limitation will be undertaken over public highways by or for agencies of the Department of the Army, the Navy, or the Air Force unless prior permission is granted by the state or states concerned upon request of authorized representatives of the military departments. Permits for movement of commercial vehicles will be requested only after determination has been made that military necessity requires movement by the mode and manner selected.

3. Only authorized representatives of the military departments may request permits from

the state or states concerned when size and weight limitations are involved. Under no conditions shall a carrier be authorized to contact state authorities for such permits.

4. In each instance of overriding and urgent military necessity in which an oversize or overweight commercial movement is made, report will be made to the Director of the Military Traffic Service and a full statement of the circumstances and justification will be supplied.

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PART C: SHIPMENT

53050 RESPONSIBILITY FOR SHIPMENT

1. An officer who turns over supplies to another for transportation in the best condition in which it is possible to put them, is relieved from any further responsibility therefor by the receipt of the officer to whom they were entrusted for transportation. Procedure in case of loss, damage or deficiency found on arrival at destination will be as prescribed in paragraphs 53250-3 through 11.

$53051 PREPARATION OF SUPPLIES FOR SHIPMENT

1. Shipments should be packed in accordance with the specifications promulgated by the Interstate Commerce Commission and published in the governing Freight Classifications to obtain the lowest freight rates. Proper and secure packing insures safe transportation by the carrier from point of origin to destination and shipping officers should give the packing of freight shipments attention. Ratings are applied on articles in accordance with the manner in which they are packed. Articles "knocked down" are subject to lower rates than those when "set up" and "nested" articles are given lower rates than when not nested.

2. All freight should be packed securely to insure safe transportation and to eliminate loss and damage by rough handling, thereby eliminating the necessities for loss or damage claims against carriers. The placing of a shipment in a cheap container will cause loss or damage to the article in transit which cannot be recovered from the carrier. Shipping officers should carefully consider method of packing of each individual shipment, taking into consideration the material and style of package, the distance, time shipment will be in transit, number of probable transfers and climatic conditions, before shipment is finally packed. This will result in savings on prices of containers and

reduce chance of probable damage while in transit. Except in cases where shipments weigh 100 pounds or less, articles of different classification should never be placed in the same container as this causes the carrier to charge a rate on the entire package which would apply on the highest classed or rated article in the package. Freight rates are based on the gross weight of the package which includes the weight of the container. The weight of the container is considered the tare or dead weight and should be as light as possible to obtain the lowest charges. The material and style of package should be given close consideration. In constructing containers made of wood, the lightest or strongest kinds of lumber should be used. The weight of the lumber depends upon whether it is dry or green, weighing at least 25% more when green than when dry. When an article is given the same classification in crates as in boxes, it should be crated, as a crate can be constructed at less expense and will afford almost as much protection, especially if the corners are locked or strips placed diagonally across each corner and the tare or dead weight is lower than that of a box. If the article crated is classified higher than boxed and long haul is involved, the saving in freight charges at the lower rate on the shipment boxed would offset the saving in construction of the different container. Articles that can be handled or will be accepted by the carrier without packing should be so tendered to them and shipments which will be accepted in bulk by the carriers and in carload lots should be so loaded in the cars.

3. In preparing shipments for export the conditions are usually the same as with domestic shipments. The packing specifications of the classification and tariffs are fixed with reference to transportation conditions in this country and the minimum compliance with those specifications will not ordinarily suffice to avoid damage after packages leave the possession of the domestic carriers. Facilities at the port of exit are usually such that loading aboard ship

53052 SELECTION OF CARRIERS

1. In keeping with the general policies contained in Part B of this chapter, it is incumbent upon the Marine Corps to distribute tonnage among competing carriers as equitably as possible, taking into consideration the local problems of the station involved, having in mind safety, expedition, equipment supply, procurement regulations and military necessity.

2. The basic principle in the selection of mode of transportation; i. e., rail freight, freight forwarders, water carriers, motor carriers, parcel post, air carriers, etc., is to employ that method which will effect delivery of the material at final destination on or before the required date at the lowest cost to the government. In maintaining this principle, care will be taken to properly safeguard classified, perishable, and fragile shipments. The lowest total cost is meant to include accessorial costs (such as preparation for shipment, unpacking, reassembling, etc., which may differ depending upon the choice of the mode of transportation) as well as direct expenditures for movement of property.

3. This principle is modified in part insofar as the movement of household effects under current regulation is concerned. The modification of the above principle by Section 303 (c) of the Career Compensation Act of 1949 provides that personnel shall be entitled to transportation of household effects "without regard to comparative costs of the various modes of transportation". It is evident that the comparison of cost to be disregarded is intended to apply as between modes of transportation named and not as between the different carriers engaged in the same mode of transportation. Therefore, once having determined the mode of transportation without regard to comparative costs, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 9, Joint Travel Regulation, it is the responsibility of the shipping officer to effect shipment in accordance with paragraph 53100.

