Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 570 - RULES OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY › Chapter 570-38 - MCCD REGULATORY COMPLIANCE SECTION › Subject 570-38-3 - HOUSEHOLD GOODS CARRIERS › Rule 570-38-3-.05 - Limitations and Restrictions on Transportation of Household Goods and Ancillary Services

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1)
Packing and Inspection of Articles
				and Packages
(a) Except as otherwise
				provided by this paragraph, articles tendered for transportation must be in
				such condition and so prepared for shipment by the customer or the customer's
				agent as to comply with the requirements and limitations of these Rules and as
				to render transportation thereof reasonably safe and practicable.
(b) Except where otherwise provided by law or
				these Rules or to the extent a carrier and customer have otherwise agreed,
				customers shall be responsible for preparing and packing all small household
				goods of less than one cubic foot displacement into boxes, packages, cartons,
				or other containers of sufficient size and strength to make loading,
				transportation, and unloading of such goods and containers reasonably safe and
				practicable. Customers who have prepared and/or packed articles for
				transportation or arranged for a person or entity other than the carrier
				providing transportation in accordance with these Rules to prepare and/or pack
				articles for transportation shall cause boxes, packages, or cartons to be
				properly identified and marked with the general contents when such contents are
				not otherwise readily apparent.
(c)
				Articles that are required to be prepared and packed in a container shall be
				securely enclosed in such container by the person(s) preparing and packing the
				container so that no ends or other parts protrude and in a manner that will
				provide reasonable protection from damage to or loss of such
				articles.
(d) Subparagraph (a) of
				this paragraph notwithstanding, a household goods carrier may offer to prepare
				and pack a customer's articles for transportation and may charge a customer for
				such service in accordance with the Department's maximum rate tariff. A
				household goods carrier may also provide and sell to customers packaging
				materials and shipping containers in accordance with the Department's maximum
				rate tariff. Shipping containers offered for sale in accordance with this Rule
				shall be marked with the dimensions and capacity of the container, shall be
				clean and in good condition for transportation, and shall be of sufficient
				strength for their intended purpose with a bursting strength of no less than
				200 pound test.
(e) When a
				household goods carrier or its authorized representative determine that it is
				necessary to inspect an article or the contents of any article said carrier has
				been requested to transport in order to determine the nature of such article or
				the contents of such article, the carrier shall be entitled to conduct such
				inspection prior to transporting the article in question. In the event such
				inspection is not possible or feasible, the carrier may require that other
				evidence be provided which demonstrates the actual character of the article or
				contents of the article in question. A carrier shall not be required to
				transport or perform any services relating to an article for which a requested
				inspection cannot be performed or is refused or for which insufficient evidence
				demonstrating the actual character of the article or contents of the article in
				question is provided.
(f) Unless
				otherwise provided by law, these Rules, or the agreement of the customer and
				the carrier, a carrier is not obligated to transport any articles that the
				customer was obligated to prepare or pack for transportation if said customer
				has not properly prepared or packed such articles in a manner that will provide
				reasonable protection for such articles from damage or loss and provide for
				reasonably safe transportation of such articles.