SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

Tariff Guidance

An interstate moving company must set up and maintain a tariff.  A tariff is a document that contains all of a moving company’s rates, charges, and service terms for moving a customer’s household possessions.  A tariff must be made available for a customer’s review.  See 49 C.F.R. Part 1310.  STB regulations require tariffs to be clear and easy to follow so that a customer can readily understand the applicable rates, charges and services terms.  STB regulations concerning household goods moving tariffs can be found by clicking here.

Although STB regulations do not specify the format or content of tariffs, the Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance (OPAGAC) recommends that a tariff include the following parts:

1.)  A “Title page” containing:

• The moving company’s name, address, and primary contact information;
• The moving company’s FMCSA licensing/operating number(s);
• The full name, phone number, and e-mail address of the moving company employee who is primarily responsible for tariff’s content; and
• The tariff’s effective date(s).

2.)  A “Table of Contents.”

3.)  A set of definitions for terms used in the tariff.

4.)  Rates and charges presented in easy to follow tables or formulas, including:

• The rates at which the mover offers full-value loss and damage liability;
• The released rates at which the mover’s loss and damage liability is limited;
• The mover’s binding estimate rates (if the company offers binding estimates);
• The mover’s accessorial charges, and an explanation of when they apply;
• The mover’s fuel surcharge, and an explanation of when it applies;

5.)  A clear statement of the moving company’s liability for loss and damage.

6.)  Instructions for the filing of loss, damage, and overcharge claims, including a description of the moving company’s arbitration program.

7.)  The terms and conditions of the moving company’s bill of lading.

Generally, a tariff should be no more than a few dozen pages in length.  Sample calculations may be helpful to illustrate how rates and charges apply to a move.  OPAGAC discourages a moving company from including extraneous information in a tariff.