§ 375.213 - What information must I provide to a prospective individual shipper?

§ 375.213 What information must I provide to a prospective individual shipper?

(a) When you provide the written estimate to a prospective individual shipper, you must also provide the individual shipper with the following documents:

(1) The Department of Transportation (DOT) publication titled “Ready to Move?—Tips for a Successful Interstate Move” (DOT publication FMCSA–ESA–03–005, or its successor publication). You must provide the individual shipper with either a copy or provide a hyperlink on your internet website to the web page on the FMCSA website containing that publication.

(2) The contents of appendix A of this part, titled “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” (DOT publication FMCSA–ESA–03–006, or its successor publication). You must provide the individual shipper with either a copy or provide a hyperlink on your internet website to the web page on the FMCSA website with the publication “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.”

(b) Before you execute a bill of lading for a shipment of household goods, you must furnish to your prospective individual shipper all four of the following documents:

(1) A concise, easy-to-read, accurate estimate of your charges.

(2) A notice of the availability of the applicable sections of your tariff for the estimate of charges, including an explanation that individual shippers may examine these tariff sections or have copies sent to them upon request.

(3) A concise, easy-to-read, accurate summary of your arbitration program.

(4) A concise, easy-to-read, accurate summary of your customer complaint and inquiry handling procedures. Included in this description must be both of the following two items:

(i) The main telephone number the individual shipper may use to communicate with you.

(ii) A clear and concise statement concerning who must pay for telephone calls.

(c) To comply with paragraph (b)(1) of this section, you must ensure that the text and general order of the document you produce and distribute to prospective individual shippers are consistent with the text and general order of appendix A to this part. The following three items also apply:

(1) If we, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, choose to modify the text or general order of appendix A, we will provide the public appropriate notice in the Federal Register and an opportunity for comment as required by part 389 of this chapter before making you change anything.

(2) If you publish the document, you may choose the dimensions of the publication as long as the type font size is 10 points or larger and the size of the booklet is at least as large as 36 square inches (232 square centimeters).

(3) If you publish the document, you may choose the color and design of the front and back covers of the publication. The following words must appear prominently on the front cover in 12-point or larger bold or full-faced type: “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move. Furnished by Your Mover, as Required by Federal Law.” You may substitute your name or trade name in place of “Your Mover” if you wish (for example, Furnished by XYZ Van Lines, as Required by Federal Law).

(d) Paragraphs (c)(2) and (c)(3) of this section do not apply to exact copies of appendix A published in the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, or on FMCSA's Web sitewebsite.

(e) If you have a website, you are required to display prominently either a link to the DOT publication titled “Ready to Move?—Tips for a Successful Interstate Move” (DOT publication FMCSA–ESA–03–005, or its successor publication) on the FMCSA website or a true and accurate copy of that document on your website.

(f) If an individual shipper elects to access the Federal consumer protection information via the hyperlink on the internet as provided in paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section:

(1) You must obtain a signed, dated receipt showing the individual shipper has received either or both of the publications that includes verification of the shipper's agreement to access the Federal consumer protection information on the internet.

(2) You must maintain the signed receipt required by paragraph (f)(1) of this section for one year from the date the individual shipper signs the receipt. You are not required to maintain the signed receipt when you do not actually transport household goods or perform related services for the individual shipper who signed the receipt.

[72 FR 36772, July 5, 2007, as amended at 75 FR 72998, Nov. 29, 2010; 77 FR 41704, Nov. 13, 2012; 83 FR 16224, Apr. 16, 2018; 87 FR 24446, Apr. 26, 2022; 88 FR 80180, Nov. 17, 2023]