Background: North Carolina BoL rules
Moving in North Carolina is regulated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC), and the document that governs how movers charge and what paperwork customers receive is the Max Rate Tariff. A few ground rules to keep in mind:
Local vs. long-distance: Moves under 50 miles within the state are considered local and are billed hourly. Moves over 50 miles must technically be charged on a weight-and-distance basis.
Use the state's BoL: Every intrastate household goods move involving truck transportation must use the latest NCUC-published Bill of Lading. The state cares deeply about a consistent paperwork experience for consumers.
Electronic BoLs require approval: Digital BoLs are allowed, but your moving company must be approved by the NCUC before using one. The good news: the Commission has reviewed Chariot's electronic BoL before and it mirrors the paper version nearly identically. We can help facilitate the approval meeting.
Customers should also receive the NCUC's Consumer Guide to Moving — the QR code at the top of the Chariot BoL links directly to it.
What Chariot pre-fills
When you open the BoL, the header is already populated with your company information, the QR code to the NCUC Consumer Guide, and the standard terms and conditions. Chariot also enforces the right order of operations — if you try to sign a section before required fields are completed, it will block the signature and prompt you to fill in the missing info. Think of it as bumpers on the bowling lanes.
Pre-move sections (before you start working)
Before the crew begins the move, walk the customer through these sections in order:
1. Consumer Guide acknowledgment
The customer signs to confirm they received a copy of the NCUC Consumer Guide / Utilities Commission brochure.
2. Type of estimate
The customer (shipper) signs off on which kind of estimate they received: binding, non-binding, or no written estimate. Chariot pulls this in automatically based on how the estimate was created and loads the estimated amount. Reminder: on a non-binding estimate, you cannot require the customer to pay more than 120% of the estimated amount upon delivery to release their goods.
If you need to change the selected estimate type, clear the signature first — Chariot won't let you toggle between options while a signature is in place.
3. Valuation
North Carolina regulates valuation through the Max Rate Tariff. The customer chooses one of two options:
Basic value protection: 60 cents per pound per article. No additional cost to the customer.
Full value protection: The customer sets a declared value and pays for that coverage. The minimum declared value is set by the state:
5x the estimated or actual shipment weight for a single 26-foot truck
6x the shipment weight if more than one vehicle is involved
The customer can also declare a higher value (e.g., a flat $70,000) if they choose.
The cost per $100 of valuation is also set by the tariff. Chariot has fields for both the per-pound multiplier and the lump sum value so you can capture whichever method the customer chooses.
4. Extraordinary value declaration
For any single article valued in excess of $100 per pound, the customer must declare and initial it here.
5. Final pre-move signatures
The customer signs that they've read the contract and its attachments, and the driver signs the back acknowledging receipt of the goods. You're now ready to start the move.
During the move
Provide a great moving experience. If you use Chariot's time tracking, hours will flow directly into the BoL when you wrap up — no manual entry needed.
End-of-move sections (after delivery)
1. Delivery acknowledgment
The customer signs that they've received their goods at the destination.
2. Work time
If you used time tracking, hours auto-fill here. For long-distance moves billed by weight and distance, enter the gross weight and tare weight — Chariot will calculate the net weight automatically.
3. Charges
Charges flow in from the estimate. For an hourly move you'll see the hourly rate, truck/mover counts, and travel time pre-populated. A couple of things to know:
Travel time is set at one hour per 50 miles (or fraction thereof) to and from the job, per the tariff. It's editable if you need to adjust.
You can add any additional charges, tips, or fees just like on a standard Chariot BoL.
Optional move notes can be added at the bottom.
4. Customer agreement to charges
The customer signs to agree to the final charges. Take payment, hit Done, and close out the job.
After the move
Chariot automatically generates a signed PDF copy of the Bill of Lading and emails it to the customer. The PDF mirrors the NCUC paper BoL nearly identically — same layout, same coloring, same language — with all signatures and entered data in place.
Helpful resources
NCUC Max Rate Tariff (PDF) — the regulation governing rates, valuation, and BoL requirements
NCUC Consumer Guide to Moving (PDF) — the brochure customers must receive
Questions about getting set up with the electronic BoL or working through NCUC approval? Reach out to the Chariot team — we're proud members of the North Carolina Movers Association and happy to help.