Thursday, July 25, 2002
FMCSA 13-02
Contact: Dave Longo
Telephone: 202-366-0456
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 FMCSA’s website at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/.
The completed form may be mailed to: FMCSA, 400 Seventh St., SW, MC-PA,
Washington, DC 20590, or faxed to: 202-366-7298.
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