July 25, 2002

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced that it has fined Advanced Moving Systems (Advanced) of Plantation, FL, a for-hire motor carrier hauling primarily household goods from Florida. The investigation was conducted because of consumer complaints received by FMCSA and was the result of coordinated efforts by FMCSA's New Jersey and Florida field offices and headquarters personnel.

Advanced was served with a notice of claim letter to initiate enforcement action for violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Commercial Regulations (FMCCRs). The carrier was assessed civil penalties of $98,000.

Advanced was cited for violations involving failing to publish a tariff, failing to participate in a dispute settlement program, failing to provide the required consumer information "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" and a summary of their dispute settlement program, failing to retain copies of estimates as addendums to the bill of lading, and failing to prepare orders for service.

Advanced will have the opportunity to contest the alleged violations in an agency proceeding.

Household goods carriers who fail or refuse to comply with any commercial regulation relating to protection of individual shippers are subject to a civil penalty of an amount not less than $1000 for each violation and for each day the violation occurs.

Consumers may file household goods or other commercial motor carrier complaints on FMCSA's nationwide complaint hotline at 1-888-368-7238 (1-888 DOT-SAFT). A commercial complaint form is now available on The Safety Violation and the Consumer Household Goods Commercial Complaint Website Hotline at http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov .

# # #