Military Surface Deployment and Distribution ... - SDDC - U.S. Army

Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
Customer Advisory
December 13, 2011-Update
CA-11-07/11-0157
Subject: (Updated) The Northern Distribution Network (NDN).
Purpose: To advise the Defense Transportation System (DTS) community
on the usage, processes, and requirements for shipping cargo on the NDN
and restriction for use of 40’ containers during the winter months.
Be Advised: This Customer Advisory supersedes CA-10-12/13-0307. The
requirements outlined below apply only to those shipments booked under
the Universal Services Contract for surface shipment on the NDN through
the Ports of Debarkation of Riga, Latvia; Tallinn, Estonia; Klaipeda,
Lithuania; Mersin, Turkey; Poti, Georgia; Vostochny, Russia; and
Vladivostok, Russia. For shipments destined to Afghanistan transiting
Pakistan (PAK GLOC), please continue to adhere to the requirements
outlined in CA-09-12/15-0272 and CA-10-08/20-0198.
NDN Usage:
- All NDN eligible cargo originating in Europe, United Sates (US) East Coast,
US West Coast and US Gulf Coast destined for consignees in Afghanistan will
route through the NDN.
- Cargo originating in the USCENTCOM AOR will be routed via the PAK GLOC.
- Unit equipment and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cargo will be routed via
the PAK GLOC.*
- Refrigerated cargo is eligible to move via NDN only on specific routes with
contracted refrigerated rates.
- Shippers will take proactive steps to build Class II NDN eligible containers
to maximize usage of the NDN routes.
- Shippers should strive to obtain a minimum of 85% space utilization for
each container routed via the NDN.
* FMS cargo may be shipped on the NDN on a case-by-case basis with
USTRANSCOM and SDDC coordination/approval.
Route Limitations: NDN Stakeholders must consider the commodity and
routing limitations:
- During the winter months (1 Nov to 30 March), shippers should seek to
prioritize the use of 20' containers where possible due to terrain, weather
considerations and road restrictions however, cargo shipped in 40'
containers will still move on the NDN as weather permits.
- Shippers must exhaust all available twenty-foot containers prior to
utilizing forty-foot containers during this period.
- All lumber, unless shipped with an original phytosanitary certificate, must

oute through Klaipeda, Riga or Tallinn (and not Poti or Mersin).
- Not all rates are available to all destinations in Afghanistan for all NDN
carriers or routes.
Commodities: The following Harmonized Tariff Schedule categories
(including all subcategories) are specifically prohibited from transiting the
NDN. For full descriptions of these categories, please refer to the United
States International Trade Commission (http://hts.usitc.gov/).
3601 -Gunpowder
3602 -Military Explosives other than Gunpowder
3603 -Safety fuses; detonating fuses; percussion or detonating caps;
igniters; electric detonators
3604 -Fireworks; signaling flares, rain rockets, fog signals and other
pyrotechnic articles
8526 -Radar apparatus, radio navigational aid apparatus and radio remote
control apparatus
8710 -Tanks and other self-propelled armored combat vehicles with/without
weapons, and their spare parts
8802 -Aircraft (helicopter and airplanes), spacecraft (including satellites),
and suborbital and space carrier vehicles
8906 -Military and rescue vessels, military support vessels other than rowing
boats
9013 -Telescopic sights for weapons, periscopes, telescopes manufactured
as parts of vehicles or other optical devices usable with weapons if such
devices are not mounted on firearms or are not accompanied by the firearms
on which they are to be mounted; laser sights usable with weapons if these
sights are not mounted on firearms or are not accompanied by the firearms
on which they are to be mounted.
9301 -Military weapons, except revolvers and pistols and weapons listed
under paragraph 9307 of the Foreign Economic Activity Goods Classification
9302 -Revolvers and pistols apart from those listed under the paragraphs
9303 and 9304 if the Foreign Economic Activity Goods Classification
9303 -Firearms and other devices activated by an explosive charge
9305 -Spare parts for items listed under paragraphs 9301-9303
9306 -Bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines, missiles, and similar combat
devices and parts, cartridges, shells, other munitions and parts, including
small shot, cartridge wadding and cartridges and parts for smooth-bore
weapons.
Additional restrictions for Turkey include:
- No NBC Defense or decontamination products (gas masks, MOPP suits,
decontamination kits, etc.).
- No HAZMAT
Important: Please contact your cognizant SDDC Booking Office if you are
unclear on the acceptability of specific commodities on the NDN.

Break bulk Shipments: Break bulk shipments on the NDN require
commodity-specific rates. Please contact your cognizant SDDC booking
office if you are unclear whether rates exist for your cargo.
Carrier Selection / Booking Process:
-Direct-Booking is not authorized (unless an approved Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) exists with SDDC).
- SDDC Booking Offices will process bookings (Assisted-Bookings) for NDN
cargo.
- SDDC Booking Offices will select NDN carriers and routing in accordance
with applicable policy, regulations, and contract requirements.
-- Exception: DLA will identify the carrier for the Prime Vendor Class I cargo.
For government-owned Class I cargo, shippers will identify the cargo as NDN
eligible and SDDC will determine whether it will move either via rail or KKT
route.
Important: Under no circumstances should carrier-owned containers be
pre-stuffed prior to receipt of booking confirmation (in the form of an Export
Traffic Release), unless this requirement is waived in writing by SDDC.
ETRR Annotations: All NDN ETRRs must include the following:
- Project Code: OBJ
- Delivery Information to Carrier: NDN Eligible
- Accessorial: Daily ITV, Cargo Clearance
-- Exception: Mersin, Turkey does not require Cargo Clearance (only Daily
ITV)
Route Definitions:
- Russian Route: Ports of Debarkation (POD) Riga, Latvia; Tallin, Estonia;
and Klaipeda, Lithuania
- Caucasus Route: PODs Poti, Georgia; and Mersin, Turkey
- KKT Route: Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan
- Trans-Siberian Route (TSR): PODs Vostochny, Russia; and Vladivostok,
Russia. TSR is a viable option to move NDN eligible cargo from USPACOM
AOR and US West Coast.
RDD Construction: The following guidance applies for construction:
- SDDC will measure performance from pickup to arrival at a carrier holding
yard (unless otherwise directed to deliver directly to final destination).
- Transit Time Table below contains required transit times for NDN.
Multi-Modal Operations: USTRANSCOM seeks to maximize utilization of
Multi-Modal operations for delivery of Unit and critical sensitive cargo.
Potential cargo includes:
- Items exceeding the dimensional capacity of the GLOC.
- Weapons, sensitive equipment, ammunition and items deemed critical or

having a significant negative operational impact to the Warfighter.
- Time sensitive cargo may be routed via SDDC-designated, commercial
transshipment locations (i.e. Dubai).
SDDC POC:
SDDC, G9 Cargo Booking Branch: Mr. Richard Smith,
richard.r.smith@us.army.mil, (618) 220-6912, DSN 770-6912. Ms. Monica
King, monica.king2@us.army.mil, (618) 220-6873, DSN 770-6873.
SDDC OCCA Europe Booking Office: Mr. Joe Schott,
Schottj@sddc598th.army.mil, (31) 10-459-2345.
SDDC OCCA SWA Office: Ms. Anita Rice,
occaswachiefs@bahrain.swa.army.mil, +973-1785- 6740, DSN:
318-439-6740
SDDC G9 Documentation Branch: Ms. Vernita Anderson-Manning,
Vernita.m.andersonmanning@us.army.mil, (618) 220-6883, DSN 770-6883.
Ms. Patricia Green, Particia.green1@us.army.mil, (618) 220-6849, DSN
770-6849.
SDDC 598th TMD (Documentation): Mr. Paul Weitenberg,
Paul.Weitenberg@us.army.mil, (31)10-459-2318.
Expiration: N/A