Prepared
By The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
OMB No. 2126-0025.
Furnished by Your Mover, as Required by Federal Law.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 13301, 13704, 13707, and 14104; 49 CFR 1.73.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS PAMPHLET?
In this pamphlet, you will find a discussion of each of
these topics:
SUBPART A - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
SUBPART B - BEFORE REQUESTING SERVICES FROM ANY MOVER
SUBPART C - SERVICE OPTIONS PROVIDED
SUBPART D - ESTIMATING CHARGES
SUBPART E - PICKUP OF MY SHIPMENT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS
SUBPART F - TRANSPORTATION OF MY SHIPMENT
SUBPART G - DELIVERY OF MY SHIPMENT
SUBPART H - COLLECTION OF CHARGES
SUBPART I - RESOLVING DISPUTES WITH MY MOVER
WHY WAS I GIVEN THIS PAMPHLET?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA)
regulations protect consumers on interstate moves and define
the rights and responsibilities of consumers and household
goods carriers.
The household goods carrier (mover) gave you this booklet
to provide information about your rights and responsibilities
as an individual shipper of household goods. Your primary
responsibility is to select a reputable household goods
carrier, ensure that you understand the terms and conditions
of the contract, and understand and pursue the remedies
that are available to you in case problems arise. You should
talk to your mover if you have further questions. The mover
will also furnish you with additional written information
describing its procedure for handling your questions and
complaints. The additional written information will include
a telephone number you can call to obtain additional information
about your move.
WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS I SHOULD REMEMBER
FROM THIS PAMPHLET?
- Movers must give written estimates.
- Movers may give binding estimates.
- Non-binding estimates are not always accurate;
actual charges may exceed the estimate.
- If your mover provides you (or someone representing
you) with any partially complete document for
your signature, you should verify the document
is as complete as possible before signing it.
Make sure the document contains all relevant
shipping information, except the actual shipment
weight and any other information necessary to
determine the final charges for all services
performed.
- You may request from your mover the availability of guaranteed
pickup and delivery dates.
- Be sure you understand the mover's responsibility
for loss or damage, and request an explanation
of the difference between valuation and actual
insurance.
- You have the right to be present each time your shipment
is weighed.
- You may request a reweigh of your shipment.
- If you agree to move under a non-binding estimate,
you should confirm with your mover - in writing
- the method of payment at delivery as cash,
certified check, cashier's check, money order,
or credit card.
- Movers must offer a dispute settlement program
as an alternative means of settling loss or damage
claims. ASK YOUR MOVER FOR DETAILS.
- You should ask the person you speak to whether
he or she works for the actual mover or a household
goods broker. A household goods broker only arranges
for the transportation. A household goods broker
must not represent itself as a mover. A household
goods broker does not own trucks of its own.
The broker is required to find an authorized
mover to provide the transportation. You should
know that a household goods broker generally
has no authority to provide you an estimate on
behalf of a specific mover. If a household goods
broker provides you an estimate, it may not be
binding on the actual mover and you may have
to pay the actual charges the mover incurs. A
household goods broker is not responsible for
loss or damage.
- You may request complaint information about
movers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration under the Freedom of Information
Act. You may be assessed a fee to obtain this
information. See 49 CFR Part 7 for the schedule
of fees.
- You should seek estimates from at least three
different movers. You should not disclose any
information to the different movers about their
competitors, as it may affect the accuracy of
their estimates.
WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
If this pamphlet does not answer all of your questions
about your move, do not hesitate to ask your mover's representative
who handled the arrangements for your move, the driver
who transports your shipment, or the mover's main office
for additional information.
SUBPART A - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
The primary responsibility for your protection lies with
you in selecting a reputable household goods carrier, ensuring
you understand the terms and conditions of your contract
with your mover, and understanding and pursuing the remedies
that are available to you in case problems arise.
Who must follow the regulations?
The regulations inform motor carriers engaged in the interstate
transportation of household goods (movers) what standards
they must follow when offering services to you. You, an
individual shipper, are not directly subject to the regulations.
However, your mover may be required by the regulations
to force you to pay on time. The regulations only apply
to your mover when the mover transports your household
goods by motor vehicle in interstate commerce - that is,
when you are moving from one State to another. The regulations
do not apply when your interstate move takes place within
a single commercial zone. A commercial zone is roughly
equivalent to the local metropolitan area of a city or
town. For example, a move between Brooklyn, NY, and Hackensack,
NJ, would be considered to be within the New York City
commercial zone and would not be subject to these regulations.
Commercial zones are defined in 49 CFR part 372.
What definitions are used in this pamphlet?
ACCESSORIAL (ADDITIONAL) SERVICES - These are services
such as packing, appliance servicing, unpacking, or piano
stair carries that you request to be performed (or that
are necessary because of landlord requirements or other
special circumstances). Charges for these services may
be in addition to the line haul charges.
ADVANCED CHARGES - These are charges for services
performed by someone other than the mover. A professional,
craftsman, or other third party may perform these services
at your request. The mover pays for these services and
adds the charges to your bill of lading charges.
ADVERTISEMENT - This is any communication to the
public in connection with an offer or sale of any interstate
household goods transportation service. This will include
written or electronic database listings of your mover's
name, address, and telephone number in an on-line database.
This excludes listings of your mover's name, address, and
telephone number in a telephone directory or similar publication.
However, Yellow Pages advertising is included within the
definition.
AGENT - A local moving company authorized to act
on behalf of a larger, national company.
APPLIANCE SERVICE BY THIRD PARTY - The preparation
of major electrical appliances to make them safe for shipment.
Charges for these services may be in addition to the line
haul charges.
BILL OF LADING - The receipt for your goods and
the contract for their transportation.
CARRIER - The mover transporting your household
goods.
CASH ON DELIVERY (COD) - This means payment is
required at the time of delivery at the destination residence
(or warehouse).
CERTIFIED SCALE - Any scale designed for weighing
motor vehicles, including trailers or semitrailers not
attached to a tractor, and certified by an authorized scale
inspection and licensing authority. A certified scale may
also be a platform or warehouse type scale that is properly
inspected and certified.
ESTIMATE, BINDING - This is an agreement made in
advance with your mover. It guarantees the total cost of
the move based upon the quantities and services shown on
the estimate.
ESTIMATE, NON-BINDING - This is what your mover
believes the cost will be, based upon the estimated weight
of the shipment and the accessorial services requested.
A non-binding estimate is not binding on the mover. The
final charges will be based upon the actual weight of your
shipment, the services provided, and the tariff provisions
in effect.
EXPEDITED SERVICE - This is an agreement with the
mover to perform transportation by a set date in exchange
for charges based upon a higher minimum weight.
FLIGHT CHARGE - A charge for carrying items up
or down flights of stairs. Charges for these services may
be in addition to the line haul charges.
GUARANTEED PICKUP AND DELIVERY SERVICE - An additional
level of service featuring guaranteed dates of service.
Your mover will provide reimbursement to you for delays.
This premium service is often subject to minimum weight
requirements.
HIGH VALUE ARTICLE - These are items included in
a shipment valued at more than $100 per pound ($220 per
kilogram).
HOUSEHOLD GOODS, as used in connection with transportation,
means the personal effects or property used, or to be used,
in a dwelling, when part of the equipment or supplies of
the dwelling. Transportation of the household goods must
be arranged and paid for by you or by another individual
on your behalf. This may include items moving from a factory
or store when you purchase them to use in your dwelling.
You must request that these items be transported, and you
(or another individual on your behalf) must pay the transportation
charges to the mover.
INVENTORY - The detailed descriptive list of your
household goods showing the number and condition of each
item.
LINE HAUL CHARGES - The charges for the vehicle
transportation portion of your move. These charges, if
separately stated, apply in addition to the accessorial
service charges.
LONG CARRY - A charge for carrying articles excessive
distances between the mover's vehicle and your residence.
Charges for these services may be in addition to the line
haul charges.
MAY - An option. You or your mover may do something,
but it is not a requirement.
MOVER - A motor carrier engaged in the transportation
of household goods and its household goods agents.
MUST - A legal obligation. You or your mover must
do something.
ORDER FOR SERVICE - The document authorizing the
mover to transport your household goods.
ORDER (BILL OF LADING) NUMBER - The number used
to identify and track your shipment.
PEAK SEASON RATES - Higher line haul charges applicable
during the summer months.
PICKUP AND DELIVERY CHARGES - Separate transportation
charges applicable for transporting your shipment between
the storage-in-transit warehouse and your residence.
REASONABLE DISPATCH - The performance of transportation
on the dates, or during the period of time, agreed upon
by you and your mover and shown on the Order for Service/Bill
of Lading. For example, if your mover deliberately withholds
any shipment from delivery after you offer to pay the binding
estimate or 110 percent of a non-binding estimate, your
mover has not transported the goods with reasonable dispatch.
The term "reasonable dispatch" excludes transportation
provided under your mover's tariff provisions requiring
guaranteed service dates. Your mover will have the defense
of force majeure, i.e., that the contract cannot be performed
owing to causes that are outside the control of the parties
and that could not be avoided by exercise of due care.
SHOULD - A recommendation. We recommend you or
your mover do something, but it is not a requirement.
SHUTTLE SERVICE - The use of a smaller vehicle
to provide service to residences not accessible to the
mover's normal line haul vehicles.
STORAGE-IN-TRANSIT (SIT) - The temporary warehouse
storage of your shipment pending further transportation,
with or without notification to you. If you (or someone
representing you) cannot accept delivery on the agreed-upon
date or within the agreed-upon time period (for example,
because your home is not quite ready to occupy), your mover
may place your shipment into SIT without notifying you.
In those circumstances, you will be responsible for the
added charges for SIT service, as well as the warehouse
handling and final delivery charges.
