Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection

The collections in this ICR are mandatory and consists mostly of recordkeeping and disclosure, where a motor carrier provides information when a consumer requests that a mover provide an estimate and when a consumer decides to have a particular mover transport household goods. Certain information will be transferred to the consumer for the consumer to educate himself/herself of his/her rights and responsibilities in commercial transactions with the mover. This ICR is a revision. There are 6 ICs with the current renewal however IC-6: Consumer Complaints, is being removed, because burden and cost estimates associated with IC-6 are now covered by the “National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB)” ICR, OMB Control Number 2126-0067. IC-1 consists of the Required Information for Prospective Individual Shippers. HHG consumer protection regulations require movers to provide information to prospective shippers, including the following: a copy of Department of Transportation publication titled “Ready to Move?” with every written cost estimate; the contents of part 375 appendix A, titled “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move;” an accurate summary of the mover’s arbitration program; and accurate summary of the mover’s complaint and inquiry handling procedures. IC-2 consists of information for the Estimating of Charges. HHG movers must conduct physical surveys of shippers’ items to be transported in order to provide written estimates of shipping charges. IC-3 consists of information for the Pick Up of Shipments of Household Goods. Three items are required to be prepared for every shipment: an order for service, an inventory of the goods shipped, and a bill of lading. For shipments initiated with non-binding cost estimates, movers may be required to produce written weight tickets for each shipment. IC-4 consists of information for the Transportation of Shipments. After goods have been placed in transit, the HHG consumer protection regulations require movers to generate and maintain some additional documents associated with the status of the shipments. Movers are required to generate and maintain notifications of both delays and early delivery (more than 24 hours before the specified date) of shipments, and to furnish to shippers upon request the records of contact regarding delays. IC-5 consists of information concerning Consumer Complaints. HHG movers are required to keep written or electronic records of all complaints and inquiries received from shippers. The collected information will assist consumers in their commercial dealings with interstate motor carriers by enabling them to receive consumer protection materials electronically. FMCSA will use the information provided by the shippers, when necessary, while conducting reviews, audits and investigations of carriers to determine if a carrier/mover is in compliance with the Federal requirements. If this collected information were not available, FMCSA will have no means of independently verifying compliance. The frequency of the collection varies and is based on the number of moves and requests made, based on shippers needs, and is not a factor FMCSA or the carrier can control. The information is not collected more frequently than quarterly since the data is required only when services are requested by the consumer. This is to help the consumer understand each part of the commercial transaction and determine whether they are being defrauded or deceived by a mover.

The latest form for Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection expires 2022-11-30 and can be found here.

IC1 - Informational Documents Provided to Prospective Shippers

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Transportation - Ground Transportation