Rail Car ITV RFI.docx

UNITED STATES TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

508 SCOTT DRIVE

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILLINOIS 62225-5357

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

FOR

UNITED STATES TRANSPORTATION COMMAND (USTRANSCOM)

RAIL CAR INTRANSIT VISIBILITY

TRANSCOM25R013

1. Purpose. This announcement constitutes an RFI for informational and planning purposes only. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL nor is it to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The information requested will be used within United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) as market research to facilitate decision making (i.e., determining acquisition strategy, small business concerns, etc.) and will not be disclosed outside the Government. Proprietary information submitted shall be appropriately marked. Please note that USTRANSCOM will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this RFI.

2. Scope: This RFI will address the availability and capabilities of non-proprietary, Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) devices used to track and provide data on the DoD rail fleet managed by SDDC in the United States. It will also address technical capabilities to support this initiative

3. Goal: This RFI is to gather Industry comments and advice on products to support DoD’s interests in Remote Monitoring Devices (RMDs) for asset tracking through the use of cellular, satellite, or hybrid transponders. Industry responses will be used by the Government to refine the scope of the potential future requirements for described products.

4. Information Requested: Respondents are highly encouraged to submit a tailored response rather than a generic capability statement to ensure the needed information is provided.

I. Company Information:

II. Business Size: The NAICS for this effort is 488210, Support Activities for Rail Transportation. The Small Business Administration small business size standard for this NAICS code is $34M. Based on this NAICS, identify your business size as Small or Large. If a small business, identify if any of the following are applicable: HUBZone, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, Veteran Owned, Small Disadvantaged Business, Woman Owned, or Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned. USTRANSCOM highly encourages responses from capable businesses of all sizes.

III. The Government is seeking answers from Industry for the following questions:

Device Specifications & Capabilities:

1. Does your company have an RMD to be utilized for railcars and does this device comply with the following standards:

A. All Association of American Railroads (AAR) requirements B. ISO/IEC (17025:2005 or18000) C. Tested and certified to meet DoD standards for hazards of electromagnetic radiation for ordnance, people and fuel (e.g. HERO/HERP/HERF) D. All Department of Transportation (DOT)/ Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requirements

2. What is the expected useful life of the RMD?

3. What is the expected battery life for cellular, satellite, and/or hybrid tags?

4. Provide estimated battery life based on the following ping intervals:

· 1 ping every 15 minutes while in motion / 1 ping every 30 minutes at rest

· 1 ping ever hour while in motion / 1 ping every 4 hours at rest

· Other common industry intervals

5. What, if any, methods are used by transponders to identify the battery’s state of charge?

6. Is the device locked to a specific data network provider or is the RMD compatible with multiple networks?

7. What encryption capabilities are available for satellite/cellular transponders?

8. How does your company ensure continuous ITV data transmission across the Contiguous United States?

9. Does the RMD support remote sleep, temporal and geo fencing, and on/off/standby control? Please provide detailed explanation of available support capabilities.

10. Does the company have approximately 1700 tags readily available for purchase? If not, what is the lead time?

Installation:

11. What are the standard installation methods (e.g., welding, epoxy) for railcars, including benefits/risks?

12. Where on the car are devices typically installed?

12. What is the installation time for one, 50, and 200 RMDs?

13. What is the average lead time for orders of 50 and 200 RMDs? Are there any supply chain risks related to manufacturing?

14. What is the typical lead time from notification of order to installation (e.g. 14 days, 30 days)?

Pricing & Service Costs:

15. Provide the price range of cellular, satellite, and hybrid RMDs.

16. What are the costs associated with purchasing each type of transponder, (e.g. activation)?

17. Provide the price range of installation for 1, 50, and 200 RMDs?

18. Detail the ongoing service costs (e.g. device maintenance fees, data plans, website access) for each transponder type?

19. How are data plans typically billed, and is any service included in the upfront cost of the RMD? If so, what is the service duration?

Website Features & Data Integration:

20. What real-time ITV and asset management features are available (e.g. interactive map with trip timeline, geofence management with alerts upon enter/exit, asset historical data, information pertaining to dwell, mileage and utilization)?

21. Are there limitations to the number of user accounts the government can have to your website?

22. What Application Programing Interface (API) options are available for accessing and integrating transponder data into the Government’s existing infrastructure? Please describe the API functionality, data formats supported, and any associated costs.

IV. Commercial Business Practices: Request feedback on commercial practices to assist in refining the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and forthcoming Request for Quote (RFQ). Please provide specific comments for any areas of concern for the draft PWS attached.

5. Submission Information: Response to this RFI must be submitted via email to Megan Manning, megan.h.manning.civ@mail.mil, and Amy Burk, amy.g.burk.civ@mail.mil, no later than 4:00 PM Central Time on 18 April 2025. Any questions regarding this RFI may be directed to the points of contact above.

Attachment:

DRAFT Performance Work Statement image1.png