Specifications_Testing_Platform_Scales_FINALv2.pdf
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- Attached to
- 40100 - Testing Platform Scales-UPDATED
- Solicitation number
- Event 40100-13795
- Issued by
- Tennessee
About this file
This specification document outlines testing requirements for the Tennessee Department of Transportation's five-year contract for platform scale testing services across all state regions. The contract encompasses testing of approximately 2,946 platform scales used to weigh commercial vehicles, with regional distributions of 798 scales in Region 1, 818 in Region 2, 798 in Region 3, and 532 in Region 4. Testing must occur during two annual intervals: one between March 15 and June 30, and a second between July 1 and September 30, with a mandatory 60-day minimum interval between tests. The selected vendor will be a single contractor serving all regions, with an anticipated contract start date of February 23, 2026. All testing must comply with National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 44 standards, requiring zero-balance verification, increasing-load tests up to 45,000 pounds in maximum 5,000-pound increments, and maintenance of scale accuracy within 0.5 percent of applied loads. The bid period runs from January 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST through February 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST, with written questions due by January 16, 2026, at 10:00 AM CT directed to Joshua Polk at Joshua.Polk@tn.gov.
Compensation is structured on a per-scale test basis for scheduled testing, with emergency testing including per-mile travel charges, per-service-call fees, and the standard per-scale test fee calculated from the vendor's nearest facility. The contract permits scale additions or deletions up to 15 percent annually and location changes not exceeding 15 percent of total sites. Vendors must obtain necessary permits at their own expense and are prohibited from performing scale maintenance or calibration work. Required insurance coverage includes workers' compensation ($1,000,000), commercial general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), and automobile liability ($1,000,000). Vendors must be registered with the Tennessee Department of Revenue, comply with the Iran Divestment Act, and not be debarred from federal or state transactions. Emergency tests must be completed within 24 hours of notification and may be required on weekends and holidays, while delinquent scale tests must be performed within 24 hours of notification. Scale test documentation must be distributed to the scale location (two copies), the scale owner, and the TDOT Materials and Tests Field Services Team Lead, with semi-monthly testing listings required.
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SPECIFICATIONS FOR TESTING PLATFORM SCALES
1. OBJECTIVE
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is seeking a five-year contract for scheduled and emergency testing of platform scales used to weigh commercial vehicles. The selected vendor will be required to test all platform scales for accuracy according to the following specifications at the locations on the attached listing. TDOT intends to award the contract to a single vendor to serve all
Regions. TDOT anticipates a contract start date of February 23, 2026.
2. TESTING INTERVALS
Two testing intervals shall be followed:
• One (1) test shall be performed between March 15th and June 30th
AND
• One (1) test shall be performed between July 1st and September 30th
At no time shall the second testing be performed within 60 days of the previous test.
3. REFERENCES
All scale testing performed under this contract shall comply with the specifications, tolerances, and other technical requirements for weighing and measuring devices outlined in the National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 44, as recommended by the
National Conference on Weights and Measures, and as it may be supplemented or revised over the course of the contract term.
Field standard weights used in testing weighing devices shall comply with requirements of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 105-1 (Class F) or the tolerances expressed in the National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 44, Appendix A, Fundamental Considerations Associated with the Enforcement of Handbook 44
Codes, Paragraph 3.2. The weights shall have a current certification accepted by the
Tennessee Department of Agriculture prior to being used to test scales under this contract.
This documentation shall be provided by the awarded contractor to TDOT upon request.
4. PROCEDURE
Within two (2) weeks after the contract has been awarded and prior to start of work, the successful bidder shall submit to the Materials and Tests Field Services Team Lead, the
Engineering Director, Division of Materials and Tests, for joint approval, a schedule by which the vendor proposes to test both the intervals. Upon approval of the schedule, the vendor shall be prepared to commence work within one (1) week, if required by the
Department of Transportation.
