Standard Carrier Alpha Codes
Encyclopedia
The Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) is a unique code used to identify transportation companies. It is typically two to four alphabetic letters long. It was developed by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association
in the 1960s to help the transportation industry computerize data and records.
, Freight Bill, Packing List, and Purchase Order
. It is also used by the American National Standards Institute
, Accredited Standards Committee X12
, and United Nations
EDIFACT
for Electronic Data Interchange
computer systems.
SCACs are commonly used (in the United States) by the automobile, petroleum, forest products, and chemical industries; as well as suppliers to retail businesses, carriers engaged in railroad piggyback trailers, and ocean container drayage.
Freight Carriers who participate in the Uniform Intermodal Interchange Agreement (UIIA) are required to maintain a SCAC.
Certain groups of SCACs are reserved for specific purposes. Codes ending with the letter "U" are reserved for the identification of freight containers. Codes ending with the letter "X" are reserved for the identification of privately owned railroad cars. Codes ending with the letter "Z" are reserved for the identification of truck chassis and trailers used in intermodal
service.
SCAC is also used to identify an ocean carrier or self-filing party, such as a freight forwarder, for the Automated Manifest System used by US Customs and Border Protection for electronic import customs clearance and for manifest transmission as per the USA's "24 Hours Rule" which requires the carrier to transmit a cargo manifest to US Customs at least 24 hours prior to a vessel's departure at port of loading.
National Motor Freight Traffic Association
The National Motor Freight Traffic Association is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and is dedicated to advancing the interests of its members. It consists of 950 freight carriers...
in the 1960s to help the transportation industry computerize data and records.
Description
The Standard Carrier Alpha Code, a two-to-four letter identification, is used by (in the United States) transportation industry to identify freight carriers in computer systems and shipping documents such as Bill of LadingBill of lading
A bill of lading is a document issued by a carrier to a shipper, acknowledging that specified goods have been received on board as cargo for conveyance to a named place for delivery to the consignee who is usually identified...
, Freight Bill, Packing List, and Purchase Order
Purchase order
A purchase order is a commercial document issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating types, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services the seller will provide to the buyer. Sending a purchase order to a supplier constitutes a legal offer to buy products or services...
. It is also used by the American National Standards Institute
American National Standards Institute
The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...
, Accredited Standards Committee X12
ANSI ASC X12
The Accredited Standards Committee X12 , chartered by the American National Standards Institute more than 30 years ago, develops and maintains EDI and CICA standards along with XML schemas which drive business processes globally...
, and United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
EDIFACT
EDIFACT
United Nations/Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and Transport is the international EDI standard developed under the United Nations...
for Electronic Data Interchange
Electronic Data Interchange
Electronic data interchange is the structured transmission of data between organizations by electronic means. It is used to transfer electronic documents or business data from one computer system to another computer system, i.e...
computer systems.
SCACs are commonly used (in the United States) by the automobile, petroleum, forest products, and chemical industries; as well as suppliers to retail businesses, carriers engaged in railroad piggyback trailers, and ocean container drayage.
Freight Carriers who participate in the Uniform Intermodal Interchange Agreement (UIIA) are required to maintain a SCAC.
Certain groups of SCACs are reserved for specific purposes. Codes ending with the letter "U" are reserved for the identification of freight containers. Codes ending with the letter "X" are reserved for the identification of privately owned railroad cars. Codes ending with the letter "Z" are reserved for the identification of truck chassis and trailers used in intermodal
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
service.
SCAC is also used to identify an ocean carrier or self-filing party, such as a freight forwarder, for the Automated Manifest System used by US Customs and Border Protection for electronic import customs clearance and for manifest transmission as per the USA's "24 Hours Rule" which requires the carrier to transmit a cargo manifest to US Customs at least 24 hours prior to a vessel's departure at port of loading.
Examples of Common SCACs
- PLQG - Precision Logistics Group (Last mile (transportation)Last mile (transportation)Last mile is a term used in supply chain management and transportation planning to describe the movement of people and goods from a transport hub to a final destination.-Usage in distribution networks:...
) - TQYL - Total Quality Logistics
- ZIPL - Zipline Logistics - www.ziplinelogistics.com (Multimodal)
- STVG - Strive Logistics (Multimodal)
- ELNR - Express Lane Transport aka ELT/Arco
- USNW - U.S. Northwest Express or USNW Express - A CDS Company
- YFSY - Yellow Transportation - A Less than truckloadLess than truckloadLess than truckload shipping is the transportation of relatively small freight. The alternatives to LTL carriers are parcel carriers or full truckload carriers. Parcel carriers usually handle small packages and freight that can be broken down in to units less than . Full truckload carriers move...
(LTL) carrier - RDWY - Roadway Express - A Less than truckloadLess than truckloadLess than truckload shipping is the transportation of relatively small freight. The alternatives to LTL carriers are parcel carriers or full truckload carriers. Parcel carriers usually handle small packages and freight that can be broken down in to units less than . Full truckload carriers move...
(LTL) carrier - PRLA - Purolator CourierPurolator CourierPurolator Courier Ltd. is a Canadian courier that is 91% owned by Canada Post Corporation, 7% owned by Barry Lapointe Holdings Ltd. and 2% by others....
