NASSTRAC, CSCMP launch Strategic Shipper Program

The National Strategic Shippers Transportation Council (NASSTRAC) is helping shippers address tightening truck capacity, rising rates and the need to become "shippers of choice" with its NASSTRAC Strategic Shipper Program, launched this week.

The program aims to improve interactions between shippers and carriers and help them create and maintain trusted relationships, according to NASSTRAC, which is a division of the Lombard, Ill.-based Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).

The group also said its Strategic Shipper Program is in response to recent industry feedback—including a NASSTRAC webinar series and ongoing research for the industry's collaborative Logistics 2030 Study—about the changing state of the transportation industry.

The voluntary program requires shippers to follow a particular code of conduct in managing their carrier and supplier relationships in order to achieve status as a "strategic shipper." Key program goals include continuous improvement of the shipper/carrier relationship and the self-regulation of dwell time at shippers' facilities to avoid government intervention and overreach, NASSTRAC said.

The group has formed a committee to oversee the program, led by Matt Ehlinger of NCH Corp. and comprised of NASSTRAC members representing shippers, a truckload and LTL (less-than-truckload) carrier, as well as a member of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA). NASSTRAC officials said they will use the Dock411 platform as a tool for managing the program.

"Associations like NASSTRAC and CSCMP exist exactly for this reason," says Rick Blasgen, CEO of CSCMP.  "We are uniquely positioned as a neutral gathering point for shippers who seek to improve their transportation practices. Our Strategic Shipper Program is designed to help shippers, carriers and distribution centers ensure quick turnaround of truck drivers and equipment, which is fundamental in managing transportation costs."