The National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. has introduced the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) Data Distribution Service (DDS). NMFTA currently offers the NMFC data in fixed-length field (ASCII) format delivered via CD-ROM. The new service offers that data in the old fixed-length format, as well as in three additional data files and a faster FTP delivery method. The first two new files to be offered are the Articles and Index to Articles files in a structured XML format. The XML version of the Articles files contains the item number, sub, commodity description, class, issue date and effective date, and notes, as well as data relationship information. The XML version of the Index to Articles file contains the item numbers and commodity descriptions, as well as data structure information. The third new file is being introduced in a slimmed-down version of the Articles file in comma delimited ASCII format, containing only the item number, sub and class. The section contains only those elements necessary to support rating-system class hookups. All NMFC DDS subscribers have the option of receiving the NMFC data via FTP or SFTP.
