The American Society of Transportation & Logistics (AST&L), founded in 1946, is one of the earliest and most authoritative professional organizations in the fields of transportation and logistics. AST&L's mission is to develop, promote, and maintain high-level knowledge and career training; shape the professional ethics of the industry; serve the interests of members’ careers; provide information and guide in respect of transportation, logistics, and physical distribution management; and enhance education for members to make contributions to the logistics & transportation industries. To fulfill the above goals, the Society has employed a variety of approaches, such as designing and implementing multiple exams, disseminating information to improve status of the occupation, and developing assorted educational courses used by practitioners. AST&L's membership includes over 1,000 shippers, carriers, educators, and intermediary agencies that are dedicated to continuing training and are committed to raising the professional standards.

The CTL (Certified in Transportation and Logistics) Certification Program, the world’s earliest certification in the fields, was launched by AST&L in December 1948 to provide substantial measures of professional attainment. In U.S. and Canada, the CTL certificate is thought as a testimonial of the bearer’s knowledge and expertise in logistics, transportation, communications, distribution, and material supplies management. Additionally, many multinationals and industrial employers use CTL certification as a criterion in recruiting logistics management and related professionals.

The AST&L certification framework comprises 6 integral components to be evaluated, corresponding to the exam parts General Management Principles and Techniques, Transportations Economics and Management, Logistics System Management, International Transport and Logistics, Logistics and Supply Chain Strategies, and Supply Chain Management.
A student who has survived all examinations within the 5 years starting from the year when the first component is passed becomes qualified to receive a CTL certificate awarded by AST&L. Like professional certifications in other fields as accounting, insurance, medical treatment, and laws etc., CTL, both the full spelling and initials, can be a designation printed on business cards and the like.

The CTL certification is recognized widely in dozens of countries throughout the world, with about 40,000 CTL students and 20,000 members in total.

Career prospect of a certified professional
      

An increasing number of multinationals and industrial employers, such as CASIO, look at CTL certification as a criterion to single out personnel for intermediate & senior logistics management as well as other related positions, including General Manager, Logistics Operation Director, Operation Manager in Logistics, General Manger of Logistics Dept, etc.