New freight broker contract for produce shippers

The Transportation Intermediaries Association and United Fresh Produce Association have released a new joint broker-shipper contract for transportation.    The Transportation Intermediaries Association and United Fresh Produce Association have released a new joint broker-shipper contract for transportation. 
   The model contract is offered exclusively to TIA members. 
   “In today’s age, transportation contracts are a necessity,” said James Lee, vice president of legal affairs for Choptank Transport, in a statement. “As produce is an exempt commodity, and produce transportation is unregulated per se, the importance of United Fresh Produce Association and TIA coming together to create a fair and ethical model contract to be used by both shippers and logistics providers cannot be stressed enough.”
   In addition to the TIA-United Fresh Produce Association Broker-Shipper model agreement, TIA announced updated versions of the Co-broker, Broker-IMC, and Broker-Forwarder model agreements.
   “TIA model contracts help level the playing field for the contracting parties by eliminating over-reaching clauses commonly promoted by one side or the other while comprehensively covering all the critical contract elements,” said TIA Contracts Subcommittee Chairman Chip Smith, who is also chief operating officer for Bay and Bay Transportation.