Tariff

TRE Dictionary

Tariff

A tariff is a schedule of rates, charges, classifications, rules, and service provisions used by a carrier or mover for applicable transportation and related services.

In plain English

It is the pricing-and-rules framework behind how certain moving services are charged and administered.

Why it matters

Tariffs can define transportation rates, accessorial charges, valuation provisions, waiting time, storage, and other service rules. For covered interstate household-goods transportation, federal regulations require carriers to maintain applicable tariffs and make certain tariff information available.

How the tariff turns a service into a charge

For a particular shipment, identify the applicable tariff, effective date and item or rule supporting each line. The tariff may specify a rate table, a weight or distance band, minimum billable weight or time, packing units, storage periods and charges for added services. Read the calculation and service conditions together.

Under 49 CFR Part 1310, covered household-goods tariffs must describe services and provide enough information to determine the applicable rates, charges and terms. A tariff may refer to other tariffs needed to complete the calculation. This is a carrier-specific framework, not one nationwide moving price.

Illustration: measured weight, minimum and discount

Invented example only—not an actual tariff or market rate. Suppose net shipment weight is 4,000 pounds, but the applicable transportation rule has a 5,000-pound minimum and a rate of $75 per hundredweight (100 pounds). The transportation calculation is 50 × $75 = $3,750. The scale record still shows 4,000 pounds; the minimum does not change the measured weight.

If the applicable pricing terms provide a 20-percent discount on that transportation line only, it becomes $3,000. A separately applicable $300 packing charge would bring this simplified total to $3,300. Confirm which items any discount covers and whether minimums apply before or after it. Actual tariffs may use different bands, formulas, discounts and services.

Tariff, estimate and final bill

The tariff supplies rates and rules; the estimate applies the pricing framework to a described move and states the price commitment. A binding estimate is not automatically replaced by a new weight calculation. A non-binding estimate projects charges that are reconciled under applicable tariff and estimate rules.

A tariff reference alone does not replace required notice, estimate-change documentation or delivery-payment protections. Ask for an itemized explanation connecting each charge to the service, quantity, rate, minimum and agreed changes. Distinguish the final lawful total from the amount collectible when the shipment is delivered.

How to obtain the rules

When tariff terms are incorporated into a covered household-goods contract by reference, 49 CFR 1310.4 requires notice and makes the full incorporated terms available for inspection free of charge on request. Ask for the relevant tariff items and any referenced rules, not just a verbal total or a discount percentage.

TRE common-language definition

Tariff: The published or maintained set of rates, charges, rules, and service conditions governing specified moving or transportation services.

Related terms

Estimate · Accessorial Service · Weight · Net Weight · Linehaul · Carrier · Rate

Put it into practice

Follow the Shipment Weight guide from scale records to billable quantities, then use Moving Quotes Explained and the Moving Estimates guide to check the calculation and written commitment.

Sources & Evidence

• FMCSA — General Requirements (Subpart A)
• FMCSA — Protect Your Move Glossary

The Relocation Ecosystem provides educational information and does not provide legal advice. Tariff requirements differ by jurisdiction and service type.

Who uses it, and when?

Customers, estimators, dispatchers and claims teams use the applicable tariff when planning, pricing, changing or reviewing covered services. Ask which tariff and effective date apply to your shipment, and which provisions support each charge.

Jurisdiction and the handoff to your estimate

A tariff is not your individual estimate. State frameworks differ: a state may prescribe rate limits or other requirements, while interstate transportation follows the applicable federal framework. Connect the service description and inventory to the estimate, applicable tariff, written changes and final bill. Do not assume another state’s mileage boundary or pricing method applies.

Moving within a state

Check the rules for the whole shipment before applying a price, document requirement or protection. Start with Local, Intrastate and Interstate Moving, then use Moving Within Your State for the six-state pilot and official verification routes.