§13701 Requirements for Reasonable Rates, Classifications, Through Routes, Rules, and Practices for Certain Transportation

Summary

Requires that rates, rules, and shared routes or splits used by certain carriers be fair. It covers moves of household goods, water-carrier moves in noncontiguous domestic trade, and rates set together by motor carriers under approved agreements. The Board must act to set or fix any rate, rule, or routing needed to stop unfair charges. People may file complaints about water-trade rates. For motor or water port-to-port service in noncontiguous domestic trade, a rate or split is treated as fair only if the total change is no more than 7.5% higher or no more than 10% lower than the rate in effect one year before the proposed change. Those percentage limits are adjusted by the one-year percentage change in the Producers Price Index. If a rate falls outside that range and someone complains, the Board will decide. If the Board finds a violation, it orders carriers to repay shippers the excess amounts collected, and on government complaint to return, as much as possible, those amounts plus interest.