Moving Weight, Weigh Tickets and Your Right to a Reweigh

Why weight decides your bill

On a non-binding estimate priced by weight, the final charges are based on what your shipment actually weighs at the rates in the mover's tariff. A few hundred pounds either way changes the bill, which is why federal rules spell out exactly how weighing has to work.

Federal penalties back this up: falsifying weight documents, or charging for accessorial services that weren't performed or needed, carries a civil penalty of at least $2,000 per violation, and at least $5,000 for each one after that.

How a shipment must be weighed

The mover weighs on a certified scale, using one of two methods:

• Origin weigh: the empty truck is weighed before loading (tare), then weighed again loaded (gross).
• Back weigh: the loaded truck is weighed (gross), then weighed again empty after unloading (tare).

Your shipment's weight is the difference. To keep that honest, at both weighings the truck must carry all its pads, dollies and similar equipment, the driver and anyone else must be off the vehicle, and the fuel tanks must be full — or, on an origin weigh, no fuel added between the two weighings. Container shipments use the container's net weight, and a shipment of 3,000 pounds or less may be weighed on a certified platform or warehouse scale.

Your right to watch

You (or whoever is paying) have the right to observe every weighing. The mover must tell you where and when the shipment will be weighed and give you a reasonable opportunity to be there.

If you don't attend, that's presumed to be a waiver of watching — but it doesn't waive any of your other rights. Waiving a reweigh has to be in writing.

Weight tickets

Every weighing needs its own weight ticket, signed by the person who weighed it, showing:

• The scale's name and location.
• The date.
• Whether it's the tare, gross or net weight.
• The vehicle's identification.
• Your last name.
• The bill of lading number.

Every freight bill must include true copies of all the weight tickets. If a bill arrives without them, ask for them before you pay the balance.

Demanding a reweigh

After you're told the billing weight and charges, and before your shipment is unloaded, you may demand a reweigh. The mover must base the bill on the reweigh weight.

The consumer booklet that is part of the federal rules says the mover can't charge you for the reweigh — but the final charges follow the reweigh weight even if it comes out higher. If the first weight looks wrong compared with the estimate, the reweigh is your check.

Knowing the charges before delivery

On a move you pay for at delivery, you can ask for the actual weight (or volume) and the charges, and the mover must provide them. Give it a phone number or address; the notice has to reach you at least one full 24-hour day before the shipment is delivered, not counting weekends and federal holidays.

That notice isn't required if the shipment was back-weighed, if pickup and delivery happen on two consecutive weekdays and you agree, or if it's a non-binding move with the 110% maximum and you agree to waive it.

Common questions