(a) Each nonresident motor common or contract carrier shall, before any certificate or permit is issued to it under this article or at the time of registering as required by Code Section 46-7-16, designate and maintain in this state an agent or agents upon whom may be served all summonses or other lawful processes in any action or proceeding against such motor carrier growing out of its carrier operations; and service of process upon or acceptance or acknowledgment of such service by any such agent shall have the same legal force and validity as if duly served upon such nonresident carrier personally. Such designation shall be in writing, shall give the name and address of such agent or agents, and shall be filed in the office of the commissioner. Upon failure of any nonresident motor carrier to file such designation with the commissioner or to maintain such an agent in this state at the address given, such nonresident carrier shall be conclusively deemed to have designated the Secretary of State and his or her successors in office as such agent; and service of process upon or acceptance or acknowledgment of such service by the Secretary of State shall have the same legal force and validity as if duly served upon such nonresident carrier personally, provided that notice of such service and a copy of the process are immediately sent by registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery by the Secretary of State or his or her successor in office to such nonresident carrier, if its address be known. Service of such process upon the Secretary of State shall be made by delivering to his or her office two copies of such process with a fee of $10.00.

(b) Except in those cases where the Constitution of Georgia requires otherwise, any action against any resident or nonresident motor common or contract carrier for damages by reason of any breach of duty, whether contractual or otherwise, or for any violation of this article or of any order, decision, rule, regulation, direction, demand, or other requirement established by the commissioner, may be brought in the county where the cause of action or some part thereof arose; and if the motor common or contract carrier or its agent shall not be found for service in the county where the action is instituted, a second original may issue and service be made in any other county where the service can be made upon the motor common or contract carrier or its agent. The venue prescribed by this Code section shall be cumulative of any other venue provided by law.