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Title 49, TransportationRelease 119-110

§13710 Additional Billing and Collecting Practices

Title 49 › SUBTITLE IV — INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION › PART B — MOTOR CARRIERS, WATER CARRIERS, BROKERS, AND FREIGHT FORWARDERS › CHAPTER 137 — RATES AND THROUGH ROUTES › § 13710

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Motor carriers that move goods must give a shipper, if the shipper asks, a written or electronic copy of the rate, classification, rules, and practices that any charged rate is based on. If the person paying a freight bill questions whether a rate or charge is fair or applies, the Board will decide using the record. When a carrier (except carriers that move household goods or do noncontiguous domestic trade) wants to collect extra charges beyond what was billed and the payer objects, the carrier can ask the Board to decide. The carrier must send a bill for any extra charges within 180 days after getting the original bill to keep the right to collect. A shipper must contest a bill within 180 days of receiving it to have the right to challenge it. Any tariff on file with the Interstate Commerce Commission on August 26, 1994, or on January 1, 1996, that no longer had to be filed after those dates is void starting on those dates. If a motor carrier (except household-goods carriers) that used to operate both as a common carrier and a contract carrier has a disagreement about whether trips before January 1, 1996, were done under its common- or contract-carrier role and the parties cannot agree, the Board will resolve it.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §13710

Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Miscellaneous Provisions.—
(1)Information relating to basis of rate.—
A motor carrier of property (other than a motor carrier providing transportation in noncontiguous domestic trade) shall provide to the shipper, on request of the shipper, a written or electronic copy of the rate, classification, rules, and practices, upon which any rate applicable to its shipment or agreed to between the shipper and carrier is based.
(2)Reasonableness of rates; collecting additional charges.—
When the applicability or reasonableness of the rates and related provisions billed by a motor carrier is challenged by the person paying the freight charges, the Board shall determine whether such rates and provisions are reasonable under section 13701 or applicable based on the record before it.
(3)Billing disputes.—
(A)Initiated by motor carriers.—
In those cases where a motor carrier (other than a motor carrier providing transportation of household goods or in noncontiguous domestic trade) seeks to collect charges in addition to those billed and collected which are contested by the payor, the carrier may request that the Board determine whether any additional charges over those billed and collected must be paid. A carrier must issue any bill for charges in addition to those originally billed within 180 days of the receipt of the original bill in order to have the right to collect such charges.
(B)Initiated by shippers.—
If a shipper seeks to contest the charges originally billed or additional charges subsequently billed, the shipper may request that the Board determine whether the charges billed must be paid. A shipper must contest the original bill or subsequent bill within 180 days of receipt of the bill in order to have the right to contest such charges.
(4)Voiding of certain tariffs.—
Any tariff on file with the Interstate Commerce Commission on August 26, 1994, and not required to be filed after that date is null and void beginning on that date. Any tariff on file with the Interstate Commerce Commission on January 1, 1996, and not required to be filed after that date is null and void beginning on that date.
(b)Resolution of Disputes Over Status of Common Carrier or Contract Carrier.—
If a motor carrier (other than a motor carrier providing transportation of household goods) that was subject to jurisdiction under subchapter II of chapter 105, as in effect on December 31, 1995, and that had authority to provide transportation as both a motor common carrier and a motor contract carrier and a dispute arises as to whether certain transportation that was provided prior to January 1, 1996, was provided in its common carrier or contract carrier capacity and the parties are not able to resolve the dispute consensually, the Board shall resolve the dispute.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(30)(A)This sets out the

Effective Date

of 49:13710. Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(30)(B)This amends 49:13710(b) by setting out the

Effective Date

for 49:13710 and for clarity and consistency.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Subchapter II of chapter 105, referred to in subsec. (b), was omitted in the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 102(a), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 804, effective Jan. 1, 1996.

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 10762 and 11101 of this title prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a).

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(30)(A), substituted “January 1, 1996,” for “the

Effective Date

of this section”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–287, § 5(30)(B), substituted “December 31, 1995” for “the day before the

Effective Date

of this section” and “January 1, 1996,” for “the

Effective Date

of this section”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title. Abolition of Interstate Commerce Commission Interstate Commerce Commission abolished by section 101 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 13710

Title 49, Transportation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110