FMCSA Eliminates HHG "Order For Service" Requirement

In a regulatory victory, interstate household goods movers recently saw the universe of required paperwork reduce by one key document. In 2017, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) convened a Federal Advisory Committee as required by Congress under the FAST Act. The objective for the Committee was to examine paperwork regulations while remaining vigilant against abuses of the moving public. Jonathan Todd, a Partner in Benesch's Transportation & Logistics Practice, represented industry as a voting member on the Committee.

Recommended changes to 49 CFR Part 375 were delivered to Congress and published on February 27, 2019. The recommendations included eliminating the long-standing requirement of a written Order for Service document in favor of relying on the Bill of Lading (BOL). Those efforts yielded the FMCSA's issuance of a Final Rule on July 27, 2022, which implemented 10 of 11 recommendations under review.