However, your mover also may place your shipment
into SIT if your mover was able to make delivery before
the agreed-upon date (or before the first day of the agreed-upon
delivery period), but you did not concur with early delivery.
In those circumstances, your mover must notify you immediately
of the SIT, and your mover is fully responsible for redelivery
charges, handling charges, and storage charges.
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD - An agency within
the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates household
goods carrier tariffs, among other responsibilities. The
Surface Transportation Board's address is 1925 K Street
NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001 Tele. 202-565-1674.
TARIFF - An issuance (in whole or in part) containing
rates, rules, regulations, classifications, or other provisions.
The Surface Transportation Board requires that a tariff
contain three specific items. First, an accurate description
of the services the mover offers to the public. Second,
the specific applicable rates (or the basis for calculating
the specific applicable rates) and service terms for services
offered to the public. Third, the mover's tariff must be
arranged in a way that allows you to determine the exact
rate(s) and service terms applicable to your shipment.
VALUATION - The degree of worth of the shipment.
The valuation charge compensates the mover for assuming
a greater degree of liability than is provided for in its
base transportation charges.
WAREHOUSE HANDLING - A charge may be applicable
each time SIT service is provided. Charges for these services
may be in addition to the line haul charges. This charge
compensates the mover for the physical placement and removal
of items within the warehouse.
WE, US, and OUR - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA).
YOU and YOUR - You are an individual shipper of
household goods. You are a consignor or consignee of a
household goods shipment and your mover identifies you
as such in the bill of lading contract. You own the goods
being transported and pay the transportation charges to
the mover.
Where may other terms used in this pamphlet be defined?
You may find other terms used in this pamphlet defined
in 49 U.S.C. 13102. The statute controls the definitions
in this pamphlet. If terms are used in this pamphlet and
the terms are defined neither here nor in 49 U.S.C. 13102,
the terms will have the ordinary practical meaning of such
terms.
SUBPART B - BEFORE REQUESTING SERVICES FROM ANY MOVER
What is my mover's normal liability for loss or damage
when my mover accepts goods from me?
In general, your mover is legally liable for loss or damage
that occurs during performance of any transportation of
household goods and of all related services identified
on your mover's lawful bill of lading.
Your mover is liable for loss of, or damage to, any household
goods to the extent provided in the current Surface Transportation
Board's Released Rates Order. You may obtain a copy of
the current Released Rates Order by contacting the Surface
Transportation Board at the address provided under the
definition of the Surface Transportation Board. The rate
may be increased annually by your mover based on the U.S.
Department of Commerce's Cost of Living Adjustment. Your
mover may have additional liability if your mover sells
liability insurance to you.
All moving companies are required to assume liability
for the value of the goods transported. However, there
are different levels of liability, and you should be aware
of the amount of protection provided and the charges for
each option.
Basically, most movers offer two different levels of liability
(options 1 and two below) under the terms of their tariffs
and the Surface Transportation Board's Released Rates Orders.
These orders govern the moving industry.
OPTION 1: RELEASED VALUE
This is the most economical protection option available.
This no-additional-cost option provides minimal protection.
Under this option, the mover assumes liability for no more
than 60 cents per pound ($1.32 cents per kilogram), per
article. Loss or damage claims are settled based upon the
pound (kilogram) weight of the article multiplied by 60
cents per pound ($1.32 cents per kilogram). For example,
if your mover lost or destroyed a 10-pound (4.54-kilogram)
stereo component valued at $1,000, your mover would be
liable for no more than $6.00. Obviously, you should think
carefully before agreeing to such an arrangement. There
is no extra charge for this minimal protection, but you
must sign a specific statement on the bill of lading agreeing
to it.
OPTION 2: FULL VALUE PROTECTION (FVP)
Under this option, the mover is liable for the replacement
value of lost or damaged goods (as long as it doesn't exceed
the total declared value of the shipment). If you elect
to purchase full value protection, and your mover loses,
damages or destroys your articles, your mover must repair,
replace with like items, or settle in cash at the current
market replacement value, regardless of the age of the
lost or damaged item. The minimum declared value of a shipment
under this option is $5,000 or $4.00 times the actual total
weight (in pounds) of the shipment, whichever is greater.
For example, the minimum declared value for a 4,000-pound
(1,814.4-kilogram) shipment would be $16,000. Your mover
may offer you FVP with a $250 or $500 deductible, or with
no deductible at all. The amount of the deductible will
affect the cost of your FVP coverage. The $4.00 per pound
minimum valuation rate may be increased annually by your
mover based on changes in the household furnishings element
of the Consumer Price Index established by the U.S. Department
of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unless you specifically agree to other arrangements, the
mover must assume liability for the entire shipment based
upon this option. The approximate cost for FVP is $8.50
for each $1,000 of declared value; however, it may vary
by mover. In the example above, the valuation charge for
a shipment valued at $16,000 would be $136.00. As noted
above, this fee may be adjusted annually by your mover
based on changes in the household furnishings element of
the Consumer Price Index.
Under both of these liability options, movers are permitted
to limit their liability for loss or damage to articles
of extraordinary value, unless you specifically list these
articles on the shipping documents. An article of extraordinary
value is any item whose value exceeds $100 per pound ($220
per kilogram). Ask your mover for a complete explanation
of this limitation before your move. It is your responsibility
to study this provision carefully and make the necessary
declaration.
These optional levels of liability are not insurance agreements
governed by State insurance laws, but instead are authorized
under Released Rates Orders of the Surface Transportation
Board of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In addition to these options, some movers may also offer
to sell, or procure for you, separate liability insurance
from a third-party insurance company when you release your
shipment for transportation at the minimum released value
of 60 cents per pound ($1.32 per kilogram) per article
(option 1). This is not valuation coverage governed by
Federal law, but optional insurance regulated under State
law. If you purchase this separate coverage and your mover
is responsible for loss or damage, the mover is liable
only for an amount not exceeding 60 cents per pound ($1.32
per kilogram) per article, and the balance of the loss
is recoverable from the insurance company up to the amount
of insurance purchased. The mover's representative can
advise you of the availability of such liability insurance,
and the cost.
If you purchase liability insurance from or through your
mover, the mover is required to issue a policy or other
written record of the purchase and to provide you with
a copy of the policy or other document at the time of purchase.
If the mover fails to comply with this requirement, the
mover becomes fully liable for any claim for loss or damage
attributed to its negligence.
What actions by me limit or reduce my mover's normal
liability?
Your actions may limit or reduce your mover's normal liability
under the following three circumstances:
- You include perishable, dangerous, or hazardous materials
in your household goods without your mover's knowledge.
- You choose liability option 1 but ship household
goods valued at more than 60 cents per pound
($1.32 per kilogram) per article.
- You fail to notify your mover in writing of
articles valued at more than $100 per pound ($220
per kilogram). (If you do notify your mover,
you will be entitled to full recovery up to the
declared value of the article or articles, not
to exceed the declared value of the entire shipment.)
What are dangerous or hazardous materials that may
limit or reduce my mover's normal liability?
Federal law forbids you to ship hazardous materials in
your household goods boxes or luggage without informing
your mover. A violation can result in five years' imprisonment
and penalties of $250,000 or more (49 U.S.C. 5124). You
could also lose or damage your household goods by fire,
explosion, or contamination.
If you offer hazardous materials to your mover, you are
considered a hazardous materials shipper and must comply
with the hazardous materials requirements in 49 CFR parts
171, 172, and 173, including but not limited to package
labeling and marking, shipping papers, and emergency response
information. Your mover must comply with 49 CFR parts 171,
172, 173, and 177 as a hazardous materials carrier.
Hazardous materials include explosives, compressed gases,
flammable liquids and solids, oxidizers, poisons, corrosives,
and radioactive materials. Examples: Nail polish remover,
paints, paint thinners, lighter fluid, gasoline, fireworks,
oxygen bottles, propane cylinders, automotive repair and
maintenance chemicals, and radio-pharmaceuticals.
There are special exceptions for small quantities (up
to 70 ounces total) of medicinal and toilet articles carried
in your household goods and certain smoking materials carried
on your person. For further information, contact your mover.
May my mover have agents?
Yes, your mover may have agents. If your mover has agents,
your mover must have written agreements with its prime
agents. Your mover and its retained prime agent must sign
their agreements. Copies of your mover's prime agent agreements
must be in your mover's files for a period of at least
24 months following the date of termination of each agreement.
What items must be in my mover's advertisements?
Your mover must publish and use only truthful, straightforward,
and honest advertisements. Your mover must include certain
information in all advertisements for all services (including
any accessorial services incidental to or part of interstate
transportation). Your mover must require each of its agents
to include the same information in its advertisements.
The information must include the following two pieces of
information about your mover:
- Name or trade name of the mover under whose USDOT number
the advertised service will originate.
- USDOT number, assigned by FMCSA, authorizing
your mover to operate. Your mover must display
the information as: USDOT No. (assigned number).
You should compare the name or trade name of the mover
and its USDOT number to the name and USDOT number on the
sides of the truck(s) that arrive at your residence. The
names and numbers should be identical. If the names and
numbers are not identical, you should ask your mover immediately
why they are not. You should not allow the mover to load
your household goods on its truck(s) until you obtain a
satisfactory response from the mover's local agent. The
discrepancies may warn of problems you will have later
in your business dealings with this mover.
How must my mover handle complaints and inquiries?
All movers are expected to respond promptly to complaints
or inquiries from you, the customer. Should you have a
complaint or question about your move, you should first
attempt to obtain a satisfactory response from the mover's
local agent, the sales representative who handled the arrangements
for your move, or the driver assigned to your shipment.
