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]
Debbie Sparks, who recently took over as executive director of NMFTA, said the two organizations are an ideal fit.
"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."
