Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, April 6, 2023:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Tuesday announced the launch of Operation Protect Your Move, a nationwide crackdown on scam movers ahead of the busy summer moving season.
Through Operation Protect Your Move, FMCSA is deploying dozens of investigators across the country in an enforcement sweep to address the significant uptick in complaints of movers holding household possessions hostage to extort exorbitant additional charges from consumers.
It will also address complaints against moving companies and brokers that are not in compliance with federal safety and consumer protection regulations and statutes while transporting household goods. The operation covers both movers and the brokers that purport to connect consumers to local movers but instead facilitate fraud by promoting scams.
"Moving is stressful enough without having to worry about being scammed by your moving company, so we’re cracking down on moving companies that hold people’s possessions hostage, and the brokers who facilitate that fraud,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “If you’re planning a move, we encourage you to visit protectyourmove.gov for more information to help protect yourself from moving scammers.”
Frequent complaints have been filed with FMCSA alleging companies of using deceptive business practices that are causing consumers to pay higher fees, experience delays in receiving their household goods, or in some cases not receiving their possessions at all.
“FMCSA takes its responsibilities very seriously to help protect consumers when moving their household valuables from one state to another,” says FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “Consumers should feel confident they can trust the company hired to transport their possessions.”