If for any reason you are unable to obtain a satisfactory
response from one of these persons, you should then contact
the mover's principal office. When you make such a call,
be sure to have available your copies of all documents
relating to your move. Particularly important is the number
assigned to your shipment by your mover.
Interstate movers are also required to offer neutral arbitration
as a means of resolving consumer loss or damage disputes
involving loss of or damage to household goods. Your mover
is required to provide you with information regarding its
arbitration program. You have the right to pursue court
action under 49 U.S.C. 14706 to seek judicial redress directly
rather than participate in your mover's arbitration program.
All interstate moving companies are required to maintain
a complaint and inquiry procedure to assist their customers.
At the time you make the arrangements for your move, you
should ask the mover's representative for a description
of the mover's procedure, the telephone number to be used
to contact the mover, and whether the mover will pay for
such telephone calls. Your mover's procedure must include
the following four things:
- A communications system allowing you to communicate
with your mover's principal place of business by telephone.
- A telephone number.
- A clear and concise statement about who must
pay for complaint and inquiry telephone calls.
- A written or electronic record system for recording
all inquiries and complaints received from you
by any means of communication.
Your mover must give you a clear and concise written description
of its procedure. You may want to be certain that the system
is in place.
Do I have the right to inspect my mover's tariffs (schedules
of charges) applicable to my move?
Federal law requires your mover to advise you of your
right to inspect your mover's tariffs (its schedules of
rates or charges) governing your shipment. Movers' tariffs
are made a part of the contract of carriage (bill of lading)
between you and the mover. You may inspect the tariff at
the mover's facility, or, upon request, the mover will
furnish you a free copy of any tariff provision containing
the mover's rates, rules, or charges governing your shipment.
Tariffs may include provisions limiting the mover's liability.
This would generally be described in a section on declaring
value on the bill of lading. A second tariff provision
may set the periods for filing claims. This would generally
be described in Section 6 on the reverse side of a bill
of lading. A third tariff provision may reserve your mover's
right to assess additional charges for additional services
performed. For non-binding estimates, another tariff provision
may base charges upon the exact weight of the goods transported.
Your mover's tariff may contain other provisions that apply
to your move. Ask your mover what they might be, and request
a copy.
Must my mover have an arbitration program?
Your mover must have an arbitration program for your use
in resolving disputes concerning loss or damage to your
household goods. You have the right not to participate
in the arbitration program. You may pursue court action
under 49 U.S.C. 14706 to seek judicial remedies directly.
Your mover must establish and maintain an arbitration program
with the following 11 minimum elements:
- The arbitration program offered to you must prevent
your mover from having any special advantage because
you live or work in a place distant from the mover's
principal or other place of business.
- Before your household goods are tendered for
transport, your mover must provide notice to
you of the availability of neutral arbitration,
including the following three things:
- A summary of the arbitration procedure.
- Any applicable costs.
- A disclosure of the legal effects
of electing to use arbitration.
- Upon your request, your mover must provide
information and forms it considers necessary
for initiating an action to resolve a dispute
under arbitration.
- Each person authorized to arbitrate must be
independent of the parties to the dispute and
capable of resolving such disputes fairly and
expeditiously. Your mover must ensure the arbitrator
is authorized and able to obtain from you or
your mover any material or relevant information
to carry out a fair and expeditious decision-making
process.
- You must not be required to pay more than one-half
of the arbitration's cost. The arbitrator may
determine the percentage of payment of the costs
for each party in the arbitration decision, but
must not make you pay more than half.
- Your mover must not require you to agree to
use arbitration before a dispute arises.
- You will be bound by arbitration for claims
of $5,000 or less if you request arbitration.
- You will be bound by arbitration for claims
of more than $5,000 only if you request arbitration
and your mover agrees to it.
- If you and your mover both agree, the arbitrator
may provide for an oral presentation of a dispute
by a party or representative of a party.
- The arbitrator must render a decision within
60 days of receipt of written notification of
the dispute, and a decision by an arbitrator
may include any remedies appropriate under the
circumstances.
- The 60-day period may be extended for a reasonable
period if you fail, or your mover fails, to provide
information in a timely manner.
Your mover must produce and distribute a concise, easy-to-read,
accurate summary of its arbitration program.
Must my mover inform me about my rights and responsibilities
under Federal law?
Yes, your mover must inform you about your rights and
responsibilities under Federal law. Your mover must produce
and distribute this document. It should be in the general
order and contain the text of appendix A to 49 CFR Part
375.
What other information must my mover provide me?
Before your mover executes an order for service for a
shipment of household goods, your mover must furnish you
with the following four documents:
- The contents of appendix A, "Your Rights and Responsibilities
When You Move" - this pamphlet.
- A concise, easy-to-read, accurate summary of
your mover's arbitration program.
- A notice of availability of the applicable
sections of your mover's tariff for the estimate
of charges, including an explanation that you
may examine the tariff sections or have copies
sent to you upon request.
- A concise, easy-to-read, accurate summary of
your mover's customer complaint and inquiry handling
procedures. Included in this summary must be
the following two items:
- The main telephone number you may use
to communicate with your mover.
- A clear and concise statement
concerning who must pay for telephone
calls.
Your mover may, at its discretion, provide additional
information to you.
How must my mover collect charges?
Your mover must issue you an honest, truthful freight
or expense bill for each shipment transported. Your mover's
freight or expense bill must contain the following 19 items:
- Name of the consignor.
- Name of the consignees.
- Date of the shipment.
- Origin point.
- Destination points.
- Number of packages.
- Description of the freight.
- Weight of the freight (if applicable to the
rating of the freight).
- The volume of the freight (if applicable to
the rating of the freight).
- The measurement of the freight (if applicable
to the rating of the freight).
- Exact rate(s) assessed.
- Disclosure of the actual rates, charges, and
allowances for the transportation service, when
your mover electronically presents or transmits
freight or expense bills to you. These rates
must be in accordance with the mover's applicable
tariff.
- An indication of whether adjustments may apply
to the bill.
- Total charges due and acceptable methods of
payment.
- The nature and amount of any special service
charges.
- The points where special services were rendered.
- Route of movement and name of each mover participating
in the transportation.
- Transfer points where shipments moved.
- Address where you must pay or address of bill
issuer's principal place of business.
Your mover must present its freight or expense bill to
you within 15 days of the date of delivery of a shipment
at its destination. The computation of time excludes Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays. (Bills for charges exceeding
110 percent of a non-binding estimate, and for additional
services requested or found necessary after the shipment
is in transit, will be presented no sooner than 30 days
after the date of delivery.)
If your mover lacks sufficient information to compute
its charges, your mover must present its freight bill for
payment within 15 days of the date when sufficient information
does become available.
May my mover collect charges upon delivery?
Yes. Your mover must specify the form of payment acceptable
at delivery when the mover prepares an estimate and order
for service. The mover and its agents must honor the form
of payment at delivery, except when you mutually agree
to a change in writing. The mover must also specify the
same form of payment when it prepares your bill of lading,
unless you agree to a change. See also "May my mover accept
charge or credit cards for my payments?"
You must be prepared to pay 10 percent more than the estimated
amount, if your goods are moving under a non-binding estimate.
Every collect-on-delivery shipper must have available 110
percent of the estimate at the time of delivery.
May my mover extend credit to me?
Extending credit to you is not the same as accepting your
charge or credit card(s) as payment. Your mover may extend
credit to you in the amount of the tariff charges. If your
mover extends credit to you, your mover becomes like a
bank offering you a line of credit, whose size and interest
rate are determined by your ability to pay its tariff charges
within the credit period. Your mover must ensure you will
pay its tariff charges within the credit period. Your mover
may relinquish possession of freight before you pay its
tariff charges, at its discretion.
The credit period must begin on the day following presentation
of your mover's freight bill to you. Under Federal regulation,
the standard credit period is 7 days, excluding Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays. Your mover must also extend
the credit period to a total of 30 calendar days if the
freight bill is not paid within the 7-day period. A service
charge equal to one percent of the amount of the freight
bill, subject to a $20 minimum, will be assessed for this
extension and for each additional 30-day period the charges
go unpaid.
Your failure to pay within the credit period will require
your mover to determine whether you will comply with the
Federal household goods transportation credit regulations
in good faith in the future before extending credit again.
May my mover accept charge or credit cards for my payments?
Your mover may allow you to use a charge or credit card
for payment of the freight charges. Your mover may accept
charge or credit cards whenever you ship with it under
an agreement and tariff requiring payment by cash or cash
equivalents. Cash equivalents are a certified check, money
order, or cashier's check (a check that a financial institution
- bank, credit union, savings and loan - draws upon itself
and that is signed by an officer of the financial institution).
If your mover allows you to pay for a freight or expense
bill by charge or credit card, your mover deems such a
payment to be equivalent to payment by cash, certified
check, or cashier's check. It must note in writing on the
order for service and the bill of lading whether you may
pay for the transportation and related services using a
charge or credit card. You should ask your mover at the
time the estimate is written whether it will accept charge
or credit cards at delivery.
The mover must specify what charge or credit cards it
will accept, such as American Express, Discover, MasterCard,
or Visa. If your mover agrees to accept payment by charge
or credit card, you must arrange with your mover for the
delivery only at a time when your mover can obtain authorization
for your credit card transaction.
If you cause a charge or credit card issuer to reverse
a transaction, your mover may consider your action tantamount
to forcing your mover to provide an involuntary extension
of its credit.
SUBPART C - SERVICE OPTIONS PROVIDED
What service options may my mover provide?
Your mover may provide any service options it chooses.
It is customary for movers to offer several price and service
options.
The total cost of your move may increase if you want additional
or special services. Before you agree to have your shipment
moved under a bill of lading providing special service,
you should have a clear understanding with your mover of
what the additional cost will be. You should always consider
whether other movers may provide the services you require
without requiring you to pay the additional charges.
