Sting Operation Found Illegal Household Goods Truck Operators in Oregon
posted in Alerts by Brian Gray
Sting Operation Found Illegal Household Goods Truck Operators in Oregon
On November 8th, 2018, the Oregon Department of Transportation, joined by Oregon State Police and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, cited nine illegal household moving companies for safety violations.
The nine companies were cited for failure to obtain a certificate required for commercial transportation of property under Oregon Revised Statute 825.100.
In addition:
- Of the 10 companies contacted, Oregon State Police conducted nine truck inspections. One company had a truck under 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight and was not subject to vehicle inspection.
- Two drivers were issued citations for driving while suspended.
- One driver was arrested for outstanding felony drug warrants.
- One truck was towed – belonging to the driver arrested on warrants.
The household goods movers were invited to a house in Troutdale, where they were met by state troopers, sheriff’s deputies and agents from the ODOT Motor Carrier Transportation Division.
Moving is a regulated industry in Oregon. Under state law, any company or person offering transportation of household goods must be certified by ODOT. The certification process requires the applicant to demonstrate that they are fit, willing, and able to perform the service.
Movers have been known to damage goods, demand extra money before unloading personal property and sometimes disappear with the property altogether.
ODOT recommends anyone looking to use a household goods mover first:
- Check for certification. Intrastate movers must apply for certification of authority through ODOT’s Motor Carrier Transportation Division. The process requires movers to go through criminal background checks and charge rates approved by ODOT.
- Hire movers with vehicles in good working condition.Both the vehicle and driver must be properly registered with the state, and meet minimum insurance requirements.
- Read reviews and gather information. Illegal movers often have no storefront, provide little information and offer no recourse for settling disputes.
The best way consumers can protect themselves is to hire a certified moving company. To find a list of trustworthy movers visit ODOT’s website at: https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT/Pages/HouseholdGoodsMoving.aspx
This enforcement event in Troutdale was also an opportunity for partners of ODOT and Oregon law enforcement to observe such a compliance operation. Observers included representatives of Washington Utility Transportation Commission and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
