The SCAC is how automated systems refer to a carrier. It appears on the bill of lading, in EDI transactions like the 204 load tender and 214 status, and in a shipper’s or broker’s routing guide that assigns lanes to specific carriers.
Codes are assigned and maintained by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) and renewed annually. Certain government and intermodal programs require one; many large shippers will not set a carrier up in their TMS without it.
A carrier onboarding with a retail shipper or a broker that runs EDI will usually be asked for its SCAC early in the process, alongside its MC number and insurance.
Example
A broker onboards a new carrier for a retail account that tenders loads by EDI 204. The carrier provides its SCAC; the broker enters it in the routing setup so that every tender, acceptance, and status update for that account references the carrier by code automatically.
Why it matters
Without a SCAC, a carrier cannot be added to many shippers’ routing guides or EDI setups — it is a prerequisite for the retail and brokered freight that runs on automated tendering.
In Trailflow, this shows up in EDI.