NMFC Changes effective April 25, 2020

NMFC Changes effective April 25, 2020

NMFC-Guide-BookIn case you missed it, the Commodity Classifications Standards Board (CCSB) has published a new supplement to the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC®). These changes became effective 4/25/2020. A few of the notable changes are listed below (thank you for the assist from our friends at Estes Express).

  • Foodstuffs group – A variety of changes here. The most significant being a new Item 134710 – Meats or Poultry, cooked, cured, dried, dry salted, pickled, smoked (NEW) or preserved, with or without other ingredients.
    • Sub 1 – Less than 8 pcf – class 150
    • Sub 2 – 8 but less than 12 – class 100
    • Sub 3 – 12 or greater – class 70
  • Organic Peroxides, Item 45463 .
    • New classes for Types B, C D, E and F.
  • Bathtubs, Showers, Shower Stalls, Hot Tubs or Spas, Item 158260.
    • New classes dependent upon packaging and density. Six groupings. Item 158261 is canceled.
  • 183100 TOBACCO, MANUFACTURED, GROUP: Articles consist of Manufactured (NEW) Tobacco, including Cigarettes, Cigars, Chew, Dip or Snuff, as described in items subject to this grouping.
    • New Item which replaces Cigarettes and Cigars group #47760 and all related items.  New items for the following
      • Cigars, cigarettes or cigarillos. Three classes dependent upon density
      • Kits, cigarette making – class 100
      • Tobacco, smokeless, including Chewing Tobacco (Chew), Dipping(NEW) Tobacco (Dip), Snuff, Plug or Twist – Less than 12 pcf – class 100, greater than 12 pcf – class 77.5
      • Tobacco, smoking, including Hookah, Shisha or Pipe Tobacco,(NEW) cut or granulated – Three classes dependent upon density.
  • Household goods, Personal Effects or Military baggage – As modified, the description of item 100250 is amended by addition of the phrase “subject to Full Replacement Value (FRV) coverage,” and the last sentence of Note, item 100251, reading “This definition of FRV does not apply on motor vehicles, including automobiles or motorcycles,” is removed. These amendments are made for clarification and to better reflect the Defense Transportation Regulations.
  • Saunas or Steam Baths, portable, – New Item 172740 which replaces 39220. New class is 175.
  • Sauna or Steam Rooms, combined or not combined with showers – New Item which replaces 170650. New class is 150.
  • Eyeglasses, Spectacles or Sunglasses, NOI – Item 57830 . Revised and regrouped under two subs. Sub 1 – less than 6 pcf , class 200, sub 2 – 6 or greater, class 125.
  • Compressors, air, NOI; or Air Ends, NOI – Item 118100. Item 118100 is amended to provide density breaks at 8 and 12 pcf, with classes as shown. Sub 1 is amended to no longer apply on air compressors tendered “protected by a full-height fiberboard cap testing not less than 275 pounds and secured on lift truck skids or pallets.” New Note, item 118101 is established to provide additional packaging requirements.
  • 82270 Metallic or Wooden Furniture, NOI, including Freestanding Panels, Partitions or Screens – Items 81550 and 82500 are canceled with reference to the full-scale density-based provisions of item 82270, and as modified, reference to freestanding panels, partitions or screens is added to the description of item 82270. Concurrently, Note, item 82501 is canceled with no further application.
  • 153040 Envelopes, NOI, including Seed Envelopes or Packets, paper or paperboard. Item revised to class 77.5. Items 153030 and 153032 are canceled.
  • 111655 Litter or Bedding, animal, in bags or boxes. Item revised from three density groupings to four density groupings. The density scale in item 111655 is amended by the addition of a break at 8 pcf, assigning class 175 to densities of less than 8 pcf. The noun “Bedding” is added to the description, while the references to “poultry” and “with or without additives” as well as the packaging reference to “drums” are removed.
  • 35085 Partitions or Walls, interior, or Panels therefor, with or without integral (NEW) doors, – New Item which replaces 35040, Has Six density groupings and classes based on Length (exceeding or NOT exceeding 96 inches) and density. Old item was a simple class 70.
  • Item 680, Sec. 9(a) – Amended to allow alternative methods of securement, while Sec. 9(b) provides specifications for how freight is to be secured on lift truck skids, pallets or platforms. Item 680, Sec. 7(c) and Package 107, which currently refer to Secs. 9(a) or (b), are amended accordingly.
  • 114145 Air Humidifiers, NOI, with blowers or fans and Item 26580 Humidifiers.
    • Item 26580 is amended by replacing “hot air house heating furnace” with “whole house,” and class 150 is assigned. Item 114145 is amended to provide classes based on packaging and density.
  • 49795 Aprons, Coveralls, Laboratory Coats, Pants, Shirts or Clothing, NOI, disposable and 56530 Caps, Hoods, Leggings or Shoe Covers, disposable.
    • Items 49795 and 56530 are canceled with reference to new item 56545, naming “Clothing, disposable, paper or nonwoven cloth, with or without reinforcement of other materials,” at class 150. The new item makes reference to Note, item 56714 for clarification. Note, item 49797 is canceled with no further application, and Note, item 49885 is amended accordingly.
  • 40085 Marshmallows, NOI – Class changed from 85 to Class 175 on less than 7 pcf and 100 on 7 or greater.
  • 53020  Coolers, draft beer dispensing (Kegerators), – Item 53020 is amended to assign class 175, and as modified, the item description is amended to read, “Coolers, draft beer dispensing (Kegerators), see Note, item 53021, other than hand portable, with or without mechanical cooling or freezing apparatus, drainboards or faucets (taps).” Also as modified, new Note, item 53021 is established to clarify that the item “Applies on coolers that dispense beer or other beverages from kegs.”
  • Item 680, Sec. 6(a) – Amended to define “outer containers,” while Sec. 6(b) defines “inner containers.” Item 680, Secs. 6(c) and 6(d), and the title of the section are concurrently amended for clarification and uniformity.
  • 61840 Extractors, juice (Juicers), countertop, – Amended from a single class 77.5 to provide less than 7 pcf, class 175, and greater than 7 pcf, class 100.
  • 196000 Tires, rubber, scrap,. This Item canceled and replaced with  195720 Scrap, rubber tire, other than tires in their original form or shape, class 77.5.
  • 156960 Netting, – amended to provide classes predicated on density breaks at 8 and 12 pcf, and the description is amended by removing the phrase “wound on cores, spools or tubes.
  • 150970 Filter Stock – Amended to provide classes predicated on a density break at 8 pcf, and to remove packaging references to crates and to wrapped bales or bundles.
  • 50312 Compounds, water cleaning or treating, bath, pool, spa or hot tub, – add restrictive language, and refer to new Note, item 50314, stating that the item does not apply on materials regulated by the DOT as hazardous and required to bear a Hazard Class or Hazard Division label. The new Note directs the Classification user to other items for classes applicable to such hazardous materials.

