SB408 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

William “Bill” M. BeasleySenator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder, fuel surcharges of, certain fuel cost disclosures and fuel cost reimbursements required, false or misleading information prohibited, certain information regarding timber and timber products required, Good Faith and Fair Practices Act

Summary

SB408 would require fuel cost disclosures and reimbursements by motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders; prohibit false fuel surcharge information; create civil remedies for violations; and add detailed timber-related invoicing requirements.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, it requires motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders to reimburse or separately charge for fuel costs when they do not bear those costs and to provide a written list of charges at payment. It prohibits knowingly presenting false or misleading information about fuel surcharges to any party. It establishes a civil cause of action with the possibility of treble damages for failing to disclose a fuel surcharge or for presenting misleading information. It also requires specific itemization on statements or invoices related to logging, harvesting, or hauling timber and timber products, including rates, mileage, minimum haul, and fuel adjustments, plus notes on any conditions affecting hauling.

Who It Affects

• Motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders – must disclose fuel costs and reimbursements, provide a detailed charge list with each payment, and could face civil action and treble damages for false or misleading fuel surcharge information.
• Timber industry entities (loggers, mills, haulers) and others involved in timber hauling – must include detailed timber-related charge information on statements and invoices, disclose and remit fuel surcharges to the party bearing fuel costs, and follow new reporting requirements for timber transportation charges.

Key Provisions

• A motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder using fuel they do not bear must reimburse the fuel cost to the party bearing it or include it in the charges billed, and provide a written list of charges at payment.
• A person or entity cannot knowingly present false or misleading information about the fuel surcharge to any party involved in the transaction or transportation.
• Violations can lead to a civil action with the possibility of treble damages for failing to disclose a fuel surcharge or for presenting false/misleading information about it.
• Statements, invoices, or pay records for logging, harvesting, or hauling timber and timber products must itemize rates (cut/haul, mileage, minimum hauling rate) and include a separate fuel adjustment with zone-based calculations, plus notes on special conditions.
• Those who collect a fuel surcharge for timber-related hauling must disclose the surcharge to the logger/hauler and remit it to the party bearing the fuel cost.
• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after it is passed and approved (or otherwise becoming law).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Motor Vehicles