4. In those cases in which the manner of shipment is left to the discretion of the local shipping officer under the restrictions of paragraph 53100, namely van shipments of house

hold effects, freight shipments weighing less than 5,000 pounds and crated personal or household effects weighing less than 1,000 pounds, factors such as availability of carrier, quality of service offered, etc., together with the rate to be charged should be considered. This traffic should be impartially and equitably distributed among the eligible competing carriers in accordance with the best interests of the government as well as the policy and principles of the Marine Corps stated in subparagraphs 1, 2, and 3 above.

5. All shipping officers making shipments categorized in subparagraph 4 above will maintain a record showing names of carriers utilized, dates and tonnages. These records will be kept available for inspection at all times.

53053 SHIPMENT VIA RAIL

1. When a shipment via rail freight consists of less-than-car load quantities it may be shipped to domestic destinations when shipment weighs more than 70 pounds and provided a service offered is satisfactory. When a shipment weighs less than 70 pounds consideration should be given to instructions contained in paragraphs 53054 and 53059.

53054 SHIPMENT VIA RAIL EXPRESS

1. When in excess of the cost by ordinary freight, shipments by rail express must be limited to emergencies, shipment of confidential printed matter (as may be released for express shipment by cognizant offices), public funds, delicate instruments, i. e., voltmeters of all types, ammeters, electrical instrument case, time interval clocks, mercurial barometers, and all electrical apparatus of delicate construction and susceptible to injury by rough handling, and personal effects as authorized in part H. This authority will not be extended to shipments of property other than that herein specified, or authorized by existing regulations, without obtaining authority from the Commandant of the Marine Corps. In either case, bills of lading issued to cover such shipments by express will show the emergency or the character of the

shipments transported and the authority for such transportation.

2. When the cost of transportation by express is cheaper than by other means, shipping officers are authorized to use express service without further authority from the Commandant of the Marine Corps. When choosing means of transportation, it should be borne in mind that express rates are based on actual weight of shipment, while ordinary rail is based on a minimum of 100 pounds.

3. Shipments of a classified or valuable nature sufficient to warrant protective service while in the hands of the express company may be transported on a money waybill under hand to hand signature and armed guard service to and from any point within the continental United States. Railway express agency makes no extra charge for this service. Twenty-four hour advance notice will be given to railway express agency when this service is desired and the time when shipment will be ready will be stated. The following statement should be shown as the routing on all rail express shipments of classified material:

VIA RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY (OR MONEY WAYBILL UNDER HAND TO HAND SIGNATURE AND ARMED GUARD SERVICE).

The value of classified material so shipped should not be shown on the bill of lading nor should ordinary express pick-up trucks be permitted to remove classified shipments from shipping platforms. Such shipments should be made the subject of calls for special pick-up by the agent of the railway express agency.

4. The railway express agency has been requested to refuse shipments of over 500 pounds tendered on Marine Corps bills of lading, except shipment of personal effects, household goods, corpses, and war dogs, unless a route order number prefixed "MRX" is shown on the bill of lading in the space marked "Traffic Control No.". Shipments of delicate instruments and less than carload shipments requiring armed guard service are authorized by railway express, but a route order must be requested for such shipments exceeding 500 pounds, stating

the reason express service is required. In no case will shipments be broken into several lots and forwarded on several bills of lading to avoid this requirement. While shipment of personal effects up to 500 pounds is authorized under certain circumstances, shipping officers are directed to use rail freight or freight forwarding service whenever there is sufficient delay in orders to enable this service to be satisfactory. In no case will carload quantities be shipped via railway express without a route order.

5. Shipment of remains of deceased Marine Corps personnel via railway express is authorized when not accompanied by escort. One copy of the bill of lading on which transportation is effected should be securely pasted on top of the outer or shipping casket and then covered with shellac or varnish to protect from moisture or handling, and should be stamped in letters about 1 inch square diagonally across the face of each copy of the bill of lading as follows: PAY NO CHARGES ON THIS SHIPMENT TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PAID BY MARINE CORPS. CHARGES OF ANY KIND IN CONNECTION WITH THIS BILL OF LADING WILL BE COLLECTED FROM THE CONSIGNEE.

ΝΟ

In absence of the proper stamp, the above notation should be typewritten in capital letters. In cases where shipments of the remains of Marine Corps personnel are made to the home of the deceased, a form of receipt in duplicate will be prepared and forwarded to the consignee together with original bill of lading, with instructions that upon receipt of the remains, the bill of lading will be accomplished to show delivery and turned over to the express company making such delivery and that the form of receipt will also be accomplished and returned to the shipping officer in an addressed, franked envelope furnished for that purpose. One copy of the receipt will be forwarded to the Commandant of the Marine Corps (Code: CSJ) and the other will be retained by the shipping officer. Every effort should be made to obtain these receipts as they will be used, in cases where the original bill of lading has been lost, in connection with the certificate of shipment prepared by the shipping officer in effect

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