Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC)

A Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) is an alphabetic code used to uniquely identify a transportation carrier, including the railroads and other companies that own rail equipment. On the railroad it serves as a car's reporting identity and is also known as road marks, reporting marks, or the equipment initial.

Purpose

The SCAC gives each carrier a short, standardized set of letters that can stand in for the company's full name in records, documents, and on the equipment itself. Combined with a car number, the code forms a car's unique equipment ID, so that any car can be identified throughout North America regardless of whose tracks it is on. The code is alphabetic and short, generally a few letters in length.

Where It Is Used

SCACs appear in interline waybills, electronic data interchange, car-tracking systems, and the billing that flows between carriers. When a car moves in interchange, the SCAC identifies its owner and routes any repair charges through Car Repair Billing to the correct party. The codes are administered by a central authority so that no two carriers share the same set of letters.

Note: this entry defines the SCAC qualitatively. The exact number of letters and the specific issuing authority are stated in general terms here rather than with precise figures, to avoid asserting a detail that is not verified.