One service option is a SPACE RESERVATION. If you agree
to have your shipment transported under a space reservation
agreement, you will pay for a minimum number of cubic feet
of space in the moving van regardless of how much space
in the van your shipment actually occupies.
A second option is EXPEDITED SERVICE. This aids you if
you must have your shipments transported on or between
specific dates when the mover could not ordinarily agree
to do so in its normal operations.
A third customary service option is EXCLUSIVE USE OF A
VEHICLE. If for any reason you desire or require that your
shipment be moved by itself on the mover's truck or trailer,
most movers will provide such service.
Another service option is GUARANTEED SERVICE ON OR BETWEEN
AGREED DATES. You enter into an agreement with the mover
where the mover provides for your shipment to be picked
up, transported to destination, and delivered on specific
guaranteed dates. If the mover fails to provide the service
as agreed, you are entitled to be compensated at a predetermined
amount or a daily rate (per diem) regardless of the expense
you might actually have incurred as a result of the mover's
failure to perform.
Before requesting or agreeing to any of these price and
service options, be sure to ask the mover's representatives
about the final costs you will pay.
TRANSPORT OF SHIPMENTS ON TWO OR MORE VEHICLES
Although all movers try to move each shipment on one truck,
it becomes necessary, at times, to divide a shipment among
two or more trucks. This may occur if your mover has underestimated
the cubic feet (meters) of space required for your shipment
and it will not all fit on the first truck. Your mover
will pick up the remainder, or "leave behind," on a second
truck at a later time, and this part of your shipment may
arrive at the destination later than the first truck. When
this occurs, your transportation charges will be determined
as if the entire shipment had moved on one truck.
If it is important for you to avoid this inconvenience
of a "leave behind," be sure your estimate includes an
accurate calculation of the cubic feet (meters) required
for your shipment. Ask your estimator to use a "Table of
Measurements" form in making this calculation. Consider
asking for a binding estimate. A binding estimate is more
likely to be conservative with regard to cubic feet (meters)
than a non-binding estimate. If the mover offers space
reservation service, consider purchasing this service for
the necessary amount of space plus some margin for error.
In any case, you would be prudent to "prioritize" your
goods in advance of the move so the driver will load the
more essential items on the first truck if some are left
behind.
If my mover sells liability insurance coverage, what
must my mover do?
If your mover provides the service of selling additional
liability insurance, your mover must follow certain regulations.
Your mover, its employees, or its agents, may sell, offer
to sell, or procure additional liability insurance coverage
for you for loss or damage to your shipment if you release
the shipment for transportation at a value not exceeding
60 cents per pound ($1.32 per kilogram) per article.
Your mover may offer, sell, or procure any type of insurance
policy covering loss or damage in excess of its specified
liability.
Your mover must issue you a policy or other appropriate
evidence of the insurance you purchased. Your mover must
provide a copy of the policy or other appropriate evidence
to you at the time your mover sells or procures the insurance.
Your mover must issue policies written in plain English.
Your mover must clearly specify the nature and extent
of coverage under the policy. Your mover's failure to issue
you a policy, or other appropriate evidence of insurance
you purchased, will subject your mover to full liability
for any claims to recover loss or damage attributed to
it.
Your mover's tariff must provide for liability insurance
coverage. The tariff must also provide for the base transportation
charge, including its assumption of full liability for
the value of the shipment. This would offer you a degree
of protection in the event your mover fails to issue you
a policy or other appropriate evidence of insurance at
the time of purchase.
SUBPART D - ESTIMATING CHARGES
Must my mover estimate the transportation and accessorial
charges for my move?
We require your mover to prepare a written estimate on
every shipment transported for you. You are entitled to
a copy of the written estimate when your mover prepares
it. Your mover must provide you a written estimate of all
charges, including transportation, accessorial, and advance
charges. Your mover's "rate quote" is not an estimate.
You and your mover must sign the estimate of charges. Your
mover must provide you with a dated copy of the estimate
of charges at the time you sign the estimate.
You should be aware that if you receive an estimate from
a household goods broker, the mover is not required to
accept the estimate. Be sure to obtain a written estimate
from the mover if a mover tells you orally that it will
accept the broker's estimate.
Your mover must specify the form of payment the mover
and its delivering agent will honor at delivery. Payment
forms may include but are not limited to cash, certified
check, money order, cashier's check, a specific charge
card such as American Express, a specific credit card such
as Visa, and your mover's own credit.
If your mover provides you with an estimate based on volume
that will later be converted to a weight-based rate, the
mover must provide you an explanation in writing of the
formula used to calculate the conversion to weight. Your
mover must specify that the final charges will be based
on actual weight and services. Before loading your household
goods, and upon mutual agreement between you and your mover,
your mover may amend an estimate of charges. Your mover
may not amend the estimate after loading the shipment.
A binding estimate is an agreement made in advance with
your mover. It guarantees the total cost of the move based
upon the quantities and services shown on your mover's
estimate.
A non-binding estimate is what your mover believes the
total cost will be for the move, based upon the estimated
weight of the shipment and the accessorial services requested.
A non-binding estimate is not binding on your mover. Your
mover will base the final charges upon the actual weight
of your shipment, the services provided, and its tariff
provisions in effect. You must be prepared to pay 10 percent
more than the estimated amount at delivery.
How must my mover estimate charges under the regulations?
BINDING ESTIMATES Your mover may charge you for
providing a binding estimate. The binding estimate must
clearly describe the shipment and all services provided.
When you receive a binding estimate, you cannot be required
to pay any more than the estimated amount at delivery.
If you have requested the mover provide more services than
those included in the estimate, the mover must not demand
full payment for those added services at time of delivery.
Instead, the mover must bill for those services later,
as explained below. Such services might include destination
charges that often are not known at origin (such as long
carry charges, shuttle charges, or extra stair carry charges).
A binding estimate must be in writing, and a copy must
be made available to you before you move.
If you agree to a binding estimate, you are responsible
for paying the charges due by cash, certified check, money
order, or cashier's check. The charges are due your mover
at the time of delivery unless your mover agrees, before
you move, to extend credit or to accept payment by a specific
charge card such as American Express or a specific credit
card such as Visa. If you are unable to pay at the time
the shipment is delivered, the mover may place your shipment
in storage at your expense until you pay the charges.
Other requirements of binding estimates include the following
eight elements:
- Your mover must retain a copy of each binding estimate
as an attachment to the bill of lading.
- Your mover must clearly indicate upon each
binding estimate's face that the estimate is
binding upon you and your mover. Each binding
estimate must also clearly indicate on its face
that the charges shown are the charges to be
assessed for only those services specifically
identified in the estimate.
- Your mover must clearly describe binding estimate
shipments and all services to be provided.
- If, before loading your shipment, your mover
believes you are tendering additional household
goods or are requiring additional services not
identified in the binding estimate, and you and
your mover cannot reach an agreement, your mover
may refuse to service the shipment. If your mover
agrees to service the shipment, your mover must
do one of the following three things:
- Reaffirm the binding estimate.
- Negotiate a revised written
binding estimate listing the
additional household goods or
services.
- Add an attachment to the contract,
in writing, stating you both
will consider the original binding
estimate as a non-binding estimate.
You should read more below. This
may seriously affect how much
you may pay for the entire move.
- Once your mover loads your shipment, your mover's
failure to execute a new binding estimate or
to agree with you to treat the original estimate
as a non-binding estimate signifies it has reaffirmed
the original binding estimate. Your mover may
not collect more than the amount of the original
binding estimate, except as provided in the next
two paragraphs.
- Your mover may believe additional services
are necessary to properly service your shipment
after your household goods are in transit. Your
mover must inform you what the additional services
are before performing them. Your mover must allow
you at least one hour to determine whether you
want the additional services performed. Such
additional services include carrying your furniture
up additional stairs or using an elevator. If
these services do not appear on your mover's
estimate, your mover must deliver your shipment
and bill you later for the additional services.
If you agree to pay for the additional services, your mover must execute
a written attachment to be made an integral part of the bill of lading
and have you sign the written attachment. This may be done through
fax transmissions. You will be billed for the additional services 30
days following the date of delivery.
- If you add additional services after your household
goods are in transit, you will be billed for
the additional services but only be expected
to pay the full amount of the binding estimate
to receive delivery. Your mover must bill you
for the balance of any remaining charges for
these additional services no sooner than 30 days
after delivery. For example, if your binding
estimate shows total charges at delivery should
be $1,000 but your actual charges at destination
are $1,500, your mover must deliver the shipment
upon payment of $1,000. The mover must bill you
for the remaining $500 no sooner than 30 days
after the date of delivery.
- Failure of your mover to relinquish possession
of a shipment upon your offer to pay the binding
estimate amount constitutes your mover's failure
to transport a shipment with "reasonable dispatch" and
subjects your mover to cargo delay claims pursuant
to 49 CFR Part 370.
NON-BINDING ESTIMATES
Your mover is not permitted to charge you for giving a
non-binding estimate.
A non-binding estimate is not a bid or contract. Your
mover provides it to you to give you a general idea of
the cost of the move, but it does not bind your mover to
the estimated cost. You should expect the final cost to
be more than the estimate. The actual cost will be in accordance
with your mover's tariffs. Federal law requires your mover
to collect the charges shown in its tariffs, regardless
of what your mover writes in its non-binding estimates.
That is why it is important to ask for copies of the applicable
portions of the mover's tariffs before deciding on a mover.
The charges contained in movers' tariffs are essentially
the same for the same weight shipment moving the same distance.
