International transport of forest products demands integrated efforts of many disciplines. Foresters, mill managers, chemical and clay producers, traffic and logistics managers, must all talk to and work with rail and trucking representatives, marine transporters, stevedores, port and terminal operators, and manufacturers of handling equipment.

Each individual represents a highly skill discipline, yet each must know more than a little about every other discipline for all to work together as a whole.

Interdisciplinary teamwork, the spirit of freely sharing knowledge and experience, has long been a hallmark of our industry.

IFPTA seeks to establish a permanent framework to ensure continued vitality, within which experience and information can be shared in a professional and timely manner. We can only foresee that our respective disciplines will each grow more specialized, demanding ever more efficient coordination to keep us all working together effectively.