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Gretchen Blough Speaks to Harvard Supply Chain Management Class

Gretchen Blough Speaks to Harvard Supply Chain Management Class

Gretchen-Blough-Mark-FaganThis past week, Gretchen Blough, a licensed customs broker and customs brokerage manager for Logistics Plus, was a guest speaker for the Supply Chain Management for Public Service Delivery class at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Business.  Gretchen discussed the effect that COVID-19 has had on the supply chain with the students in lecturer Mark Fagen’s class.

You can read more about Mr. Fagen and his class here: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/04/harvard-kennedy-school-course-helps-covid-19-front-lines/

325,000 Pound Transformer Delivered to Wind Farm

325,000 Pound Transformer Delivered to Wind Farm

The Logistics Plus project cargo team recently completed the successful delivery of a 325,000 pound transformer to a wind farm in southern Texas. In total, the project took 25 days to complete from pickup to final placement and orientation. This 28 x 12 x 15 foot transformer was transported via rail, unloaded from the rail car to a hydraulic platform trailer, and then hauled to site for final placement.

Due to the weight of the transformer, the containment pit floor at the wind farm was not suitable to bear the weight of any additional support bracing. The Logistics Plus team came up with a robust solution to use much larger beams to carry the transformer the entire distance of the pit without the need for any additional weight applied on the containment pit floor.

Pictures from this project can be seen here.

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Global Trade Alert: Allocation of Medical Resources

Global Trade Alert: Allocation of Medical Resources

GlobalTrade-Alert-MessageGlobal Trade Alert Message:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a temporary rule to allocate certain scarce materials for domestic use only. This means that certain materials may not be exported from the United States without explicit approval by FEMA. The five types of personal protective equipment (PPE) this new rules covers are N95 filtering respirators, other filtering face-piece respirators, elastomeric filters, PPE surgical masks, and PPE gloves or surgical gloves.

