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Question & Answer 1 Forklifts - 28523
This document is posted to capture the questions received during the question & answer period for [insert contract number] [insert contract title]. This document is the official response to the questions received.
Questions or responses included in this document require changes to the solicitation documents. The solicitation has been updated in 285231stAmendment.docx on WEBS as Amendment 1 to Solicitation 28523 Forklifts. Changes to Exhibit B-1 have been noted below, and the Competitive Solicitation has been amended to extend the Q&A period and Bid Due Date.
Any additional questions regarding this solicitation must be directed to the Procurement Coordinator listed below.
Alec La Brayere 360-407-9366 DESContractsTeamMaple@des.wa.gov
| Question # |
| Question |
| Response |
| Did this change the solicitation? |
| 1. |
| Can we please get a 5 year history of what this index calculated out as a % increase? Our concern is we have no control over the annual pricing increases our manufacturing partners publish. If necessary are able increase our prices if the if the minimum set increases become insufficient? |
| As stated in the Cooperative Purchasing Agreement in Section 3.5 Economic Adjustment: the index for Economic Adjustments is PCU3339233392 Material Handling Equipment Manufacture |
Per the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the index has had the following increases over the last 5 years:
2019-2020: 1.9% 2020-2021: 2% 2021-2022: 15.6% 2022-2023: 9.7% 2023-2024: 3.2%
No
| 2. |
| Can we get clarification on this? We do offer 24 hour support but our Manufacturer warranty do not cover after hour labor expenses. Is 24 hour phone support sufficient? |
Regarding Section 5.8. Technical Support:
Yes, 24 hour phone support is sufficient.
No
| 3. |
| Can we get a paper or electronic copy of the Purchaser’s/WA State physical, fire, access, safety, health and security requirements so we ensure compliance |
| Regarding Section 6.5. On Site Requirements: |
These requirements will vary by purchaser, and the purchaser will communicate the requirements if on-site work is necessary.
No
| 4. |
| Are most transactions done with a credit card? Do you have a % estimate of the transactions Credit card vs PO |
| Regarding Section 9.5. No Additional Charges: |
Usage of credit cards will vary from purchaser to purchaser, and we do not have an available estimate of the percentage of purchases by credit card.
No
| 5. |
| Regarding Exhibit B-1: Specifications, Question 1 Warranty/Useful Life |
Q1.Would a Power Train warranty qualify for this question
| The request is for a full warranty of this length. |
| No |
| 6. |
| Are you requesting 3 Wheel a 4 Wheel Electric or both in this category. |
| Both 3 wheel and 4 wheel electric models are acceptable for this category. |
| No |
| 7. |
| We would submit both a 3000Lb & 5,000LB for this category is that okay? |
| Yes, bidders can submit multiple capacities of forklifts. They can be above the minimum required for the category. |
| No |
| 8. |
| I assume this is a sit down lift. Correct? |
| Yes, category 1 is a sit-down lift. |
| No |
| 9. |
| There is no such standard lift that provides 47” of free lift on a 83” OACH (Overall Collapsed Height) mast. We can do this on a 95” OACH mast or have engineering test a custom set up. What is the basis for this specific request/can it be revised? |
| The specifications for Category 1 have been updated in the amended version of B-1. |
| Yes |
| 10. |
| By “Safety Light”, do you mean amber strobe light, blue spotlight or red arcing light? |
| All three of these would fit the requirement – it is left intentionally broad to allow for purchaser preference. |
| No |
| 11. |
| We cannot sell a forklift without an overhead guard. Do you mean a cover to prevent the operator from getting rained on? |
| No, we are referring to the required overhead guard. |
| No |
| 12. |
| What is meant by a “Data Logger”? What data are we logging? |
| A system for tracking usage data for the forklift. |
The expected use would be to track time in use, travel speed, and other information – for example, to determine maintenance intervals or how fast the forklift was going in the event of an accident.
No
| 13. |
| Can you clarify Electric Motor Narrow Aisle is it a counterbalance forklift or a reach truck? |
| Category 2: Electric Motor Narrow Aisle Forklift is for reach trucks. |
| No |
| 14. |
| Can you expand or explain programable entry? |
| A system that allows the vehicle to be started/accessed through a keypad or digital login rather than keyed start/access. |
| No |
| 15. |
| This section calls out a counterbalanced reach truck. No such truck exists. Do you want a stand-up counterbalance or a reach truck, which uses outriggers and a reach mechanism to fit into aisles as tight as 9’. |
| Category 2: Electric Motor Narrow Aisle Forklift is for reach trucks. |
| No |
| 16. |
| Same question regarding “free lift” (question 9 above) |
| The specifications for Category 2 have been updated in the amended version of B-1. |
| Yes |
| 17. |
| If you want a reach truck, there is not reach truck that has an OACH as short as 83” nor a fork height of 189” |
| The specifications for Category 2 have been updated in the amended version of B-1. |
| Yes |
| 18. |
| Maximum aisle width is dependent on the load length/width. What load dimensions should we base the maximum aisle length around? |
| Our concern is that the forklift be able to fit into an aisle of that width, if the load is too wide, that is an operations problem. |
| No |
| 19. |
| What is an “Anti-rollback system”? |
| A system to prevent a forklift rolling back on an incline, even if the brake is not engaged. |
| No |
| 20. |
| Spec calls out 7mph loaded and 8mph loaded. There is no truck that can do 8mph loaded; I assume this was meant to be unloaded. Correct? |
| The 8 MPH limit is a typo that was not removed. The correct limit is 7 MPH loaded. |
The typo has been removed in the amended version of B-1.
