[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