October 28, 2003

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it has fined three New York for-hire motor carriers hauling primarily household goods for multiple violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Commercial Regulations (FMCCR). Investigations were a result of consumer complaints received by FMCSA.

Access Van Lines, Inc., of Forest Hills, Regal Van Lines, Ltd., of New York, and U.S. Movers, Inc., of Brooklyn, were served with notice of claim letters to initiate enforcement action for violations of the FMCCRs. The carriers were assessed civil penalties of $30,000, $24,000, and $32,500 respectively.

Access Van Lines was cited for violations involving failing to charge its applicable tariff rate; failing to follow the loss and damage claims procedures; failing to provide the required consumer information, Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, and a summary of its dispute settlement program; failing to prepare orders for service in the prescribed form and manner; failing to prepare bills of lading in the prescribed form and manner; and failing to weigh shipments in the prescribed form and manner.

Regal Van Lines was cited for failing to charge its applicable tariff rate; 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 its dispute settlement program; failing to prepare orders for service in the prescribed form and manner; failing to prepare bills of lading in the prescribed form and manner; failing to weigh shipments in the prescribed form and manner; and operating a charge card plan without a tariff provision.

U.S. Movers was cited for failing to publish a tariff; failing to participate in a dispute settlement program; failing to follow the loss and damage claims procedures; failing to provide the required consumer information, Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, and a summary of its dispute settlement program; failing to furnish in writing non-binding estimates to shippers and retain copies as addendums to the bill of lading; failing to prepare orders for service in the prescribed form and manner; failing to weigh shipments in the prescribed form and manner; and failing to file evidence of cargo insurance with FMCSA.

The motor carriers will have the opportunity to contest the alleged violations and the amount of penalties in an agency proceeding.

Consumers may file moving or other commercial motor carrier complaints with FMCSA's nationwide complaint hotline at 1-888-368-7238 (1-888 DOT-SAFT), or on its Safety Violation and Consumer Complaint Hotline Web site, http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov/.

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