If you obtain different non-binding estimates from different
movers, you must pay only the amount specified in your
mover's tariff. Therefore, a non-binding estimate may have
no effect on the amount that you will ultimately have to
pay.
You must be prepared to pay 10 percent more than the estimated
amount at the time of delivery. Every collect-on-delivery
shipper must have available 110 percent of the estimate
at the time of delivery. If you order additional services
from your mover after your goods are in transit, the mover
will then bill you 30 days after delivery for any remaining
charges.
Non-binding estimates must be in writing and clearly describe
the shipment and all services provided. Any time a mover
provides such an estimate, the amount of the charges estimated
must be on the order for service and bill of lading related
to your shipment. When you are given a non-binding estimate,
do not sign or accept the order for service or bill of
lading unless the mover enters the amount estimated on
each form it prepares.
Other requirements of non-binding estimates include the
following ten elements:
- Your mover must provide reasonably accurate non binding
estimates based upon the estimated weight of the shipment
and services required.
- Your mover must explain to you that all charges
on shipments moved under non binding estimates
will be those appearing in your mover's tariffs
applicable to the transportation. If your mover
provides a non-binding estimate of approximate
costs, your mover is not bound by such an estimate.
- Your mover must furnish non binding estimates
without charge and in writing to you.
- Your mover must retain a copy of each non-binding
estimate as an attachment to the bill of lading.
- Your mover must clearly indicate on the face
of a non-binding estimate that the estimate is
not binding upon your mover and the charges shown
are the approximate charges to be assessed for
the services identified in the estimate.
- Your mover must clearly describe on the face
of a non binding estimate the entire shipment
and all services to be provided.
- If, before loading your shipment, your mover
believes you are tendering additional household
goods or requiring additional services not identified
in the non-binding estimate, and you and your
mover cannot reach an agreement, your mover may
refuse to service the shipment. If your mover
agrees to service the shipment, your mover must
do one of the following two things:
- Reaffirm the non-binding estimate.
- Negotiate a revised written
non-binding estimate listing
the additional household goods
or services.
- Once your mover loads your shipment, your mover's
failure to execute a new estimate signifies it
has reaffirmed the original non-binding estimate.
Your mover may not collect more than 110 percent
of the amount of this estimate at destination.
- Your mover may believe additional services
are necessary to properly service your shipment
after your household goods are in transit. Your
mover must inform you what the additional services
are before performing them. Your mover must allow
you at least one hour to determine whether you
want the additional services performed. Such
additional services include carrying your furniture
up additional stairs or using an elevator. If
these services do not appear on your mover's
estimate, your mover must deliver your shipment
and bill you later for the additional services.
If you agree to pay for the additional services, your mover must execute
a written attachment to be made an integral part of the bill of lading
and have you sign the written attachment. This may be done through
fax transmissions. You will be billed for the additional services after
30 days from delivery.
- If you add additional services after your household
goods are in transit, you will be billed for
the additional services. To receive delivery,
however, you are required to pay no more than
110 percent of the non-binding estimate. At least
30 days after delivery, your mover must bill
you for any remaining balance, including the
additional services you requested. For example,
if your non-binding estimate shows total charges
at delivery should be $1,000 but your actual
charges at destination are $1,500, your mover
must deliver the shipment upon payment of $1,100.
The mover must bill you for the remaining $400
no sooner than 30 days after the date of delivery.
If your mover furnishes a non binding estimate, your mover
must enter the estimated charges upon the order for service
and upon the bill of lading.
Your mover must retain a record of all estimates of charges
for each move performed for at least one year from the
date your mover made the estimate.
What payment arrangements must my mover have in place
to secure delivery of my household goods shipment?
If your total bill is 110 percent or less of the non-binding
estimate, the mover can require payment in full upon delivery.
If the bill exceeds 110 percent of the non-binding estimate,
your mover must relinquish possession of the shipment at
the time of delivery upon payment of 110 percent of the
estimated amount. Your mover should have specified its
acceptable form of payment on the estimate, order for service,
and bill of lading. Your mover's failure to relinquish
possession of a shipment after you offer to pay 110 percent
of the estimated charges constitutes its failure to transport
the shipment with "reasonable dispatch" and subjects your
mover to your cargo delay claims under 49 CFR Part 370.
Your mover must bill for the payment of the balance of
any remaining charges after 30 days from delivery.
SUBPART E - PICKUP OF MY SHIPMENT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS
Must my mover write up an order for service?
We require your mover to prepare an order for service
on every shipment transported for you. You are entitled
to a copy of the order for service when your mover prepares
it.
The order for service is not a contract. Should you cancel
or delay your move or if you decide not to use the mover,
you should promptly cancel the order.
If you or your mover change any agreed-upon dates for
pickup or delivery of your shipment, or agree to any change
in the non-binding estimate, your mover may prepare a written
change to the order for service. The written change must
be attached to the order for service.
The order for service must contain the following 15 elements:
- Your mover's name and address and the USDOT number
assigned to your mover.
- Your name, address and, if available, telephone
number(s).
- The name, address, and telephone number of
the delivering mover's office or agent at or
nearest to the destination of your shipment.
- A telephone number where you may contact your
mover or its designated agent.
- One of the following three dates and times:
- The agreed-upon pickup date and agreed
delivery date of your move.
- The agreed-upon period(s) of
the entire move.
- If your mover is transporting
the shipment on a guaranteed
service basis, the guaranteed
dates or periods of time for
pickup, transportation, and delivery.
Your mover must enter any penalty
or per diem requirements upon
the agreement under this item.
- The names and addresses of any other motor
carriers, when known, that will participate in
interline transportation of the shipment.
- The form of payment your mover will honor at
delivery. The payment information must be the
same as was entered on the estimate.
- The terms and conditions for payment of the
total charges, including notice of any minimum
charges.
- The maximum amount your mover will demand at
the time of delivery to obtain possession of
the shipment, when transported on a collect-on-delivery
basis.
- If not provided in the bill of lading, the
Surface Transportation Board's required released
rates valuation statement, and the charges, if
any, for optional valuation coverage. The STB's
required released rates may be increased annually
by your mover based on the U.S. Department of
Commerce's Cost of Living Adjustment.
- A complete description of any special or accessorial
services ordered and minimum weight or volume
charges applicable to the shipment.
- Any identification or registration number your
mover assigns to the shipment.
- For non binding estimated charges, your mover's
reasonably accurate estimate of the amount of
the charges, the method of payment of total charges,
and the maximum amount (110 percent of the non-binding
estimate) your mover will demand at the time
of delivery for you to obtain possession of the
shipment.
- For binding estimated charges, the amount of
charges your mover will demand based upon the
binding estimate and the terms of payment under
the estimate.
- An indication of whether you request notification
of the charges before delivery. You must provide
your mover with the telephone number(s) or address(es)
where your mover will transmit such communications.
You and your mover must sign the order for service. Your
mover must provide a dated copy of the order for service
to you at the time your mover signs the order. Your mover
must provide you the opportunity to rescind the order for
service without any penalty for a three-day period after
you sign the order for service, if you scheduled the shipment
to be loaded more than three days after you sign the order.
Your mover should provide you with documents that are
as complete as possible, and with all charges clearly identified.
However, as a practical matter, your mover usually cannot
give you a complete bill of lading before transporting
your goods. This is both because the shipment cannot be
weighed until it is in transit and because other charges
for service, such as unpacking, storage-in-transit, and
various destination charges, cannot be determined until
the shipment reaches its destination.
Therefore, your mover can require you to sign a partially
complete bill of lading if it contains all relevant information
except the actual shipment weight and any other information
necessary to determine the final charges for all services
provided. Signing the bill of lading allows you to choose
the valuation option, request special services, and/or
acknowledge the terms and conditions of released valuation.
Your mover also may provide you, strictly for informational
purposes, with blank or incomplete documents pertaining
to the move.
Before loading your shipment, and upon mutual agreement
of both you and your mover, your mover may amend an order
for service. Your mover must retain records of an order
for service it transported for at least one year from the
date your mover wrote the order.
Your mover must inform you, before or at the time of loading,
if the mover reasonably expects a special or accessorial
service is necessary to transport a shipment safely. Your
mover must refuse to accept the shipment when your mover
reasonably expects a special or accessorial service is
necessary to transport a shipment safely, but you refuse
to purchase the special or accessorial service. Your mover
must make a written note if you refuse any special or accessorial
services that your mover reasonably expects to be necessary.
Must my mover write up an inventory of the shipment?
Yes. Your mover must prepare an inventory of your shipment
before or at the time of loading. If your mover's driver
fails to prepare an inventory, you should write a detailed
inventory of your shipment listing any damage or unusual
wear to any items. The purpose is to make a record of the
existence and condition of each item.
After completing the inventory, you should sign each page
and ask the mover's driver to sign each page. Before you
sign it, it is important you make sure that the inventory
lists every item in the shipment and that the entries regarding
the condition of each item are correct. You have the right
to note any disagreement. If an item is missing or damaged
when your mover delivers the shipment, your subsequent
ability to dispute the items lost or damaged may depend
upon your notations.
You should retain a copy of the inventory. Your mover
may keep the original if the driver prepared it. If your
mover's driver completed an inventory, the mover must attach
the complete inventory to the bill of lading as an integral
part of the bill of lading.
Must my mover write up a bill of lading?
The bill of lading is the contract between you and the
mover. The mover is required by law to prepare a bill of
lading for every shipment it transports. The information
on a bill of lading is required to be the same information
shown on the order for service. The driver who loads your
shipment must give you a copy of the bill of lading before
or at the time of loading your furniture and other household
goods.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO READ THE BILL OF LADING BEFORE
YOU ACCEPT IT. It is your responsibility to understand
the bill of lading before you sign it. If you do not agree
with something on the bill of lading, do not sign it until
you are satisfied it is correct.
