Sweeping Changes To Classification System Took Effect April 8th

Making the National Motor Freight Classification® (NMFC®) system as easy as possible for the industry to use is a high priority here at the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). That is why NMFTA’s Freight Classification Development Council (FCDC) took several actions during NMFTA’s recent membership meeting in La Jolla, CA to make the NMFC simpler and easier for shippers.

All this is part of Supplement 1 to NMF 100-AW.

As part of its “Classification Reimagined” initiative, the FCDC decided to consolidate, cancel or amend several generic groupings. Those affected include:

• Brooms Group

• Cabinets, or Parts Named

• Conduits, Other Than Earthen, Group

• Dental, Hospital or Medical Supply Group

• Foodstuffs Group

• Furniture Group

• Furniture Parts Group

• Pads, Padding and Related Articles Group

• Plastic or Rubber Articles, Other Than Expanded, Group

• Plastic or Rubber Articles or Materials, Expanded, Group

• Wheels or Wheel Blanks

“It’s one of the most significant supplements we’ve had in quite some time,” says NMFTA’s Vice President of Classification Joel Ringer. “That’s because of the sheer number of provisions that are impacted, the sheer number of products that are involved for the betterment of the classification of freight, and making it more user-friendly for the people who rely on it.”

Some groups are being combined, such as the Furniture Group and the Furniture Parts Group, as well as the two Plastic or Rubber Articles groups. In other cases, groupings are eliminated in favor of a single item.

“Some items we’ve determined aren’t being used much at all, so they’re being canceled as obsolete,” Ringer says. “Others are being changed to a single item.”

Ringer emphasizes that, with all changes, FCDC ensured that the resulting provisions reflect the transportation characteristics of the products involved. That, after all, is the whole point of the classification system.

With these changes, NMFC is designed to be simpler but just as effective at helping shippers and other stakeholders classify the items they’re shipping.

“The result is hundreds fewer items,” Ringer says. “It’s a streamlined set of provisions that are hopefully easier to understand, to apply and to verify. The goal in all this is to make it easier for people who use the classification to apply the provisions, how to classify different articles and verify that the provisions are being used correctly. I think in this particular instance, we’ve done this.”

These NMFC changes noted below took effect 04/08/2023.

  • Subject 1 – Furniture Group and Furniture Parts Group – Numerous items for furniture or furniture parts are canceled with reference to new item 78400, new item 79300, item 164390, item 178690 or provisions otherwise applicable, as shown.

 

  • Subject 2 – Plastic or Rubber Articles – Provisions for plastic or rubber articles, as shown, are updated by: reclassifying numerous products; canceling the Plastic or Rubber Articles or Materials, Expanded, Group; canceling obsolete provisions; amending minimum packaging requirements; and making other changes in the interest of clarification, simplification and uniformity.

 

  • Subject 3 – Dental, Hospital or Medical Supply Group – The Dental, Hospital or Medical Supply Group is updated by canceling numerous items with reference to new items 56570, 56590, 56830 or 56930, or item 188560, as shown. The group is further updated by canceling numbered packages and making other changes in the interest of clarification, simplification and uniformity.

 

  • Subject 4 – Cabinets, or Parts Named

 

  • Subject 5 – Pipe or Tubing, or Pipe or Tubing Fittings, metal – Numerous items, as shown, are canceled with reference to new item 52200, naming “Pipe, Tubing, or Pipe or Tubing Fittings, metal, combined or not combined with other materials, NOI,” with classes predicated on greatest dimension and density. Note, item 51902 is canceled and reestablished as new Note, item 52201.

 

  • Subject 6 – Pipe, Tubing or Pipe Fittings, NOI, mineral and resin composition combined – Item 52250 – Item 52250 is canceled with reference to item 156600.

 

  • Subject 7 – Foodstuffs, other than frozen – Numerous items, as shown, are canceled with reference to item 73260, which provides the FCDC’s standard 11-subprovision density scale.

 

  • Subject 8 – Sugar – Numerous items, as shown, are canceled with reference to item 73150, which provides density breaks at 10, 15 and 30 pcf.

 

  • Subject 9 – Pads, Padding and Related Articles Group – Numerous items, as shown, are canceled with reference to item 149265, which provides the FCDC’s standard 11-subprovision density scale.

 

  • Subject 10 – Brooms Group – Numerous items, as shown, are canceled with reference to new item 32800, naming “Brooms, Brushes or Mops, or Parts thereof, NOI,” with classes predicated on the FCDC’s standard 11-subprovision density scale.

 

  • Subject 11 – Mirrors – Numerous items, as shown, are canceled with reference to new item 137390, naming “Mirrors, NOI,” with classes predicated on greatest dimension and density.

