Motor Carrier Act

The Motor Carrier Act governs the commercial transportation of passengers and property by motor vehicle, placing carriers under the supervision of a state transportation agency. It establishes a system of operating authority — applications, notice, protests and hearings, temporary authority, and grounds for amending, suspending, or revoking a carrier's authority — together with requirements covering tariffs, rates, time schedules, insurance and financial responsibility, vehicle and driver safety, vehicle leases and driver contracts, recordkeeping, and designation of an agent for service of process. It also sets separate rules for household goods carriers, including a voluntary dispute settlement program, and equips the agency with enforcement mechanisms such as subpoenas, administrative, civil, and criminal penalties, and actions to enforce its orders, while providing for fees, exemptions, and judicial review.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.