The bill of lading requires the mover to provide the service
you have requested. You must pay the charges set forth
in the bill of lading.
THE BILL OF LADING IS AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT. DO NOT LOSE
OR MISPLACE YOUR COPY. Have it available until your shipment
is delivered, all chargves are paid, and all claims, if
any, are settled.
A bill of lading must include the following 14 elements:
- Your mover's name and address, or the name and address
of the motor carrier issuing the bill of lading.
- The names and addresses of any other motor
carriers, when known, who will participate in
the transportation of the shipment.
- The name, address, and telephone number of
the office of the motor carrier you must contact
in relation to the transportation of the shipment.
- The form of payment your mover will honor at
delivery. The payment information must be the
same that was entered on the estimate and order
for service.
- When your mover transports your shipment under
a collect-on-delivery basis, your name, address,
and telephone number where the mover will notify
you about the charges.
- For non-guaranteed service, the agreed-upon
date or period of time for pickup of the shipment
and the agreed-upon date or period of time for
the delivery of the shipment. The agreed-upon
dates or periods for pickup and delivery entered
upon the bill of lading must conform to the agreed-upon
dates or periods of time for pickup and delivery
entered upon the order for service or a proper
amendment to the order for service.
- For guaranteed service, the dates for pickup
and delivery and any penalty or per diem entitlements
due you under the agreement.
- The actual date of pickup.
- The identification number(s) of the vehicle(s)
in which your mover loads your shipment.
- The terms and conditions for payment of the
total charges including notice of any minimum
charges.
- The maximum amount your mover will demand from
you at the time of delivery for you to obtain
possession of your shipment, when your mover
transports under a collect-on-delivery basis.
- If not provided in the order for service, the
Surface Transportation Board's required released
rates valuation statement, and the charges, if
any, for optional valuation coverage. The Board's
required released rates may be increased annually
by your mover based on the U.S. Department of
Commerce's Cost of Living Adjustment.
- Evidence of any insurance coverage sold to
or procured for you from an independent insurer,
including the amount of the premium for such
insurance.
- Each attachment to the bill of lading. Each
attachment is an integral part of the bill of
lading contract. If not provided to you elsewhere
by the mover, the following three items must
be added as attachments:
- The binding or non-binding estimate.
- The order for service.
- The inventory.
A copy of the bill of lading must accompany your shipment
at all times while in the possession of your mover or its
agent(s). When your mover loads the shipment on a vehicle
for transportation, the bill of lading must be in the possession
of the driver responsible for the shipment. Your mover
must retain bills of lading for shipments it transported
for at least one year from the date your mover created
the bill of lading.
Should I reach an agreement with my mover about pickup
and delivery times?
You and your mover should reach an agreement for pickup
and delivery times. It is your responsibility to determine
on what date, or between what dates, you need to have the
shipment picked up and on what date, or between what dates,
you require delivery. It is your mover's responsibility
to tell you if it can provide service on or between those
dates, or, if not, on what other dates it can provide the
service.
In the process of reaching an agreement with your mover,
you may find it necessary to alter your moving and travel
plans if no mover can provide service on the specific dates
you desire.
Do not agree to have your shipment picked up or delivered "as
soon as possible." The dates or periods you and your mover
agree upon should be definite.
Once an agreement is reached, your mover must enter those
dates upon the order for service and the bill of lading.
Once your goods are loaded, your mover is contractually
bound to provide the service described in the bill of lading.
Your mover's only defense for not providing the service
on the dates called for is the defense of force majeure.
This is a legal term. It means that when circumstances
change, were not foreseen, and are beyond the control of
your mover, preventing your mover from performing the service
agreed to in the bill of lading, your mover is not responsible
for damages resulting from its nonperformance.
This may occur when you do not inform your mover of the
exact delivery requirements. For example, because of restrictions
trucks must follow at your new location, the mover may
not be able to take its truck down the street of your residence
and may need to shuttle the shipment using another type
of vehicle.
Must my mover determine the weight of my shipment?
Generally, yes. If your mover transports your household
goods on a non-binding estimate under the mover's tariffs
based upon weight, your mover must determine the weight
of the shipment. If your mover provided a binding estimate
and has loaded your shipment without claiming you have
added additional items or services, the weight of the shipment
will not affect the charges you will pay. If your mover
is transporting your shipment based upon the volume of
the shipment - that is, a set number of cubic feet (or
yards or meters) - the weight of the shipment likewise
will not affect the charges you will pay.
Your mover must determine the weight of your shipment
before requesting you to pay for any charges dependent
upon your shipment's weight.
Most movers have a minimum weight or volume charge for
transporting a shipment. Generally, the minimum is the
charge for transporting a shipment of at least 3,000 pounds
(1,362 kilograms).
If your shipment appears to weigh less than the mover's
minimum weight, your mover must advise you on the order
for service of the minimum cost before transporting your
shipment. Should your mover fail to advise you of the minimum
charges and your shipment is less than the minimum weight,
your mover must base your final charges upon the actual
weight, not upon the minimum weight.
How must my mover determine the weight of my shipment?
Your mover must weigh your shipment upon a certified scale.
The weight of your shipment must be obtained by using
one of two methods.
ORIGIN WEIGHING - Your mover may weigh your shipment in
the city or area where it loads your shipment. If it elects
this option, the driver must weigh the truck before coming
to your residence. This is called the TARE WEIGHT. At the
time of this first weighing, the truck may already be partially
loaded with another shipment(s). This will not affect the
weight of your shipment. The truck should also contain
the pads, dollies, hand trucks, ramps, and other equipment
normally used in the transportation of household goods
shipments.
After loading, the driver will weigh the truck again to
obtain the loaded weight, called the GROSS WEIGHT. The
net weight of your shipment is then obtained by subtracting
the tare weight before loading from the gross weight.
GROSS WEIGHT - TARE WEIGHT BEFORE LOADING = NET WEIGHT.
DESTINATION WEIGHING (Also called BACK WEIGHING) - The
mover is also permitted to determine the weight of your
shipment at the destination after it delivers your load.
Weighing your shipment at destination instead of at origin
will not affect the accuracy of the shipment weight. THE
MOST IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE IS THAT YOUR MOVER WILL NOT DETERMINE
THE EXACT CHARGES ON YOUR SHIPMENT BEFORE IT IS UNLOADED.
Destination weighing is done in reverse of origin weighing.
After arriving in the city or area where you are moving,
the driver will weigh the truck. Your shipment will still
be on the truck. Your mover will determine the GROSS WEIGHT
before coming to your new residence to unload. After unloading
your shipment, the driver will again weigh the truck to
obtain the TARE WEIGHT. The net weight of your shipment
will then be obtained by subtracting the tare weight after
delivery from the gross weight.
GROSS WEIGHT - TARE WEIGHT AFTER DELIVERY= NET WEIGHT.
At the time of both weighings, your mover's truck must
have installed or loaded all pads, dollies, hand trucks,
ramps, and other equipment required in the transportation
of your shipment. The driver and other persons must be
off the vehicle at the time of both weighings. The fuel
tanks on the vehicle must be full at the time of each weighing.
In lieu of this requirement, your mover must not add fuel
between the two weighings when the tare weighing is the
first weighing performed.
Your mover may detach the trailer of a tractor trailer
vehicle combination from the tractor and have the trailer
weighed separately at each weighing provided the length
of the scale platform is adequate to accommodate and support
the entire trailer.
Your mover may use an alternative method to weigh your
shipment if it weighs 3,000 pounds (1,362 kilograms) or
less. The only alternative method allowed is weighing the
shipment upon a platform or warehouse certified scale before
loading your shipment for transportation or after unloading.
Your mover must use the net weight of shipments transported
in large containers, such as ocean or railroad containers.
Your mover will calculate the difference between the tare
weight of the container (including all pads, blocking and
bracing used in the transportation of your shipment) and
the gross weight of the container with your shipment loaded
in the container.
You have the right, and your mover must inform you of
your right, to observe all weighings of your shipment.
Your mover must tell you where and when each weighing will
occur. Your mover must give you a reasonable opportunity
to be present to observe the weighings.
You may waive your right to observe any weighing or reweighing.
This does not affect any of your other rights under Federal
law.
Your mover may request you waive your right to have a
shipment weighed upon a certified scale. Your mover may
want to weigh the shipment upon a trailer's on-board, noncertified
scale. You should demand your right to have a certified
scale used. The use of a noncertified scale may cause you
to pay a higher final bill for your move, if the noncertified
scale does not accurately weigh your shipment. Remember
that certified scales are inspected and approved for accuracy
by a government inspection or licensing agency. Noncertified
scales are not inspected and approved for accuracy by a
government inspection or licensing agency.
Your mover must obtain a separate weight ticket for each
weighing. The weigh master must sign each weight ticket.
Each weight ticket must contain the following six items:
- The complete name and location of the scale.
- The date of each weighing.
- Identification of the weight entries as being
the tare, gross, or net weights.
- The company or mover identification of the
vehicle.
- Your last name as it appears on the Bill of
Lading.
- Your mover's shipment registration or Bill
of Lading number.
Your mover must retain the original weight ticket or tickets
relating to the determination of the weight of your shipment
as part of its file on your shipment.
When both weighings are performed on the same scale, one
weight ticket may be used to record both weighings.
Your mover must present all freight bills with true copies
of all weight tickets. If your mover does not present its
freight bill with all weight tickets, your mover is in
violation of Federal law.
Before the driver actually begins unloading your shipment
weighed at origin and after your mover informs you of the
billing weight and total charges, you have the right to
demand a reweigh of your shipment. If you believe the weight
is not accurate, you have the right to request your mover
reweigh your shipment before unloading.