This rule is effective until August 10, 2020.

Read the full news release from the Federal Register here: www.federalregister.gov/allocation-of-medical-resources

Logistics Plus Sets Up PPE Warehouse In Erie

Logistics Plus Sets Up PPE Warehouse In Erie

Logistics Plus (LP) has been successfully sourcing, warehousing, and delivering much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) to those in need. To support these efforts, LP has configured a special warehouse facility in Erie, Pennsylvania (home of our global headquarters) to efficiently store and distribute these products to essential organizations (like us ?) and to other businesses across the region. The dedicated Logistics Plus COVID-19 Response Team is available to receive your phone calls, answer questions, and take orders for PPE.

In this time of need, LP is doing everything we can to ensure our front-line heroes in the hospitals, care centers, nursing homes, fire departments, and police departments are working and well-protected. To order PPE, please visit http://covid.www.logisticsplus.com/ or call our COVID-19 Response team at 855-843-7452.

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Coordinating Air Imports of PPE Supplies at ORD

Coordinating Air Imports of PPE Supplies at ORD

Megan-Stetz-Air-Imports-ORDAs most know by now, Logistics Plus took on the challenge of sourcing, importing, and distributing much needed PPE supplies (personal protective equipment) from China to the United States. We knew there would be obstacles along the way; but thanks to great teamwork and collaboration, we are finding a way to make it happen.

Megan Stetz, an air import operations specialist for Logistics Plus International (LPI) has had her hand on the pulse of the current situation at O’Hare (ORD) airport. Here is her account of those events.

The first import of supplies consisted of 500,000 face masks packaged into 504 cartons, arriving Thursday, April 2nd. As with any new shipment, once it departs at origin, curve balls can be thrown. Shortly after the shipment departed Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), we completed customs clearance – and that was a huge success. Since the shipment was arriving late in the evening at ORD, pickup was in the afternoon the next day. There was a short delay on breakdown, but nothing out of the usual for an airport pickup. On Saturday, when the shipment arrived into our warehouse, a truck was dispatched to deliver the first batch of PPE supplies to Erie. 

The second import was even more challenging. There were three orders that flew into ORD on Monday, April 6th. In total, 365 more cartons which included face shields, goggles, and KN95 masks. At this point, ORD Airport was starting to see a change in pace. Most handling agents have limited staffing due to COVID-19 regulations – not to mention general call-offs from warehouse workers that did not want to take the risk of the exposure. With staff reductions, there are less people onsite to process incoming freight, handle the paperwork, and load the line of waiting trucks outside their dock doors. Additionally, ORD itself saw a spike in cargo due to the mess at JFK Airport. JFK has been drowning in freight with no light at the end of the tunnel; so, most shipments that have Northeast destinations are now being routed through ORD to avoid JFK. The three orders we had took 42 hours to breakdown (normally would take 4-6 hours) in the warehouse before we had approval to send a driver to collect the freight. The driver had to wait onsite for roughly 6 hours before he was accepted at a dock door. Fortunately, the Logistics Plus domestic (NAD) team did some digging on driver hour regulations – which permits the carrier to be exempt of log hours if he is carrying medical supplies. So fortunately, the driver was finally loaded and able to begin his journey to back to Erie.

The third round of supplies arrived at ORD on Wednesday, April 8th – just two days after the second shipment. ORD was in even worse condition. The warehouse processing our cargo had experienced such an overwhelming amount of freight that they could not breakdown the unit load devices (ULDs) the cargo came on (these are large airline pallets that allow large quantities to be moved together as one unit). Instead, they requested that Logistics Plus collect the ULDs from their warehouse, take it to another warehouse, breakdown the ULDs into our own individual cartons (257 cartons for this order), palletize them, and return the ULDs to the airline when we were done. Once these cartons were palletized, we would arrange for final trucking to Erie.

It is insane to think ORD’s cargo intake has been so drastic that they are making customers breakdown their own freight! But, looking at the bigger picture, with the staff reductions and safety precautions, the warehouses would have a difficult time processing all this freight themselves, even on a normal day. Given that they are receiving mainly freighters and the intended JFK cargo, ORD will have many challenges ahead. Fortunately, Logistics Plus has the benefit of on-site specialists that have good relationships with the airlines, and a local Chicago office and warehouse nearby in case any immediate assistance is needed. These are crazy times, but of course, when a shipment is truly critical … Logistics Plus will always find a solution!