Household Goods Carriers To See Streamlined Documentation Requirements with FMCSA Rulemaking

On April 25, 2022 FMCSA released a final rule that incorporates many of the recommendations from the Household Goods Working Group into the regulations at 49 CFR part 375 and makes additional minor changes to the regulations in 49 CFR parts 371 and 375.

These changes will streamline documentation requirements, increase efficiency for the transportation of household goods by interstate household goods motor carriers, improve consumer education and protection for individual shippers, and combat fraud.

This rule implements these changes:

• allowing for virtual surveys of household goods
• requiring motor carriers to conduct surveys beyond a 50-mile radius
• removing the requirement for an order for service
• updating the requirements in the bill of lading
• requiring the bill of lading to be provided earlier in the moving process
• replacing the requirement for a freight bill with an invoice, and
• requiring all motor carriers that have a website to display prominently a link to either Ready to Move? on the FMCSA website or to a true and accurate copy of Ready to Move? on their own websites

The Moving and Storage Conference and MoveRescue/Mayflower/United stated that FMCSA should remove the requirement that the bill of lading include information about additional motor carriers involved in the move.

They explained that this change would remove confusion about who is actually performing the move and whom to contact with complaints.

They also said that there is confusion about who is a broker and who is a mover and that removing the additional motor carriers’ information from the bill of lading and issuing clear guidance on what a household goods broker is would eliminate this confusion.

According to the FMCSA, the final rule will result in shippers receiving accurate and clear information earlier in the process, enabling them to make more informed and better decisions regarding which household goods motor carrier to hire.

Additionally, the final rule will aid in obtaining more accurate estimates of moving fees based on physical surveys for those interstate moves that are beyond 50 miles from a motor carrier agent’s location.

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