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4/7/2021
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has adopted a final rule that establishes certain minimum information requirements for demurrage bills from Class Is.
Requirements under the final rule will include billing cycle, shipment, car replacement and credit and debit information.
The minimum-information requirement represents what the board determined will have the greatest impact on the ability of rail users to review and verify the accuracy of demurrage charges and facilitate the resolution of disputes between railroads and their customers, STB officials said in a press release.
In addition, the final rule establishes a machine-readable data requirement to ensure that rail users have the option to access machine-readable data containing the minimum information.
In its decision, the board reiterated its expectation that all carriers take reasonable action to ensure the accuracy of their invoicing processes and that their demurrage charges are warranted.
The rule takes effect on Oct. 6.
"[The] rule, which the board members adopted unanimously, represents a significant step toward ensuring basic transparency in demurrage bills and thereby helps to eliminate a source of unnecessary conflict between railroads and their customers," said STB Chairman Martin Oberman.