INTERPRETATIONS AND ROUTING REGULATIONS

• Citation: 49 CFR Part 1004
• Sections: 2

§ 1004.1 Gifts, donations, and hospitality by carriers.

It is unlawful for any common carrier engaged in interstate or foreign commerce to offer, make, or cause any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to any person. Gifts or services or anything of substantial value to particular shippers or their representatives are considered violations of the law. Expenditures for such gifts may not support requests to increase carrier rates. The Board shall take appropriate enforcement action to redress such unlawful expenditures.

§ 1004.2 Misrouting, adjustment of claims.

Carriers should adjust claims for damages resulting from misrouting. Where a carrier admits responsibility for billing, forwarding, or diverting a shipment over a higher rated route than that directed by the shipper or otherwise available, the misrouting carrier should refund the difference to the shipper (or reimburse the delivering carrier, as the case may be). Where the misrouting carrier alleges justification for using the higher rated route, the Board may, at its discretion and upon appropriate petition, determine or express an advisory opinion on the lawfulness of such routing. This interpretation must not be used to evade or defeat tariff rates or to meet the rate of a competing carrier or route, nor to relieve a shipper from responsibility for routing instruction. Damages caused by misrouting are not overcharges.