For many years, the nation's less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers have faced the problem of incorrect classification descriptions, gross shipping weights, and densities (weights per cubic foot) shown on shippers' bills of lading. Such errors—both intentional and unintentional—have collectively cost LTL carriers millions of dollars in revenue to which they were entitled. Yet little has been said about this in the trade press, and most of what carriers have done to address this problem has been carried on behind the scenes with almost no public discussion.

Immediately following World War II, many regional motor carrier rate bureaus, such as the Middle Atlantic Conference, Middlewest Motor Freight Bureau, and Southern Motor Carriers Rate Conference, established their own weighing and inspection bureaus. Many of their members relied on them to bring to light errors that their field inspectors had uncovered at LTL carriers' terminals. Periodic alerts were sent to all members, listing the offending shippers' names and addresses as well as the type of error they had committed. One rate bureau went so far as to take the traffic manager of a metropolitan New York City furniture manufacturer to court; he served time in federal prison for the offense of chronic willful misdescription, which under federal law was—and still is—punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.

Over the years, however, the rate bureaus' weighing and inspection programs disappeared from the scene, and it was left up to individual carriers to establish their own weighing and inspection departments. Most major LTL carriers did just that and have learned firsthand that the money that is legally due them far outweighs the cost of operating their own programs.

But there is still a need to help motor carriers more accurately weigh, measure, and classify their freight. Recognizing that fact, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA), whose National Classification Committee has oversight of the National Motor Freight Classification, recently added the Weighing and Research (W&R) Program to its Classification Training Program.

Heading up the new program is Senior W&R Specialist Don Newell, who has broad expertise in this area. He comes to NMFTA from Roadway Express, where he oversaw the company's weighing and inspection program for many of his 28 years with that company.

Newell will be conducting seminars that will primarily be geared to the needs of LTL carriers but will also be open to shippers. Those seminars are designed to help carriers:

• Get started on developing their own W&R programs, help assess deficiencies in their current procedures, and offer easy ways to improve their programs' efficiency.
• Train their personnel in accurate weighing and measuring methods and identifying proper freight descriptions. Those practices will enable carriers to bill their customers correctly, consistently, and fairly.
• Build solid and lasting relationships with their customers based on a reputation of trust and integrity.
• With the new focus on this important aspect of LTL carriers' operations, don't be surprised if you see more and more of your bills of lading scrutinized for correct weights, measures, and classification descriptions in the months and years ahead.