SMC³ Announces CzarLite Product Update
Certified Update Process Ensures That LTL Base Rate System Effectively Represents Nationwide Pricing Benchmarks
Atlanta, Ga. - Feb. 26, 2008—SMC³, a provider of transportation data services, technology tools and educational forums, announced today that it will update the data within its CzarLite® family of products, effective March 31. The regular updates SMC³ makes to CzarLite maintain its longstanding reputation as the industry’s premier LTL base rate and benchmarking system for shipments within and between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Moreover, the company’s externally-certified update process guarantees that the product effectively represents regional pricing benchmarks.
Unlike an individual carrier’s base pricing system, CzarLite’s aggregated model offers a market-based price list derived from studies of LTL pricing on an industry wide basis. This system for developing base information supports the macroeconomic issues of LTL carriers without yielding to the micro operating and marketing issues of any individual carrier.
The CzarLite pricing system is the basis for thousands of LTL contracts, and CzarLite pricing products are licensed to hundreds of carriers, including all 50 of the largest national, multi-regional and regional LTL carriers. Shippers of all sizes, from many of the largest global organizations to the casual and infrequent shipper, utilize CzarLite information to make informed LTL decisions.
The March 31 CzarLite product update reflects the overall economic impact of rising expenses to transport freight, as well as recent changes within the U.S. Postal Service ZIP code system and the Canadian and Mexican postal code systems. Consistent with prior updates, CzarLite base rate adjustments do not include the impact of fuel prices, which are in a constant state of flux and are addressed separately and individually by the carriers.
The mathematical computations SMC³ uses to update CzarLite are verified by an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA). This verification process ensures that the input data and mathematical processes are accurate and that the CzarLite update is an equitable method for the usability and applicability of baseline rates over time.
SMC³ also recently established an economic review panel to make recommendations related to the economic portion of the CzarLite update. The panel is comprised of outside experts whose noted familiarity with economic trends and the transportation industry, as well as their lengthy history of accurate economic research and forecasting, assures the practical, fair and unbiased nature of CzarLite rates.
Shippers who use CzarLite can confirm the competitiveness of rate offers and have a readily available and understandable alternative for their carrier agreements. Furthermore, these baseline rates allow those who purchase transportation services to standardize several critical areas of their business operations, including accounting functions, computer systems and purchasing agreements – offering truly competitive rates to their customers and creating economic value in terms of increased productivity and efficiency.
SMC³ plans to release an executive summary detailing the CzarLite update process prior to the March 31 effective date. For more information regarding SMC³ products and services, call 800.845.8090 or visit www.smc3.com.