Question_and_Answers.pdf

READ THE RFP THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE ORIGINAL POSTING.

DONT JUST RELY ON INFORMATION IN THE POSTING. YOU NEED TO

READ THE SOW AND THE ATTACHMENTS AT THE END OF THE RFP.

1. What is the estimated weight of 1 cotton sack

Answer: They generally weigh between 35 and 50 pounds depending on how tight they are rolled and placed in the sacks.

2. Equipment wise

a. What equipment specifics you need – 53 dry van trailer or smaller, straight truck with lift gates or any things else you might need Answer: Most haulers use a 20 to 28 foot enclosed van truck or trailer pulled by a ¾ ton or 1 ton truck.

b. Quantity of equipment

Answer: One of the above per route is normally adequate. It certainly will be for this route of 250 -300 sacks per day.

3. Personnel on site for loading unloading process is this something that one person can accomplished or team work will be needed.

Answer: The driver is responsible for loading at each pick-up site and unloading at Rayville office.

4. In particular, I’m wondering if there are 10,821 bags needing moving weighing about 50 pounds each?

Answer: Yes but not at one time. The total maybe spread over 10 -12 weeks. It can vary from 150 to 300 daily.

4. Can you advise me your target rate price for this entire move?

Answer: For the 2018 cotton season we paid contractor $3.25 per sack and he hauled approximately 9,500 sacks for the entire season. At that same price based on the 2019 season it would be 10,821 x $3.25 = $35,168

5. Am I able to use sub-contractors?

Answer: Yes as long as they meet all our requirements.

6. Is a dock available at both locations?

Answer: No not at the delivery point. Most pick up points have one.

7. With forklifts or hand Dolly's?

Answer: These sacks are typically handled by hand loading 1- 2 at a time.

8. If no dock, are truckers required to tail load and unload all loads?

Answer: Yes

9. There is a base year which pricing seems to be for fuel only? This too is confusing.

Answer: There is a fuel price per sack and an overhead charge per sack. Last year it was $.45 for fuel and $2.80 for overhead for a sum of $3.25. You may be getting confused by our request for what you are basing your fuel price each year on per gallon. We ask this in case fuel adjustments are needed due increased fuel prices after contract is awarded. In other words should fuel increase during time of contract being carried out by as much as $.20 to $.50 per gallon.

10. The base year seems to be for the first year of service? However is pricing for continual service for four years after the base year?

Answer: You are correct. We want to have an estimated price for base year and all the option years in order to make a comparison on lowest cost for life of contract. We do allow adjustment prior to each option year since both volume of sacks and fuel prices can change annually.

11. Please tell me in detail the contract value and amount of freight total for the time of the total contract.

Answer: It will be the total sacks x the price awarded. In this estimate: 10,821 x price awarded. See above for amount last year.

12. Generally in transportation of freight there is a basic price and job description such as pick up here and deliver there and if any driver assist then that's simply noted and either a carrier will accept or deny the job. But it's always a good thing to ask the exact job vs just assuming from the posting.

Answer: No the map has the pick-up points and the list has both estimated daily and seasonal volume of sacks. See attachments in the RFP.