2021.01.04 QA Round 1.pdf

Q&A Round 1 – 4 January 2021

1. Application of Reception and Disposition charges. Reception and disposition rates requested in Schedule 1C and 1D in SOR are unclear in PWS. Appreciate your guidance on following;

a) Is RECEPTION / DISPOSITION intended as a Gate fee for the cargo to enter / exit the terminal?

Answer: Schedule 1C and 1D are for the reception and/or disposition of military convoys at the port that arrives or leaves under its own power (military convoys only).

The contractor should only need to provide labor (checkers and ground guides) to receive/disposition military convoyed equipment.

b) Please confirm SOR rates 1C and 1D are chargeable in addition to 1A and 1B in the SOR basis the commodity and the direction of the movement. The activities associated with the movement are:

Answer: No, schedule SOR rates 1C and 1D are NOT CHARGABLE in addition to other commodity rates from loading or discharging truck or rail.

1. At the Gate, SOR rates 1D or 1C

Answer: (military convoys only) minimum labor needed

2. In the Storage yard, SOR rates 1B, 1E, 1F, 4, 5 and 6

Answer: Schedules 1B1,1B2, 1B3, 1B4 (receiving/discharging truck or rail) these rates will include everything from loading/unloading the conveyance (including lashing and unlashing), checking/tally, staging the cargo per staging plan, and moving cargo from/to designated loading/discharging areas to staging lots, and moving cargo around the staging yards.

Answer: Schedule 1E, No rates needed.

Answer: Schedule 1F, is used only when moving cargo from its place of rest to another place of rest (as approved by the COR).

Answer: Schedule 4 is used only when equipment rental is ordered over and above commodity rates and approved by the COR when used. Equipment rates are based on hourly or daily use.

The contractor shall provide all equipment, gear, labor, equipment operators for all commodity operations for this contract.

Answer: Schedule 5 is used when storage of cargo (by the piece) is necessary (COR approval needed).

Answer: Schedule 6 is used only for addition port services (provided by the contractor) are needed during an operation (office space, latrines, and dumpsters).

3. At the Pier / Vessel, SOR 1A

Answer: Schedule 1A1 and 1A2 are used only in the loading and discharging of a vessel, these rates will include moving cargo to and from staging, lashing and unlashing cargo on the vessel, rates shall be from staging to stow and stow to staging.

The Government defines the following cargo handling operations into services, the table does not define each service as separate billable items. Example:

Schedule 1A1 - Loading Vessel, loading cargo on a vessel will inherently include moving cargo from its place of rest (regardless of method) and stowing it aboard the vessel, at designated stow location, this includes but not limited to driving, towing, or draying the cargo aboard the vessel, lashing, inspections, documentation, checking, tally, debris removal, housekeeping, and reconciling the operation with the COR.

4.5.1 Commodity Rates. Commodity rates are inclusive of all planning activities, labor, gear, MHE, materials, scanning, documentation, and inspections associated to handling the movement of USG cargo.

2. What circumstances warrant application of (un)Lasing charges under schedule 1A1a/ 1A2a in

SOR outside loading and unloading commodity operations.

Per section 4.4.2, in addition to the above, the Government reserves the right to use skilled Military drivers to operate, load, and discharge specialized, unique Military vehicles and equipment at any time when determined in the best interest of the Government. When Military drivers are utilized the Contractor shall provide other designated support labor and equipment for all other stevedore related work (i.e., lashing, unlashing, or towing cargo) associated to that Military operated cargo. The Government shall compensate the Contractor at the lashing or unlashing commodity rate(s) for only those pieces of cargo operated by Military drivers.

3. Offerors are asked to input rates for all items with “unit price” column highlighted. In SOR column “unit price” is highlighted for all items. In SOR some line items have “zero or blank” quantities and some with services marked as reserved on PWS (e.g., Warehouse , permanent office). Please guide details if only selected line items are to be Priced.

Answer: Correct, all line items with a quantity will need a rate for handling cargo by that method of movement per rate schedule. Any area marked “reserved” in the PWS are services that are not needed at this time. The SOR has been revised to remove all lines that had a “zero or blank” in the quantity column.

Example: 1B3, Loading trucks, Line 133, this rate would be inclusive of loading a container on a flatbed trailer (line haul truck).

4. Section 6.4.9 on page 49 in PWS, refers “Compensation for staging shall be included in the commodity rates as established in the SOR”. This contradicts next paragraph having repeated reference # 6.4.9. Please guide.

Answer: This is a typo, staging is rated by schedule 6 and minimum area needed will be 20,000 SqMt. The PWS has been updated to reflect the revision of section 6.4.9.

5. SOR schedule 5 request per day storage charges for different cargo categories. Storage/staging section 6.4.9 on page 49 in PWS references only SOR schedule 6 (open staging area) for compensation. Please guide how charges under schedule 5 in SOR shall apply.

Answer: 6.4.9, Storage/Staging, at the request of the COR and ordered by the OO, the Contractor shall provide staging area. The Contractor shall coordinate with port authority to obtain Port storage-staging area a minimum of 20,000 SqMt, to meet mission requirements at Port of Koper. Compensation shall be at established rates in schedule 6 of the SOR.

Schedule 5 Storage is rates shall be “by the piece/Ea. per day.” Storage is only approved by the COR for cargo left at the port.

6. Section 6.4.14.3.1 on page 51 in PWS, compensation basis schedule 2 for Custom Broker Agent for clearing cargo on MSC-controlled vessel. Schedule 2 in SOR does not include category for “custom clearing personnel”. Please guide.

Answer: this position is considered a clerk’s position.

7. Section 6.4.6.1, on page 48 / 49 in PWS, compensation to paid basis schedule 10 for washing

Military vehicles, equipment or other cargo (per piece / per trip). Can the US Government detail what is to be included in these commodity rates and expected standards? Is this in addition to SOR rates under Equipment Rentals and Extra labor?

Answer: 6.4.6.1 - Cleaning of Vehicles and equipment. The Contractor, at the request of the COR, may be requested for washing services for Military vehicles, equipment or other cargo. Compensation shall be rates established in schedule 10 of the SOR.

When or if this service is ordered, it shall be paid per schedule 10 commodity rates. Container washing should be rated as EACH (EA) not trip.

When this service is ordered, the Contractor shall clean the USG cargo per the Agriculture Inspector’s Standards

8. Commodity code for light / medium vehicles in Schedule 9 from SOR appears to be incorrect. Appears code 60 and 61 are switched per the definitions on the earlier tab of the

SOR.

Answer: No rates needed for schedule 9 (inland Trans).