CTL Exam Modules

The certification program includes four required modules as well as two elective modules. Candidates may complete the required modules in any order; however, the suggested sequence for the required modules is spelled out below. Moreover, the Board of Examiners strongly suggests that the four required modules be completed prior to the two elective modules.

Required modules

General Management Principles and Techniques (GMPT)
The General Management Principles and Techniques module promotes a fundamental understanding of four key business areas: accounting, finance, marketing, and information systems. This module stresses the application and use of these concepts in transportation and logistics management. Within this context, the objectives for the general management module include understanding:

  1. The interrelationships between general management concepts and the transportation/logistics function;
  2. Basic accounting concepts and elements, and the accountant¡¯s role in providing information to both internal and external users;
  3. Financial statements and comprehending the firm¡¯s financial positioning of assets, liabilities, and owners¡¯ equity within its business strategy;
  4. Accounting statements and developing additional data to support management decision-making;
  5. Financial ratios, cost of capital, inventory fundamentals, and strategies for managing the cash conversion cycle;
  6. How marketing contributes to improved performance in the marketplace;
  7. The critical role of marketing in organizations including organizational buying, demand forecasting, and marketing/distribution strategies for different stages of the product life cycle;
  8. How an information system is designed and its data requirements;
  9. The applications of information systems in areas such as electronic data interchange, artificial intelligence, and expert systems.

Transportation Economics and Management
The Transportation Economics and Management module has three primary areas of emphasis: (1) application of demand, cost, and pricing principles to transportation; (2) the operating, service and financial characteristics of the various modes and types of transportation; and (3) managerial issues in transportation.The objectives for the transportation economics and management module provide an understanding of:

  1. The relationship and cost trade-offs occurring between transportation and other logistics functions;
  2. How the operating and service characteristics of each mode affect cost, performance, and the products moved;
  3. The economic principles that provide a foundation for transportation costing and pricing;
  4. Shipper and carrier strategies employed to reduce costs and improve performance.

Logistics Management
¡°Logistics is that part of supply chain management that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and point of consumption in order to meet customers¡¯ requirements.¡± (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals) The Logistics Management module explores the different facets of this definition and has the following objectives:

  1. Understanding the functions comprising logistics, how these functions interact, and how logistics can be managed as a system to reduce total cost;
  2. Recognizing how logistics affects customer service, corporate performance and competitive advantage;
  3. Identifying the key logistics processes that span multiple enterprises and how managing logistics as a supply chain process creates values for the end-user and all key stakeholders;
  4. Developing effective strategies for logistics managers to improve corporate performance while simultaneously increasing customer service.

International Transportation and Logistics
The International Transportation and Logistics module provides the foundation required for understanding the logistics processes required in moving goods and people across international boundaries, the transportation modes used in such movement, and current logistics issues in the global environment. This module has the objectives of:

  1. Understanding the key differences between domestic and international logistics and how these differences affect logistics practice and performance;
  2. Developing and evaluating different strategies to effectively manage logistics processes on a global basis;
  3. Recognizing the role and importance played by the many key logistics intermediaries that facilitate global trade.

Elective modules
In addition to the four required modules, each candidate must select two elective modules fro the four elective modules that are described below.

Supply Chain Management
¡°Supply chain management is the integration of key business processes from end user through original suppliers that provides products, services, and information that add value for customers and other stakeholders.¡± (Global Supply Chain Forum). This CTL module explores the key processes comprising the supply chain and the strategies managers have employed to collaborate with trading partners to increase the value created and gain a competitive advantage. The specific objectives for this module include gaining an understanding of:

  1. The differences between logistics and supply chain management;
  2. The key processes comprising the supply chain and their interrelationships;
  3. The management components and their effect on supply chain management;
  4. The strategies, tactics, tools and techniques that have been demonstrated to be the most effective in implementing supply chain management.

Logistics and Supply Chain Strategy
The objectives of the logistics and supply chain strategy module include understanding the:

  1. Supply chain concept;
  2. Approaches employed to obtain a competitive advantage through supply chain management;
  3. Techniques employed to improve the performance and efficiency of supply chains;
  4. Effect of interdependent activities and firms on overall performance and behavior;
  5. Approaches for measuring performance in the supply chain;
  6. Strategies for managing the supply chain;
  7. Different inventory management approaches employed in the supply chain;
  8. An understanding of the trade-offs made in managing supply chain activities;
  9. Issues involved in managing supply chain processes;
  10. Role of logistics management and its effect on supply chain performance

Logistics Analysis
The Logistics Analysis module focuses on developing analytical skills and their application to transportation, logistics and supply chain management. The objectives for the Logistics Analysis module include:

  1. Understanding the techniques available for modeling logistics and supply chain systems;
  2. Analyzing logistics and supply chain systems by using several operations research techniques;
  3. Designing a supply chain network that achieves customer service or cost objectives;
  4. Forecasting and determining inventory requirements for dependent and independent inventory systems and across multiple echelons of supply;
  5. Simulating and optimizing network processes commonly encountered in logistics and supply chain management.

The Creative Component
Transportation and logistics professionals are increasingly called upon to communicate in a myriad of formal and informal ways. The evolving complexity of the field, the development of electronic information systems, technological innovations, and the development of different management structures and styles calls for creative communications skills. The Creative Component supports these requirements by:

  1. Exploring and examining an area of professional interest in-depth;
  2. Obtaining extensive knowledge in area related to the individual¡¯s professional field;
  3. Providing an opportunity to develop and display communications skills through either a formal research paper, an informal research project, or by analyzing a case;
  4. Applying analytical and communication skills in this area;
  5. Obtaining feedback and guidance from a leading academic in transportation and logistics.

The candidate must write an original, documented paper of 3,000 to 5,000 words in length on a special aspect of traffic, transportation, logistics or distribution management. Grading will be on a pass-fail basis. The candidate must submit the title and outline to be reviewed and approved by the Examiner. The subject should be one with which the candidate is familiar by virtue of employment, or one in which he/she is particularly interested or specifically qualified to write. A work-related case study would be a good choice for many candidates. It is recommended that the paper thoroughly cover a narrow subject, rather than superficially treat a "broad" one.

Masters or Doctoral Theses:
The Society will accept a copy of a candidate's thesis as a qualifying submission if it directly addresses a facet of transportation, logistics, or supply chain management. The candidate must submit the title and outline to be reviewed by the Examiner to substantiate that the paper directly relates to the thrust of AST&L research papers. Upon acceptance of the outline, the candidate then submits a copy of the actual thesis to AST&L.


Textbook Introduction: