Request Arbitration

The American Trucking Associations Moving & Storage Conference (ATA-MSC) sponsors a Household Goods Dispute Settlement Program for its member companies pursuant to the guidelines provided at Section 14708 of Title 49, United States Code, as amended, under authority of the US Department of Transportation.

As a consumer you may use this form to request arbitration if you have a dispute that you have not been able to resolve with an ATA-MSC member company mover regarding: 1) loss or damage to household goods transported in your shipment; or 2) additional transportation and service-related charges that were billed to you after your shipment was delivered. Your request should be submitted within 90 days after your mover has made its final written settlement offer or denial of your loss or damage claim or within 180 days of receipt of the mover’s invoice for additional charges.

To maintain a fair and neutral process, the ATA-MSC Program is administered by the National Arbitration Forum (FORUM), an independent third-party who maintains a panel of neutral arbiters to resolve disputes. If your dispute is accepted into arbitration, the FORUM charges an administrative fee which is divided between you and the moving company (unless your mover agrees to pay your share of the fee).

The arbitrator’s decision is legally binding on both parties and can be enforced in court. To ensure a fair arbitration process, ATA-MSC cannot provide advice to either the consumer or the mover regarding the dispute or arbitration request. The ATA-MSC’s only role is to communicate all requests to the moving company.

You may also find additional information about the dispute settlement program by reviewing the Arbitration Program Rules and by visiting this informational site: https://www.moving.org/arbitration-after-you-move. The US Department of Transportation also provides information about arbitration on page 17 of the FMCSA′s "Rights & Responsibilities" booklet, which is linked here: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/RightsandResponsibilitiesBooklet_2022Update.pdf

Your request for arbitration must be submitted in writing. Use this form to submit your request for arbitration and to provide the information necessary to process your request. Because many disputes are settled before arbitration, DO NOT INCLUDE the administrative fee or detailed documents supporting your position with your initial request.