Questions and Responses 1-13.pdf

SURFACE SMALL PACKAGE II (SSP II)

SOLICITATION HTC711-12-R-R009

QUESTIONS & RESPONSES

Questions 1 - 13

1) Reference: Section 2.5 of Attachment 1, Government/Military-owned or Organic Asset, Page 3.

Question: Can the Government further explain this clause?

Response: The DOD will maintain and operate in peacetime only those owned or controlled transportation resources needed to meet approved DOD emergency and wartime requirements that cannot be met readily from commercial transportation sources. The DOD will use these transportation resources during peacetime as efficiently as possible to provide essential training for operational personnel and to meet logistics needs consistent with fostering the development of militarily useful commercial capabilities. DOD-owned or controlled transportation resources will be used for official purposes only.

2) Reference: 2.8 Location(s) of Performance, page 4, Mileage to Zone Conversion.

Question: May the contractor title a column Zone 10 pertaining to shipments to Canada?

Response: The PWS was amended to read: “1.1 SCOPE. The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and other resources and services necessary to provide transportation services for surface small package shipments of a nonexpedited (routine) nature from Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) depots and Vendor Shipment Module (VSM) origin vendor shipment locations to all points within the Continental United States (CONUS), Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Service to/from Canada may be a future requirement. The government may implement deliveries to/from Canada in this contract to meet peacetime and or wartime freight transportation requirements. Rates for Canada shall not be submitted at this time.”

References to Canada were removed from PWS attachment 1 in the following paragraphs: 2.1.3, 2.8, appendix B and appendix C.

3) Reference: 2.8 Location(s) of Performance, page 4, Mileage to Zone Conversion.

Question: The mileage chart is not used in industry and it does not factor in Canada. Would the Government consider removing the mileage chart?

Response: The mileage to zone conversion chart is required to determine the VSM zones.

4) Reference: Section - Attachment 1, Guaranteed Service Refund, page 4.

Question: Would the Government address non-payment based upon no proof of performance?

Response: Reference Performance Work Statement (PWS) paragraph 4.5.4.

5) Reference: Attachment 1, 2.18 Delivery Attempts, page 7, paragraph 2.18.2.

Question: Commercial practice is to assess transportation charges and fees for return shipments along with the original transportation charges and fees. Will the Government revise this section to clarify the applicable charges?

Response: PWS paragraph 2.18.2 will be amended to read: “If a shipment is undeliverable, the contractor shall contact the consignor for disposition or return instructions. If after the third attempt the contractor is unable to obtain delivery instructions from the consignor, the contractor shall contact the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for return or disposition instructions. The contractor may charge only the line-haul rate applicable to the original shipment as a linked e-bill in U.S. Bank’s Syncada. The contractor shall identify the shipment as a returned shipment in Syncada Notes.”

The Return Fee identified in Appendix I will be removed from the PWS.

6) Reference: Attachment 1, 2.21 LOADING/UNLOADING, page 7.

Question: Can the following sentence be added to this section to further define roles? “Consignor will load packages in spotted trailer or stage/consolidate packages in a loading area.”

Response: PWS paragraph 2.21 was amended to add the sentence “Consignor will load packages in spotted trailer or stage/consolidate packages in a loading area.”

7) Reference: Section - Corrections, 2.31.2, page 11, items 2.31.2.7 and 2.31.2.8.

Question: The Net Charge is negotiated in this contract. The DODAAC is part of the TCN. May the contractor provide the address correction information monthly without the following two lines?

2.31.2.4 Net Charge

2.31.2.6 DODAAC

Response: The notification is required as stated in the PWS. The consignee DODAAC is not always included in the TCN and must be identified. However, PWS paragraph 2.31.2.4 Net Charge was amended to read Shipment Charge.

8) Reference: Performance Requirements Summary, Page 16, paragraphs 4.5.5.10 – 4.5.5.12 and

4.5.7.3 – 4.5.7.5.

Question: Which requirement is correct? Can the Government better define the Year-to-Date report periods?

Response: PWS paragraph 4.5.5.10 – 4.5.5.12 requires the contractor to report the year-to-date information for the current (active) year only. For example, if the report is for the fourth month of Option Year 3 the year-to-date information must include months 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Option Year 3.

PWS paragraph 4.5.7.3 – 4.5.7.5 requires the contractor to report the year-to-date information from contract inception. For example, if the report is for the fourth month of Option Year 3, the year-to-date information must include the Base Year, Option Year 1, Option Year 2 and Option Year 3.

9) Reference: 4. Volume III – Price Proposal, page 17.

Question: Puerto Rico is covered under the Domestic Blanket Purchase Agreement. Would the Government consider removing Puerto Rico from this solicitation since Puerto Rico is not a surface destination and conflicts with 33.2 of 2.11 - Exclusions?

Response: The Domestic Blanket Purchase Agreement is for air delivery service and includes service to Puerto Rico. Surface Small Package II is for routine small package ground shipments and includes service to Puerto Rico. Ground delivery service to Puerto Rico is consistent with current commercial practice.

10) Reference: Attachment 1, page 19, Hundredweight Service.

Question: Does hundredweight/multi-weight service apply to this solicitation? If so, will the Government amend the pricing matrix to allow the offeror to enter this information?

Response: PWS paragraph 5.2 was amended to remove the definition for Hundredweight Service.

11) Reference: Attachment 1, page 33, Appendix I Applicable Accessorial Charges.

Question: Would the Government allow the offeror to calculate and input their accessorials?

Response: The government’s shipper system does not calculate accessorial charges in the rating and ranking process; therefore, accessorial charges must be established by the government.

12) Reference: Section - Standard Form 1449, page 1, 8 – Offer due date/local time.

Question: Would the Government grant an extension of three weeks to allow for offeror/Government dialogue through questions and answers typically addressed during the pre-solicitation conference?

Response: The government is not considering an extension to the offer due date/time identified on the Standard Form 1449 at this time.

13) Reference: Section Attachment 1, Page 3, Paragraph 2.7.1 Size and Weight.

Question: The current commercial practice in the small parcel industry for oversized packages is to use dimensional weighting. Will the Government consider changing the oversize logic to the current commercial standard?

Response: The government’s shipper system is unable to calculate dimensional weight for surface small parcels; therefore, dimensional weight is not applicable to this contract as stated in PWS paragraph 2.7.3.