 

  • Subject 12 – Chemicals, NOI – Item 43940 – Item 43940 is amended by assigning classes predicated on density, with breaks at 10, 15 and 30 pcf.

 

  • Subject 13 – Pesticides, including Insect Paper, and Flypaper – Item 155045 is canceled with reference to item 155050. Concurrently, item 155050 is amended to assign the FCDC’s standard 11-subprovision density scale.

 

  • Subject 14 – Carts, Wagons or Wheeled Trays, food or beverage preparation, serving or vending – Items 81570 and 188950 – Items 81570 and 188950 are canceled with reference to new item 189000, naming “Carts, Wagons or Wheeled Trays, food or beverage preparation, serving or vending, with or without cooking, cooling or heating devices or equipment,” with classes predicated on greatest dimension and density.

 

  • Subject 15 – Wheels or Wheel Blanks – Numerous items, as shown, are canceled with reference to new item 197230, naming “Wheels or Wheel Blanks, NOI.” As modified, the new item assigns classes predicated on packaging and density.

 

  • Subject 16 – Radiators, heating or cooling – Items 26800, 26840, 26860 and 26880 are canceled with reference to new item 26820, naming “Radiators, heating or cooling, NOI, or Unit Ventilators,” with classes predicated on greatest dimension and density.

 

  • Subject 17 – Guards, Screens or Covers, gutter, metal – Item 36650 is amended to read, “Guards, Screens or Covers, gutter, metal,” and to assign classes predicated on greatest dimension and density. The minimum packaging requirements are amended to authorize “in packages,” and new Note, item 36651 is established to provide additional packaging requirements.

 

  • Subject 18 – Items (Rules) 245 and 680 – Definition of and Construction Requirements for Crates – The requirements in Item 245 are clarified by: stating that crates are six-sided; amending the methods of securement; and specifying the bottom construction requirements. As modified, the requirements are amended to state that openings on sides, ends and tops must not exceed 25 inches in their greatest dimension, which may be the length, width, height or diagonal measurement of the opening. Item 680, Sec. 5(a) is concurrently amended to state that “in packages” also applies on articles tendered in a “crate-like framework not complying with Item 245.”

 

  • Subject 19 – Feeders, livestock or poultry – Numerous items, as shown, are canceled with reference to new item 65300, naming “Feeders, livestock or poultry, including Salt Holders, with or without conveyors or troughs,” with classes predicated on packaging and density.

 

  • Subject 20 – Bottle Filling, Labeling, Rinsing, Washing, Wiring, Capping or Corking Machines – Items 115220 and 115240 – Item 115220 is canceled with reference to item 115240. Item 115240 is amended to include “Capping or Corking Machines” and to assign classes predicated on packaging and density.

 

  • Subject 21 – Ice Cream Freezers (Ice Cream Makers) – Item 121400 – As modified, item 121400 is canceled with reference to new item 123135, naming “Ice Cream Makers, including Ice Cream-Making Freezers,” and assigning the FCDC’s standard 11-subprovision density scale.

 

  • Subject 22 – Peat or Peat Moss – The description of item 154900 is amended to read, “Peat or Peat Moss, NOI,” and class 70 is assigned.

 

  • Subject 23 – Culverts, Culvert Sections or Culvert Fittings, metal – Numerous items, as shown, are canceled with reference to new item 51015, naming “Culverts, Culvert Sections or Culvert Fittings, metal,” with classes predicated on greatest dimension and density.

 

  • Subject 24 – Blanks or Stampings, NOI, or Castings or Forgings, NOI, aluminum, or brass, bronze or copper – Items 13260, 13320, 30260 and 30320 – Items 13260 and 13320 are canceled with reference to item 13120, and items 30260 and 30320 are canceled with reference to item 30160.

 

  • Subject 25 – Dough Sheeters – The description of item 114390 is amended by adding “Dough Sheeters.”

 

  • Subject 26 – Removal of ‘F’ Packages
  • Subject 27 – Obsolete Provisions – Multiple Items
  • Subject 28 – Obsolete Provisions – Multiple Items
  • Subject 29 – Obsolete Provisions – Multiple Items
  • Subject 30 – Obsolete Provisions – Multiple Items

 

  • Subject 31 – Bicycles, electric (Electric Bikes or EBikes) – Deferred Subject – As modified, new item 190270 is established, naming “EBikes or ETrikes (Electric Bicycles or Tricycles),” with classes predicated on whether the products are shipped without batteries, with batteries installed, or with batteries uninstalled.

 

As always, if you were to have any questions, please feel free to contact us. 717-626-1107  |  sales@pnglc.com