You have the right, and your mover must inform you of
your right, to observe all reweighings of your shipment.
Your mover must tell you where and when each reweighing
will occur. Your mover must give you a reasonable opportunity
to be present to observe the reweighings.
You may waive your right to observe any reweighing; however,
you must waive that right in writing. You may send the
written waiver via fax or e-mail, as well as by overnight
courier or certified mail, return receipt requested.
This does not affect any of your other rights under Federal
law.
Your mover is prohibited from charging you for the reweighing.
If the weight of your shipment at the time of the reweigh
is different from the weight determined at origin, your
mover must recompute the charges based upon the reweigh
weight.
Before requesting a reweigh, you may find it to your advantage
to estimate the weight of your shipment using the following
three-step method:
- Count the number of items in your shipment. Usually
there will be either 30 or 40 items listed on each page
of the inventory. For example, if there are 30 items
per page and your inventory consists of four complete
pages and a fifth page with 15 items listed, the total
number of items will be 135. If an automobile is listed
on the inventory, do not include this item in the count
of the total items.
- Subtract the weight of any automobile included
in your shipment from the total weight of the
shipment. If the automobile was not weighed separately,
its weight can be found on its title or license
receipt.
- Divide the number of items in your shipment
into the weight. If the average weight resulting
from this exercise ranges between 35 and 45 pounds
(16 and 20 kilograms) per article, it is unlikely
a reweigh will prove beneficial to you. In fact,
it could result in your paying higher charges.
Experience has shown that the average shipment of household
goods will weigh about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) per item.
If a shipment contains a large number of heavy items, such
as cartons of books, boxes of tools or heavier than average
furniture, the average weight per item may be 45 pounds
or more (20 kilograms or more).
What must my mover do if I want to know the actual
weight or charges for my shipment before delivery?
If you request notification of the actual weight or volume
and charges upon your shipment, your mover must comply
with your request if it is moving your goods on a collect-on-delivery
basis. This requirement is conditioned upon your supplying
your mover with an address or telephone number where you
will receive the communication. Your mover must make its
notification by telephone; fax transmissions; e-mail; overnight
courier; certified mail, return receipt requested; or in
person.
You must receive the mover's notification at least one
full 24-hour day before its scheduled delivery, excluding
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Your mover may disregard this 24-hour notification requirement
on shipments subject to one of the following three things:
- Back weigh (when your mover weighs your shipment at
its destination).
- Pickup and delivery encompassing two consecutive
weekdays, if you agree.
- Maximum payment amounts at time of delivery
of 110 percent of the estimated charges, if you
agree.
SUBPART F - TRANSPORTATION OF MY SHIPMENT
Must my mover transport the shipment in a timely manner?
Yes, your mover must transport your household goods in
a timely manner. This is also known as "reasonable dispatch
service." Your mover must provide reasonable dispatch service
to you, except for transportation on the basis of guaranteed
delivery dates.
When your mover is unable to perform either the pickup
or delivery of your shipment on the dates or during the
periods of time specified in the order for service, your
mover must notify you of the delay, at the mover's expense.
As soon as the delay becomes apparent to your mover, it
must give you notification it will be unable to provide
the service specified in the terms of the order for service.
Your mover may notify you of the delay in any of the following
ways: by telephone; fax transmissions; e-mail; overnight
courier; certified mail, return receipt requested; or in
person.
When your mover notifies you of a delay, it also must
advise you of the dates or periods of time it may be able
to pick up and/or deliver the shipment. Your mover must
consider your needs in its advisement.
Your mover must prepare a written record of the date,
time, and manner of its notification. Your mover must prepare
a written record of its amended date or period for delivery.
Your mover must retain these records as a part of its file
on your shipment. The retention period is one year from
the date of notification. Your mover must furnish a copy
of the notification to you either by first class mail or
in person, if you request a copy of the notice.
Your mover must tender your shipment for delivery on the
agreed=upon delivery date or within the period specified
on the bill of lading. Upon your request or concurrence,
your mover may deliver your shipment on another day.
The establishment of a delayed pickup or delivery date
does not relieve your mover from liability for damages
resulting from your mover's failure to provide service
as agreed. However, when your mover notifies you of alternate
delivery dates, it is your responsibility to be available
to accept delivery on the dates specified. If you are not
available and are not willing to accept delivery, your
mover has the right to place your shipment in storage at
your expense or hold the shipment on its truck and assess
additional charges.
If after the pickup of your shipment, you request your
mover to change the delivery date, most movers will agree
to do so provided your request will not result in unreasonable
delay to its equipment or interfere with another customer's
move. However, your mover is under no obligation to consent
to amended delivery dates. Your mover has the right to
place your shipment in storage at your expense if you are
unwilling or unable to accept delivery on the date agreed
to in the bill of lading.
If your mover fails to pick up and deliver your shipment
on the date entered on the bill of lading and you have
expenses you otherwise would not have had, you may be able
to recover those expenses from your mover. This is what
is called an inconvenience or delay claim. Should your
mover refuse to honor such a claim and you continue to
believe you are entitled to be paid damages, you may take
your mover to court under 49 U.S.C. 14706. The Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has no authority
to order your mover to pay such claims.
While we hope your mover delivers your shipment in a timely
manner, you should consider the possibility your shipment
may be delayed, and find out what payment you can expect
if a mover delays service through its own fault, before
you agree with the mover to transport your shipment.
What must my mover do if it is able to deliver my shipment
more than 24 hours before I am able to accept delivery?
At your mover's discretion, it may place your shipment
in storage. This will be under its own account and at its
own expense in a warehouse located in proximity to the
destination of your shipment. Your mover may do this if
you fail to request or concur with an early delivery date,
and your mover is able to deliver your shipment more than
24 hours before your specified date or the first day of
your specified period.
If your mover exercises this option, your mover must immediately
notify you of the name and address of the warehouse where
your mover places your shipment. Your mover must make and
keep a record of its notification as a part of its shipment
records. Your mover has full responsibility for the shipment
under the terms and conditions of the bill of lading. Your
mover is responsible for the charges for redelivery, handling,
and storage until it makes final delivery. Your mover may
limit its responsibility to the agreed-upon delivery date
or the first day of the period of delivery as specified
in the bill of lading.
What must my mover do for me when I store household
goods in transit?
If you request your mover to hold your household goods
in storage in transit and the storage period is about to
expire, your mover must notify you, in writing, about the
four following items:
- The date when storage-in-transit will convert to permanent
storage.
- The existence of a nine-month period after
the date of conversion to permanent storage,
during which you may file claims against your
mover for loss or damage occurring to your goods
while in transit or during the storage-in-transit
period.
- Your mover's liability will end.
- Your property will be subject to the rules,
regulations, and charges of the warehouseman.
Your mover must make this notification at least 10 days
before the expiration date of one of the following two
periods of time:
- The specified period of time when your mover is to
hold your goods in storage.
- The maximum period of time provided in its
tariff for storage in transit.
Your mover must notify you by facsimile transmission;
overnight courier; e-mail; or certified mail, return receipt
requested.
If your mover holds your household goods in storage-in-transit
for less than 10 days, your mover must notify you, one
day before the storage-in-transit period expires, of the
same information specified above.
Your mover must maintain a record of all notifications
to you as part of the records of your shipment. Under the
applicable tariff provisions regarding storage-in-transit,
your mover's failure or refusal to notify you will automatically
extend your mover's liability until the end of the day
following the date when your mover actually gives you notice.
SUBPART G - DELIVERY OF MY SHIPMENT
May my mover ask me to sign a delivery receipt purporting
to release it from liability?
At the time of delivery, your mover will expect you to
sign a receipt for your shipment. Normally, you will sign
each page of your mover's copy of the inventory.
Your mover's delivery receipt or shipping document must
not contain any language purporting to release or discharge
it or its agents from liability.
Your mover may include a statement about your receipt
of your property in apparent good condition, except as
noted on the shipping documents.
DO NOT SIGN the delivery receipt if it contains any language
purporting to release or discharge your mover or its agents
from liability. Strike out such language before signing,
or refuse delivery if the driver or mover refuses to provide
a proper delivery receipt.
What is the maximum collect-on-delivery amount my mover
may demand I pay at the time of delivery?
On a binding estimate, the maximum amount is the exact
estimate of the charges. Your mover must specify on the
estimate, order for service, and bill of lading the form
of payment acceptable to it (for example, a certified check).
On a non-binding estimate, the maximum amount is 110 percent
of the approximate costs. Your mover must specify on the
estimate, order for service, and bill of lading the form
of payment acceptable to it (for example, cash).
If my shipment is transported on more than one vehicle,
what charges may my mover collect at delivery?
Although all movers try to move each shipment on one truck,
it becomes necessary at times to divide a shipment among
two or more trucks. This frequently occurs when an automobile
is included in the shipment and it is transported on a
vehicle specially designed to transport automobiles. When
this occurs, your transportation charges are the same as
if the entire shipment moved on one truck.
If your shipment is divided for transportation on two
or more trucks, the mover may require payment for each
portion as it is delivered.
Your mover may delay the collection of all the charges
until the entire shipment is delivered, at its discretion,
not yours. When you order your move, you should ask the
mover about its policies in this regard.
If my shipment is partially lost or destroyed, what
charges may my mover collect at delivery?
Movers customarily make every effort to avoid losing,
damaging, or destroying any of your items while your shipment
is in their possession for transportation. However, despite
the precautions taken, articles are sometimes lost or destroyed
during the move.
In addition to any money you may recover from your mover
to compensate for lost or destroyed articles, you may also
recover the transportation charges represented by the portion
of the shipment lost or destroyed. Your mover may only
apply this paragraph to the transportation of household
goods. Your mover may disregard this paragraph if loss
or destruction was due to an act or omission by you. Your
mover must require you to pay any specific valuation charge
due.
