The Center has worked with representatives of the transportation industry (carriers, freight-forwarders, insurers, shippers - large and small) to develop a uniform NAFTA bill of lading, as well as a set of best North American Standard Transportation Practice rules (NASTRAPS). These efforts led to the adoption by a number of trucking companies in Canada, the United States and Mexico of a uniform truck bill of lading, both paper-based and paperless. In addition, it led to the adoption by many of the same companies of the best practices rules (NASTRAPS). Following the initial adoption of the uniform truck bill of lading and NASTRAPS in 2001, the Center conducted in 2003 additional revisions to adapt the North American truck bill of lading to the specific conditions of transportation from and to United States / Mexico ports of entry, as well as United States / Canada ports of entry. This truck bill of lading would meet the administrative requirements of both nations and states, and it would also incorporate the best shipment and transportation practices embodied in NASTRAPS. It would be coordinated with the insurance industry so that there would be warehouse-to-warehouse coverage in road transportation in the designated region. It would also be coordinated with the customs authorities so that necessary information for customs purposes would be set forth in the uniform document. Finally, the relevant information would be coordinated with the financial industry so that the bill of lading could be used for purposes of financing the shipment. Work on revising the NASTRAPS is ongoing.

In 2006, the National Motor Freight Classification Committee adopted the NAFTA Bill of Lading.

In February 2000, the Center—as part of the U.S. Delegation headed by the U.S. Department of State—was named by the Organization of the American States to chair the drafting group for transportation topics in the framework of the Sixth Specialized Inter-American Conference on Private International Law (CIDIP-VI). This effort culminated in the adoption by CIDIP-VI of a uniform Inter-American through bill of lading for land transportation in February 2002.