British Shippers' Council

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Background The British Shippers' Council is a strategic policy making arm of FTA. Its members comprise industry representatives from a cross section of businesses who require international freight transport, logistics, distribution and shipping services. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is a leading UK trade association and serves industry as users of transport & distribution services by all modes. FTA's 11,500 member companies represent all sectors of UK industry and consign 70% of UK visible exports, 90% of all freight moved by rail and also operate nearly half of the UK fleet of commercial vehicles. Our Strength At the heart of FTA is its unrivalled knowledge of transport and distribution, shared between 360 staff operating out of five UK offices and Brussels. This knowledge resource is delivered through local, national and European representation together with a comprehensive range of commercial services. Our Objectives FTA's membership is a broad church of mostly freight service providers (primarily road freight) and users of freight services (i.e. shippers). The British Shippers' Council has traditionally focussed most of its attention and activities on the maritime and air freight services and on trade facilitation through customs and documentation. Policies are made which aim to provide the right conditions in which industry is able to take advantage of a wide range of competitive and efficient services. Such services would enable them to enhance rather than hinder their global supply chains and promote the competitiveness of their products in overseas markets. FTA's Rail Freight Council is a forum of both users and operators and UK track infrastructure owners - all of whom are FTA members. This Council is FTA's principal strategic policy making body for matters to do with rail freight, both domestic and European. Together with FTA's Road Freight Council, largely comprising freight vehicle operators, FTA seek to promote developments in the freight industry which benefit industry and make their supply chains more efficient.