The standard carrier alpha code "NYKU" on an NYK Line container
The Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) is a privately controlled US code used to identify vessel operating common carriers (VOCC). It is typically two to four letters long. The National Motor Freight Traffic Association developed the SCAC code in the 1960s to help road transport companies computerize data and records.[1]
SCACs are commonly used 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. SCACs can be obtained online at http://www.nmfta.org.
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.
Widely used SCACs
The following is a list of widely used SCACs:[2][3]
^EDI Provider (n.d.). "SCAC Codes". EDI Provider. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
^"Long Beach Drayage". When the logistics chain broke down during the pandemic, we were prepared with our own trucks and chassis to ensure our clients' business continuity. At Precision Worldwide, we stay one step ahead, have first in class resources, and a dynamite team that does what it takes to find the right solutions for our clients.
