[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5912]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: March 15, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
CONUS Automated Rate System (CARTS)--Proposed Changes
AGENCY: Military Traffic Management Command, DOD.
ACTION: Proposed procedure change.
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SUMMARY: The Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC) is proposing
use of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) as the method for carriers to
submit interstate household goods carrier rates for the CONUS Automated
Rate System (CARTS). This system is the method by which interstate
household goods rates are submitted for Department of Defense (DOD)-
sponsored interstate household goods shipments. This proposed change is
not a part of the interstate test developed as a result of the General
Accounting Office (GAO/NSIAD-90-50 report and announced by MTMC
previously in the Federal Register on 29 June 1992, 57 FR 28842).
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 16, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be mailed to Headquarters, Military Traffic
Management Command, ATTN: MMTOP-T-NI, room 621, 5611 Columbia Pike,
Falls Church, VA 22041-5050.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Janet Nemier, MTOP-T-NI, (703) 756-1190.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MTMC's intention to institute and EDI
program for acquisition of carrier rates is in furtherance of the
following policy and directives:
a. Department of the Secretary of Defense Policy Memorandum
directing use of American National Standards Institute EDI standards,
dated May 1988.
b. 41 Code of Federal Regulations, section 101-41-007, permitting
use of EDI to document and pay transportation bills, April 1989.
c. Defense Management Review Decision 941 directing use of EDI
standards, dated November 1993.
MTMC proposes the use of EDI to receive, return, file, and use
rates submitted by household goods carriers.
The meetings listed below were held to discuss use of EDI for
billing and rate filing purposes. The household goods carrier industry
was invited to attend these meetings and was briefed on MTMC's desire
to convert from a magnetic tape media for rate submissions to an EDI
process.
a. DOD/Industry EDI Personal Property Working Group meetings on
June 14, 1991, and January 29-31, at Bethesda, Maryland
b. DOD/Industry EDI Personal Property Working Group meeting on
March 23-25, 1992, at Indianapolis, Indiana.
Under this proposed change to CARTS, carriers will be able to
electronically file their rates on a daily basis during filing windows
and will be electronically notified by the next business day of the
results, i.e., total rates received and rates rejected with a rejection
error code. For the initial filing (I/F) window, carriers will have a
3-week period in which they can add, delete, or change rates on a daily
basis. Upon completion of the I/F window, MTMC will notify all
interested parties via an electronic bulletin board of all rate levels
filed by traffic channel, including which carrier established the rate.
If two or more carriers establish this rate level, each carrier will be
shown. MTMC will continue to verify all carriers filing rates in the I/
F window have a letter of intent on file at each applicable
installation. There will be approximately a 4-week period between the
I/F and me-too (M/T) windows to allow carriers an opportunity to
determine their M/T rates. During the M/T window, carriers will have a
2-week period in which they can either add or change M/T rates on a
daily basis. There will be four 1-week long letter of intent/
cancellation (L/C) windows during each 6-month rate cycle for newly
approved carriers at a personal property shipping office to file rates
and other carriers to cancel existing rates.
The purpose of this proposed change is to convert the rate filing
process from a magnetic tape media to electronic submission. Initially,
MTMC will accept electronic rate submissions in the existing
proprietary format using electronic mail capabilities or in the public
standard format of ANSI X.12 Transportation Services Tender Transaction
Set 602 using EDI technology. However, MTMC plans to transition over
the next 18 months of ANSI X.12 602 public standard format as the sole
method for submission of interstate household goods rates.
It is anticipated that many automated data processing (ADP) firms
currently filing magnetic tapes on behalf of carriers will continue to
provide rate filing services under the electronic submission
requirement. Carriers that elect to use the services of these ADP firms
will only have to notify MTMC, in writing, of the firm representing
them.
For interested parties who wish to file rates using EDI procedures,
the first step will be to obtain the services of a Value Added Network
(VAN) for either X.25 protocol for the EDI 602 format or X.400 protocol
for the electronic mail proprietary format. The VAN will be the conduit
for exchanging rate submissions with MTMC. The next step will be to
complete a Trading Partner Agreement and submit it to MTMC. A trading
Partner Agreement provides the terms and conditions governing the
exchange of administrative information between carriers and MTMC, and
legally binds both parties to those terms. The final step will be to
complete three successful transmissions of rates without a
communications or technical error.
All interstate household goods rates will be filed via electronic
submission for the Domestic Summer 1995 (DS95) cycle, rates effective
May 1, 1995. It is anticipated that the I/F window will be in early
January 1995 for a 3-week period. Magnetic tapes will no longer be
accepted.
DOD-approved interstate household goods carriers and current ADP
rate tape filers will be provided instructions on filing electronic
rate submissions after comments received, as a result of this Federal
Register notice, have been reviewed. Instructions for filing rates
electronically will also be provided on the AT&T Bulletin Board. the
instructions for filing electronic interstate household goods rates
will include procedures for filing a Trading partner Agreement, and
procedures for testing transmission rates, along with MTMC points of
contract for these procedures.
Kenneth L. Denton,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 94-5912 Filed 3-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M
