U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of Public Affairs
1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC 20590
www.dot.gov/affairs/index.html
FMCSA 04-11
Friday, February 25, 2011
Contact: Candice Tolliver
Tel: (202) 366-9999 or (202) 306-4580
FMCSA Strengthens Protections for Consumers Using Household Goods Moving Brokers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a final rule that strengthens protections for consumers who use household goods brokers to move their property across state lines. Under the new rule, all brokers must provide consumers with the following information before contracting a move: USDOT number, estimates of moving charges and brokerage fees, list of motor carriers used to transport property, FMCSA’s “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” pamphlet and a statement indicating the broker is not a motor carrier. Additionally, brokers are required to increase their surety bonds or trust funds to the new minimum of $25,000. Brokers have until Jan. 1, 2012 to comply with the final rule. For more information on the “Brokers of Household Goods Transportation by Motor Vehicle” final rule, and other regulations for household goods brokers and motor carriers, visit FMCSA’s Protect Your Move Website at www.protectyourmove.gov.
