Moving companies take up the service of transporting goods from one place to another. Those moving companies which deal in transporting household goods specifically are required by law to have a published tariff. A tariff is essentially a document that states the rules that a company and its procedures will follow and the rates that it will apply for its customers and their shipments.

Tariff publishing is often a confusing task to complete on your own, and you would require professional help in doing so. Such professionals typically charge the moving company a fee that would cover their services, and they would also ask the moving company certain questions and details associated with the process.

The following is a guide to answer all your questions related to publishing a tariff:

Why do you need to publish a tariff?

Moving companies that deal in household goods need a tariff in order to be in compliance with the federal law. The FMCSA has rules that dictate moving companies with transport household between different states in the United States to publish a tariff. Also, companies need to ensure that all their customers can see their tariff and that for every new USDOT number the company needs to have a tariff. This ensures that customers have absolutely no confusion when it comes to studying about the moving company and about its rates.

What does a moving tariff contain?

A moving tariff contains and features your company’s rules, policies and procedures on paper and would also have a detail of your rates for transportation and for your services. It would also feature information regarding your timeframe for delivery and information which pertains to your USDOT number as well. The terms and conditions that your company follows would also be there. This step is necessary because individuals trust you with the transporting of their household goods.

What would happen if you don’t have a tariff?

If as a moving company dealing in household goods you do not have a tariff, it is likely that you would face a number of government rules and regulations. You would also have to face a lot of scrutiny from government organizations and would have to pay a number of fines and penalties. Which is why you need to ensure that your publishing process goes smoothly, without a hiccup and in consideration to all government requirements. This is why you should opt for professional help rather than doing it on your own.

How will professional help you in publishing?

If you look for help and hire a professional firm to help you with publishing a tariff they are likely to give you a start to end solution. They would be involved in helping you understand the significance of the entire process, the rules you would have to follow, the information you would provide and the role you would play. They would also answer any queries that you or your team may have and help you understand government rules and regulations. The regulations are government by an equal opportunity law and hence you would have to follow it religiously.

Additionally, the professional firm you choose would ensure that all your compliance is done and completed in a matter of days and seamlessly. If you do it on your own, you are likely to make a mistake.

Moving companies often face a number of government rules and regulations and have to comply with all of  those otherwise they risk the fact that their license could be revoked and they could face heavy penalties and fines. Hence, in addition to complying with all the other government regulations, moving companies need to ensure that they would also work with a professional team and have their tariffs in order and published them accordingly. Such regulations are essential to the moving company’s future and success, and compliance would ensure that they aren’t risking their business operations at all.

While achieving compliance on their own can be a difficult feat, it is recommended that moving companies opt for professional help rather than handling this on their own. This is because even a small mistake could cost them a lot of loss and fines, and by hiring a company they could shift that responsibility on their shoulders, and enjoy compliance by merely paying a fee.