U. S. Department of Transportation

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has a three-pronged mission. MARAD programs advance: (1) economic growth and recovery by providing job-producing businesses with efficient transportation options to reach their suppliers and customers, (2) marine transportation that is sensitive to environmental impacts on communities, and (3) a vital, viable, safe, and secure U. S. merchant marine for commerce, emergency response, and national security. Maritime transportation contributes more than $10 billion per year to the economy. MARAD'swork with ships and shipping, shipbuilding, port operations, and vessel operations supports themaritime industry, which is a significant employer. MARAD's Title XI and Assistance to SmallShipyards programs provide grants supporting the industry, which can be an engine for capacityand economic growth. As waterborne transport provides a cost-effective transportationalternative, it can also help impact congestion in other transportation modes, reduce the cost ofgoods consumers use every day, and contribute to improving quality of life. The MARAD FY 2010 program includes a Presidential initiative for integrated planning with the Department ofHomeland Security to inform development and modernization of intermodal freight infrastructure linking coastal and inland ports to highway and rail networks.

This handbook (which supersedes Commandant Instruction 16772.2D, Navigation Rules: International-Inland*) is a compendium, produced by the U. S. Coast Guard Navigation Standards Branch, U. S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC, of the: International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (72 COLREGS); Inland Navigation Rules (33 CFR 83); their respective technical annexes (33 CFR 84-90); COLREGS Demarcation Lines (33 CFR 80); Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Regulations, (33 CFR 26); Vessel Traffic Management Regulations (33 CFR 161); and, various other pertinent provisions of the U. S. Code and Code of Federal Regulations regarding compliance and penalties associated with the Navigation Rules.

In terms of national transportation statistics, one area that suffers from a critical lack of information is transportation use by people with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Little is known about the ability of the nation's transportation system to meet the unique transportation needs of people with disabilities. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) initiated the 2002 National Transportation Availability and Use Survey to fill this information gap and to allow government and other researchers to analyze the data, report the results, and provide an informed basis for the development of transportation policies and programs. The goal of this survey is to create an information resource for transportation planners and policy makers to use when developing national, state, and local policies and programs for people with disabilities.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) regulations protect consumers of interstate moves and define the rights and responsibilities of consumers (shippers) and household goods carriers (movers). The household goods carrier gave you this booklet to provide information about your rights and responsibilities as an individual shipper of household goods. Your primary responsibilities are to ensure that you understand the terms and conditions of the moving contract (bill of lading), and know what to do in case problems arise. The primary responsibility for protecting your move lies with you in selecting a reputable household goods mover or household goods broker, and making sure you understand the terms and conditions of your contract and the remedies that are available to you in case problems arise.