Yes
| 21. |
| Is there a specific max speed you want the truck to be set to prior to delivery? For reference, our most common spec of reach truck can do 80 fpm with a 4,500 lb. |
| The contract does not require a specific maximum speed prior to delivery. Individual purchasers may specify one. |
| No |
| 22. |
| What is meant by “programmable entry”? |
| See question 14 above. |
| No |
| 23. |
| What is meant by “Fully Automatic Power charger”? |
| A charger that, when the vehicle is plugged in, will automatically charge the battery to full capacity and then stop, rather than needing to be unplugged. |
| No |
| 24. |
| What is meant by “Fork OD”? |
| The overall width of the fork space, including the forks themselves. |
This has been changed to read ‘Overall Fork Width’ Yes.
| 25. |
| What is the required lift height of the truck in this spec? |
| There is no lift height requirement for category 3. |
| No |
| 26. |
| Can you expand or explain data log & operator password |
| See question 12 above for data log and question 14 above for operator password (this is the same as programmable entry) |
| No |
| 27. |
| It will be extremely difficult to get To get an OAL of 86 with an MHF of 189 on a 13,000Lb truck is this an oversight? To our knowledge No OEM makes a lowered height of 83 Inches It is un achieveable in this size truck. For example, a 197” Triple Mast has an lowered mast height of 106”. |
| The specifications for Category 6 have been updated in the amended version of B-1. |
| Yes |
| 28. |
| Can you expand or explain data log & operator password |
| See question 12 above for data log and question 14 above for operator password (this is the same as programmable entry) |
| No |
| 29. |
| Are the specs correct on the 6,000Lb mast? Minmum fork height of 3230 and lowered hieght of 221. This Spec would require a special door that was over 18 feet and would significantly derate the forklift |
| The specifications for Category 8 have been updated in the amended version of B-1. |
| Yes |
| 30. |
| General overall question. How does the WSDES end user purchase a forklift? What is the process? Most fleets run 5,000Lb LP or Electircs and that is not called out in the doc. Most units capture are set at a minumm 3,000Lb |
| The purchasing process is that the end user will reach out to the vendor to discuss their needs, then use the CARS online system to place their order. |
The minimum capacities are set at the lowest weight our purchasers indicated a need for. Higher capacity models are acceptable within the category, but lower capacity ones are not.
No
| 31. |
| Since the last time this bid was proposed there is a new category of forklifts available, that being high-capacity lithium forklifts. We currently represent an OEM that can provide up to 55,000 lbs capacity lithium battery powered forklifts. These units seem enough different that they may need a designated category. |
| These forklifts would fall under category 1: Electric Motor Rider Forklift. |
| No |
| 32. |
| I have another question regarding the pin code for starting the forklift. Would a system like this be sufficient to meet that requirement? SAFE-T-LOCK Programmable Ignition Code Switch Key Pad (99 User Codes) - Forklift America |
Or is the requirement looking for a more robust system that includes telematics? Forklift iQ360 Fleet Data System | Collective Intelligence
| Both of the indicated options would meet the requirement for programmable entry. |
| No |
| 33. |
| The specifications shown in the example are requesting a 189” mast height, the challenge with this spec requirement is many forklifts in this capacity range are 185-189”. For example, the Bobcat B15T-7 (electric 3-wheel, 3,000lb capacity) has a MFH of 187”, and the comparable model from Clark has a MFH of 188”. Is there an allowance for slight specification variance? If not, this seems like a spec that will favor very few vendors, and maybe one or two specifically. |
| The specifications for Category 1 have been updated in the amended version of B-1. |
| Yes |
| 34. |
| Will minimum qualifications be amended in the final contract |
| No, all minimum qualifications will be as indicated in exhibit B-1 Specifications. If you have questions or concerns about these qualifications, please address them during the Q&A period. |
| No |
| 35. |
| If you mark no for a minimum qualification, is that a disqualifier? |
| Yes, marking no for the minimum qualifications is a disqualifier. |
| No. |
| 36. |
| Are you only evaluating the most expensive price? |
| Yes, only the most expensive model bid in each category will be used for evaluation. |
These prices are the ‘not to exceed’ price for the contracts. Additional models added to the contract later can be up to this price, but not exceed it.
No.
| 37. |
| If there’s a price range, you’re comparing our most expensive with other companies’ most expensive |
| Yes, if a bidder bids multiple models in a single category, the highest priced one will be compared to the highest priced bid in the same category by each other bidder for that category. |
| No. |
(Rev5/8/2023)
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