunt (3), Old Dominion Freight Line (10), Pitt Ohio (48), Saia (20), Ward Trucking (140), XPO (6) and Yellow (5). 

According to Brian Thompson of Digital LTL Council member SMC3, the Council brings together carriers, logistics service providers, shippers and technology providers with the sole focus of developing a set of uniform standards that supports the scalable automation and digitalization of LTL shipment management. The Council released its first set of standards to support the electronic bill of lading in late 2021, and its work continues with a focus on shipment visibility and freight exception handling.

In its new role, NMFTA – founded in 1956 – will bring its industry expertise, resources, marketing and legal support, in addition to the financial resources needed to accelerate the work of the Council. 

[Related: Digital LTL Council gets competitors to collaborate on standardization of trucking's digital shift

"Both the Digital LTL Council and the National Motor Freight Traffic Association were formed to serve and forward the interests of the LTL industry," Sparks said. "Those of us at NMFTA are excited about the Digital LTL Council's mission of digitization, and with the resources and expertise we can now bring to the effort we look forward to declaring the mission accomplished soon."

Sparks added the decision to assume oversight of the Digital LTL Council "was a collaborative effort," between the two organizations. "]Digital LTL Council] knew to continue they would need funding and more formal structure. We presented a proposal to do that for them and they took it to a vote," she said. "We are so excited to be leading this charge with most of them making up the board and membership."

Jason Cannon has written about trucking and transportation for more than a decade and serves as Chief Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. A Class A CDL holder, Jason is a graduate of the Porsche Sport Driving School, an honorary Duckmaster at The Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee, and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Reach him at [email protected]