Section 761.524.15. Tariffs.

       524.15(1) Requirements. All motor carriers of household goods shall maintain on file with the office of motor carrier services a tariff stating the rates and charges that apply for the services performed under the permit.

       524.15(2) Printing. All tariffs and amendments or supplements must be in book, pamphlet or loose-leaf form. They must be plainly printed or reproduced. No alteration in writing or erasure shall be made in any tariff or supplement.

       524.15(3) Filing date. All changes to tariffs and supplements must be filed with the office of motor carrier services at least seven days prior to the effective date. Tariffs, supplements or adoption notices issued in connection with applications for motor carriers of household goods may become effective on the date the permits are issued.

       524.15(4) Copy to department. To file a tariff with the office of motor carrier services, motor carriers of household goods or their agents shall submit a transmittal letter listing all the enclosed tariffs and include one copy of each tariff, supplement or revised page.

       524.15(5) Title page. The title page of every tariff and supplement shall include the following:

  a.                Each tariff shall be numbered in the upper right-hand corner, beginning with number 1. The number shall be shown as follows: Ia. DOT No.            ....

When a tariff is issued canceling a tariff previously filed, the Ia. DOT number that has been canceled must be shown in the right-hand corner under the Ia. DOT number of the new tariff.

        b.           Supplements or changes to a tariff shall be numbered beginning with number 1, and this information shall be shown in the upper right-hand corner along with the number of any previous supplements canceled or changed by the supplement.

        c.           The name of each motor carrier of household goods must be the same as it appears on the permit. If the motor carrier of household goods is not a corporation and uses a trade name, the name of the individual or partners must precede the trade name.

        d.           Each tariff shall include a brief description of the territory or points from which and to which the tariff applies.

        e.           Each tariff shall contain the issue and effective dates.

        f.            Each tariff shall include the name, title and street address of the motor carrier of household goods or the agent by whom the tariff is issued.

       524.15(6) Contents of tariff. Each tariff shall include the following:

        a.           A table of contents that is arranged alphabetically.

        b.           A complete index of all commodities including the page number. However, no index or table of contents is needed in tariffs of less than five pages or if the rates are alphabetically arranged by commodities.

        c.           An explanation of all abbreviations, symbols and reference marks used.

        d.           All rates in the tariff explicitly stated in cents or in dollars and cents per one hundred pounds, per mile, per hour, per ton or two thousand pounds, per truck load (of stated amount) or other definable measure. Where rates are stated in amounts per package or bundle, definite specifications of the packages or bundles must be shown and ambiguous terms, rates, descriptions or plans for determining charges shall not be accepted.

       524.15(7) Duplication of rates. Motor carriers of household goods or their agents shall not publish duplicate or conflicting rates.

       524.15(8) Tariff changes. All rates and charges which have been filed with the office of motor carrier services must be allowed to become effective and remain in effect for a period of at least seven days before being changed, canceled or withdrawn. All tariffs, supplements and revised pages shall indicate changes from the preceding issue by use of the following symbols:

(R) to denote reductions

(A) to denote increases

(C) to denote changes, the result of which is neither an increase nor a reduction.

The proper symbol must be shown directly in connection with each change.

       524.15(9) Posting regulations. Each motor carrier of household goods must post and file at its principal place of business all of its tariffs and supplements. All tariffs must be kept available for public inspection.

       524.15(10) Application for special permission. Motor carriers of household goods and agents when making application for permission to establish rates, charges, or rules of the tariff on less than the statutory seven days’ notice shall use the form prescribed by the office of motor carrier services.

       524.15(11) Powers of attorney and participation notices.

        a.           Whenever a motor carrier of household goods desires to give authority to an agent or to another motor carrier of household goods to issue and file tariffs and supplements in its stead, a power of attorney in the form prescribed by the department must be used.

        b.           The original power of attorney shall be filed with the office of motor carrier services and a copy sent to the agent or motor carrier of household goods on whose behalf the document was issued.

        c.           Whenever a motor carrier of household goods desires to cancel the authority granted an agent or another motor carrier of household goods by power of attorney, this may be done by a letter addressed to the department revoking the authority on 60 days’ notice. For good cause, the department may authorize less than 60 days’ notice. Copies of the notice must also be mailed to all interested parties by the motor carrier.

       524.15(12) Nonconforming tariffs. The office of motor carrier services shall review tariffs that do not conform with subrules 524.15(1) to 524.15(11) to determine if they contain the necessary information and if they are acceptable. Tariffs that are unacceptable shall be returned with an explanation.