ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) and its Digital LTL Council have announced the upcoming rollout of its latest application programming interface (API) technology: Pickup Request and Visibility Standard.
“The overall goal is to make the logistics process smoother for supply chain professionals,” said Keith Peterson, director of operations for NMFTA. “This launch directly addresses feedback from the industry and aligns with our mission to fully digitize the less-than-truckload (LTL) shipment lifecycle over the next few years. To make this vision a reality, NMFTA is collaborating with carriers, shippers, and 3PLs to develop APIs that will streamline the entire shipment process. This is just the beginning, with more initiatives planned to drive innovation and benefit our industry in the new year.”
According to an NMFTA media release, the new standard minimizes phone calls and streamlines coordination for all parties involved in shipment order pickups.
The technology has been designed to make it easy for carriers, shippers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) to apply a single standard on which to make a request and monitor the status of the driver to pickup the shipment. This latest development will help businesses streamline operations, future-proof IT infrastructure, and enhance code accuracy.
In leveraging the Pickup Request and Visibility Standard, users can request and receive an acknowledgment as well as gain visibility into the status of the pickup and get notice of delays or other updates from the carrier.
To learn more about the Digital LTL Council and its API standard, click here.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