For example, if you pack a hazardous material (i.e., gasoline,
aerosol cans, motor oil, etc.) and your shipment is partially
lost or destroyed by fire in storage or in the mover's
trailer, your mover may require you to pay for the full
cost of transportation.
Your mover may first collect its freight charges for the
entire shipment, if your mover chooses. At the time your
mover disposes of claims for loss, damage, or injury to
the articles in your shipment, it must refund the portion
of its freight charges corresponding to the portion of
the lost or destroyed shipment (including any charges for
accessorial or terminal services).
Your mover is forbidden from collecting, or requiring
you to pay, any freight charges (including any charges
for accessorial or terminal services) when your household
goods shipment is totally lost or destroyed in transit,
unless the loss or destruction was due to an act or omission
by you.
How must my mover calculate the charges applicable
to the shipment as delivered?
Your mover must multiply the percentage corresponding
to the delivered shipment times the total charges applicable
to the shipment tendered by you to obtain the total charges
it must collect from you.
If your mover's computed charges exceed the charges otherwise
applicable to the shipment as delivered, the lesser of
those charges must apply. This will apply only to the transportation
of your household goods.
Your mover must require you to pay any specific valuation
charge due.
Your mover may not refund the freight charges if the loss
or destruction was due to an act or omission by you. For
example, you fail to disclose to your mover that your shipment
contains perishable live plants. Your mover may disregard
its loss or destruction of your plants, because you failed
to inform your mover you were transporting live plants.
Your mover must determine, at its own expense, the proportion
of the shipment, based on actual or constructive weight,
not lost or destroyed in transit.
Your rights are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any
other rights you may have with respect to your shipment
of household goods your mover lost or destroyed, or partially
lost or destroyed, in transit. This applies whether or
not you have exercised your rights provided above.
SUBPART H - COLLECTION OF CHARGES
Does this subpart apply to most shipments?
It applies to all shipments of household goods that involve
a balance due freight or expense bill or are shipped on
credit.
How must my mover present its freight or expense bill
to me?
At the time of payment of transportation charges, your
mover must give you a freight bill identifying the service
provided and the charge for each service. It is customary
for most movers to use a copy of the bill of lading as
a freight bill; however, some movers use an entirely separate
document for this purpose.
Except in those instances where a shipment is moving on
a binding estimate, the freight bill must specifically
identify each service performed, the rate or charge per
service performed, and the total charges for each service.
If this information is not on the freight bill, DO NOT
accept or pay the freight bill.
Movers' tariffs customarily specify that freight charges
must be paid in cash, by certified check, or by cashier's
check. When this requirement exists, the mover will not
accept personal checks. At the time you order your move,
you should ask your mover about the form of payment your
mover requires.
Some movers permit payment of freight charges by use of
a charge or credit card. However, do not assume your nationally
recognized charge, credit, or debit card will be acceptable
for payment. Ask your mover at the time you request an
estimate. Your mover must specify the form of payment it
will accept at delivery.
If you do not pay the transportation charges at the time
of delivery, your mover has the right, under the bill of
lading, to refuse to deliver your goods. The mover may
place them in storage, at your expense, until the charges
are paid. However, the mover must deliver your goods upon
payment of 100 percent of a binding estimate.
If, before payment of the transportation charges, you
discover an error in the charges, you should attempt to
correct the error with the driver, the mover's local agent,
or by contacting the mover's main office. If an error is
discovered after payment, you should write the mover (the
address will be on the freight bill) explaining the error,
and request a refund.
Movers customarily check all shipment files and freight
bills after a move has been completed to make sure the
charges were accurate. If an overcharge is found, you should
be notified and a refund made. If an undercharge occurred,
you may be billed for the additional charges due.
On "to be prepaid" shipments, your mover must present
its freight bill for all transportation charges within
15 days of the date your mover received the shipment. This
period excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
On "collect" shipments, your mover must present its freight
bill for transportation charges on the date of delivery,
or, at its discretion, within 15 days, calculated from
the date the shipment was delivered at your destination.
This period excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
(Bills for charges exceeding 110 percent of a non-binding
estimate, and for additional services requested or found
necessary after the shipment is in transit, will be presented
no sooner than 30 days after the date of delivery.)
Your mover's freight bills and accompanying written notices
must state the following five items:
- Penalties for late payment.
- Credit time limits.
- Service or finance charges.
- Collection expense charges.
- Discount terms.
If your mover extends credit to you, freight bills or
a separate written notice accompanying a freight bill or
a group of freight bills presented at one time must state, "You
may be subject to tariff penalties for failure to timely
pay freight charges," or a similar statement. Your mover
must state on its freight bills or other notices when it
expects payment, and any applicable service charges, collection
expense charges, and discount terms.
When your mover lacks sufficient information to compute
its tariff charges at the time of billing, your mover must
present its freight bill for payment within 15 days following
the day when sufficient information becomes available.
This period excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Your mover must not extend additional credit to you if
you fail to furnish sufficient information to your mover.
Your mover must have sufficient information to render a
freight bill within a reasonable time after shipment.
When your mover presents freight bills by mail, it must
deem the time of mailing to be the time of presentation
of the bills. The term "freight bills," as used in this
paragraph, includes both paper documents and billing by
use of electronic media such as computer tapes, disks,
or the Internet (e-mail).
When you mail acceptable checks or drafts in payment of
freight charges, your mover must deem the act of mailing
the payment within the credit period to be the proper collection
of the tariff charges within the credit period for the
purposes of Federal law. In case of a dispute as to the
date of mailing, your mover must accept the postmark as
the date of mailing.
If I forced my mover to relinquish a collect-on-delivery
shipment before the payment of ALL charges, how must
my mover collect the balance?
On "collect-on-delivery" shipments, your mover must present
its freight bill for all transportation charges within
15 days, calculated from the date the shipment was delivered
at your destination. This period excludes Saturdays, Sundays,
and Federal holidays. (Bills for charges exceeding 110
percent of a non-binding estimate, and for additional services
requested or found necessary after the shipment is in transit,
will be presented no sooner than 30 days after the date
of delivery.)
What actions may my mover take to collect from me the
charges upon its freight bill?
Your mover must present a freight bill within 15 days
(excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays) of
the date of delivery of a shipment at your destination.
(Bills for charges exceeding 110 percent of a non-binding
estimate, and for additional services requested or found
necessary after the shipment is in transit, will be presented
no sooner than 30 days after the date of delivery.)
The credit period must be 7 days (excluding Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays).
Your mover must provide in its tariffs the following three
things:
- A provision automatically extending the credit period
to a total of 30 calendar days for you if you have not
paid its freight bill within the 7-day period.
- A provision indicating you will be assessed
a service charge by your mover equal to one percent
of the amount of the freight bill, subject to
a $20 minimum charge, for the extension of the
credit period. The mover will assess the service
charge for each 30-day extension that the charges
go unpaid.
- A provision that your mover must deny credit
to you if you fail to pay a duly presented freight
bill within the 30-day period. Your mover may
grant credit to you, at its discretion, when
you satisfy your mover's condition that you will
pay all future freight bills duly presented.
Your mover must ensure all your payments of freight
bills are strictly in accordance with Federal
rules and regulations for the settlement of its
rates and charges.
Do I have a right to file a claim to recover money
for property my mover lost or damaged?
Should your move result in the loss of or damage to any
of your property, you have the right to file a claim with
your mover to recover money for such loss or damage.
You should file a claim as soon as possible. If you fail
to file a claim within 9 months, your mover may not be
required to accept your claim. If you institute a court
action and win, you may be entitled to attorney's fees,
but only in either of two circumstances. You may be entitled
to attorney's fees if you submitted your claim to the carrier
within 120 days after delivery, and a decision was not
rendered through arbitration within the time required by
law. You also may be entitled to attorney's fees if you
submitted your claim to the carrier within 120 days after
delivery, the court enforced an arbitration decision in
your favor, and the time for the carrier to comply with
the decision has passed.
While the Federal Government maintains regulations governing
the processing of loss and damage claims (49 CFR Part 370),
it cannot resolve those claims. If you cannot settle a
claim with the mover, you may file a civil action to recover
your claim in court under 49 U.S.C. 14706. You may obtain
the name and address of the mover's agent for service of
legal process in your state by contacting the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration. You may also obtain the
name of a process agent via the Internet by going to http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov and then clicking on Licensing
and Insurance (L&I) section.
In addition, your mover must participate in an arbitration
program. As described earlier in this pamphlet, an arbitration
program gives you the opportunity to settle certain types
of unresolved loss or damage claims through a neutral arbitrator.
You may find submitting your claim to arbitration under
such a program to be a less expensive and more convenient
way to seek recovery of your claim. Your mover is required
to provide you with information about its arbitration program
before you move. If your mover fails to do so, ask the
mover for details of its program.
SUBPART I - RESOLVING DISPUTES WITH MY MOVER
What may I do to resolve disputes with my mover?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration does not
help you settle your dispute with your mover.
Generally, you must resolve your own loss and damage disputes
with your mover. You enter a contractual arrangement with
your mover. You are bound by each of the following three
things:
- The terms and conditions you negotiated before your
move.
- The terms and conditions you accepted when
you signed the bill of lading.
- The terms and conditions you accepted when
you signed for delivery of your goods.
You have the right to take your mover to court. We require
your mover to offer you arbitration to settle your disputes
with it.
If your mover holds your goods "hostage" - refuses delivery
unless you pay an amount you believe the mover is not entitled
to charge - the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
does not have the resources to seek a court injunction
on your behalf.

FHWA Home
United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration
|