- Canadian package deliveryPackage deliveryPackage delivery or parcel delivery is the shipping of packages or high value mail as single shipments. While the service is provided by most postal systems, private package delivery services have also existed in competition with and in place of public postal services.-Package delivery in the...
company - UPSN, UPSS, UPSC, UPSZ - United Parcel ServiceUnited Parcel ServiceUnited Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
- A package deliveryPackage deliveryPackage delivery or parcel delivery is the shipping of packages or high value mail as single shipments. While the service is provided by most postal systems, private package delivery services have also existed in competition with and in place of public postal services.-Package delivery in the...
company - USPS - United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal ServiceThe United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
- DEWC - De Well Container Shipping Corp.
- DMAL - DHL Danzas
- ABFS - ABF Freight System Inc. - A Less than truckloadLess than truckloadLess than truckload shipping is the transportation of relatively small freight. The alternatives to LTL carriers are parcel carriers or full truckload carriers. Parcel carriers usually handle small packages and freight that can be broken down in to units less than . Full truckload carriers move...
(LTL) carrier - FDEN - FedEx Express
- CGLP - CGL/Concert Group Logistics, Inc (Freight Forwarder)
- FDEG - FedEx Ground - A package deliveryPackage deliveryPackage delivery or parcel delivery is the shipping of packages or high value mail as single shipments. While the service is provided by most postal systems, private package delivery services have also existed in competition with and in place of public postal services.-Package delivery in the...
company - FDCC - FedEx Custom Critical
- FEXF - FedEx Freight
- FXFE - FedEx LTL Freight East
- FXFW - FedEx LTL Freight West (formerly VIKN - Viking)
- FXNL - FedEx Freight National (formerly Watkins)
- PTWT - Panther II Expedited Services, Inc. - An expediting company
- SDCR - Samday WORLDWIDE
- PLNZ, PSKL - Penske/Quality Express
- JKFF - JackRabbit Fast Freight Corp - A deliveryDeliveryDelivery may refer to:*Delivery, in childbirth*Delivery , of goods*Delivery *Delivery , in cricket, a single action of bowling a cricket ball towards the batsman*Delivery , of a joke...
company - HAEI - Heartland Express
- HYWK - Hyway Trucking
- HGTN - Hogan Transport
- SCNN - Schneider National
- WESV - Wes Pro Fleet Services
- AAIE - ALG Admiral
- SWFT - Swift Transportation
- FTLC - Findlay Truck Line Company
- ANTT - Arnold Transportation
- KKLU - "K" Line
- SNLU - Schneider National
- USIT - USA Truck
- UDRY, USAW - USA Logistics
- USXI - U.S. Xpress
- CMDU - CMA-CGM (Compagnie Générale Maritime - Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement)
- YODA - D&D Sexton
- YMLU - Yang Ming Line
- DMLI - Diamond Logistics
- SALT - Salser and Sons
- OOLU - Orient Overseas Container Line
- MOLU - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
- MAEU - Maersk Line
- EGLV - Evergreen
- HJSC - Hanjin
- HDMU - Hyundai
- APLU - American President Line
- NYKS - NYK
- LGOA - Logistics One Transport
- USXL - USXL Worldwide
- CNWY - Con-way
- NXPL - National Xpress Logistics
- COSU - Coscon Container Lines
- MTEN - Marten Transport LTD.
- MVMT - The Move Management Center
- RYDD - Ryder Systems, Inc.
- AACT - AAA Cooper TransportationAAA CooperAAA Cooper Transportation, headquartered in Dothan, Alabama. is a family owned, non-union, transportation company servicing customers through Less-Than-Truckload, Dedicated, Port, International and other related transportation services. The company was founded in 1955 by John H. Dove after he...
- MCPU - MCC Transport Singapore Pte Ltd.
- SAFM - Safmarine
- WHLC - Wan Hai Lines
- BAIE - Bailey's Express
- BTTM - Bridge Terminal Transport
- WENP - Werner Dedicated
- CBHU - Cosco Bejing Hongkong Unit
- JTSN - Johnny Tsunami Trucking
- MHCU - Magshipping Container Lines
- DLRT - Richard Daniels Transportation
- CLLQ - Coyote Logistics LLC
- ACLU - Atlantic Container Line
- ANLC - ANL/US Lines
- ZIMU - ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.
- CHHK - China Shipping North America
- HLCU - Hapag-Lloyd
- MATU - MATSON
- MSCU - Mediterranean Shipping Company
- JAFR - Jaguar Freight Services
See also
- Reporting markReporting markA reporting mark is a two-, three-, or four-letter alphabetic code used to identify owners or lessees of rolling stock and other equipment used on the North American railroad network. The marks are stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with a one-to-six-digit number, which together uniquely...
- National Motor Freight Traffic AssociationNational Motor Freight Traffic AssociationThe National Motor Freight Traffic Association is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and is dedicated to advancing the interests of its members. It consists of 950 freight carriers...
- Electronic Data InterchangeElectronic Data InterchangeElectronic data interchange is the structured transmission of data between organizations by electronic means. It is used to transfer electronic documents or business data from one computer system to another computer system, i.e...
- Less than truckloadLess than truckloadLess than truckload shipping is the transportation of relatively small freight. The alternatives to LTL carriers are parcel carriers or full truckload carriers. Parcel carriers usually handle small packages and freight that can be broken down in to units less than . Full truckload carriers move...
- EDIFACTEDIFACTUnited Nations/Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and Transport is the international EDI standard developed under the United Nations...
- Bill of LadingBill of ladingA bill of lading is a document issued by a carrier to a shipper, acknowledging that specified goods have been received on board as cargo for conveyance to a named place for delivery to the consignee who is usually identified...
- Owner–Operator Independent Drivers Association