Prior to checking scales, the displayed value on the scale load indicator shall be recorded with no load applied. If the load indicator records a deviation greater than or equal to 100 pounds, then the scale is considered to be out of tolerance. Before proceeding with the accuracy testing, the scale shall be made to indicate a zero-balance condition. The scale shall then be tested by sections to determine if the sections are within allowable tolerances. If sections are not within the tolerance, testing shall cease. If sections are within the tolerance, an increasing-load test shall be performed. The increasing-load test shall be performed in maximum increments of 5,000 pounds to a minimum of 22,000 pounds of total weight. The load shall then be increased in maximum increments of 5,000 pounds to a minimum of 45,000 pounds of total weight. When a substituted weight (e.g.
truck) is needed to complete the full scale of testing, the error, in pounds, from the highest level of certified weight test completed shall be reflected in the “applied” load value. The remarks shall indicate that such a correction was made. The accuracy shall be considered sufficient if the scale indicator correctly indicates weights within 0.5 percent of the applied loads throughout the range of zero to 45,000 pounds.
The scale tester shall supply a scale test document for each scale tested. The document will contain all pertinent data for the scale being tested (i.e. date, scale owner, location, test weight loadings and the corresponding scale readings, percent error between test loading and scale readings, etc.).
Distribution of the scale test document shall be as follows:
• Two (2) copies to remain at the scale location
• One (1) for the scale owner
• One (1) for TDOT Materials and Tests Field Services Team Lead (identified on the attached listing for the respective region)
• One (1) copy retained by vendor in accordance with Terms and Conditions section 7.14.
The vendor shall furnish a semi-monthly listing of all scales tested to the Materials and
Tests Field Services Team Lead.
In the event that a scale tested in the manner prescribed above does not meet the tolerances prescribed herein, the scale testing agency must notify the Materials and Tests Field Services
Team Lead of the scale failure as soon as possible but no later than the next working day following the scale test. Notification is to be made by a telephone call after which a duplicate notification shall be made via email and have the scale test document described above attached for TDOT’s records. No further action is required by the vendor on these scales until notified by the Department of Transportation that another scale test is necessary.
Billing for scheduled testing shall be charged on a per-scale test basis. The per-scale test fee shall constitute full compensation for all labor, equipment, travel, materials, supplies, administrative coordination, and any other costs necessary to perform the duties outlined in this section of the contract.
5. NON-ROUTINE TESTING AND SITE MODIFICATIONS
a. Emergency Scale Tests. In addition to the scheduled tests, the vendor shall provide emergency tests when requested by the Materials and Tests Field Services Team Lead.
When an emergency scale test is requested, the vendor shall perform the test within twenty-four (24) hours after notification. Emergency tests may be required on weekends and holidays.
Billing for emergency scale tests shall include a per-mile travel charge, a per-each service call fee, and the standard per-scale test fee. The per-mile travel charge will be calculated from the vendor’s nearest facility to the scale site.
b. Delinquent Scale Tests. Scale tests that are delinquent shall not be considered emergency scale tests; however, the vendor shall perform tests on delinquent scales within twenty-four (24) hours of notification.
c. Scale Site Modifications. TDOT reserves the right to add or delete scales as needed, provided the number of scales covered by this contract is not increased or decreased by more than fifteen (15) percent per year. TDOT reserves the right to change the scale locations as shown on the attached listing, provided that such changes do not exceed fifteen (15) percent of the total number of scale locations.
6. OPERATIONAL COORDINATION
The State has no agreement with scales owners as to when the scales may be tested without incurring delay. The vendor shall develop and submit, to the Materials and Tests Field
Services Team Lead, proposed routes and schedule of testing dates two (2) weeks prior to the start of testing in a given region. This schedule provides the operational details necessary for regional coordination and supports implementation of the broader testing plan established in the initial post-award schedule. The Materials and Tests Field Services Team
Lead will review the schedule and modify as necessary to minimize the visits to inactive scale sites. The Materials and Tests Field Services Team Lead will return the schedule to the vendor within one (1) week of receipt.
In the event that a scale test cannot be performed during the schedule submitted due to facility availability, the vendor shall contact the facility utilizing the attached listing to schedule a second attempt. However, if the scale test cannot be performed at the scheduled second attempt due to the scale owner’s noncompliance, the Materials and Tests Field
Services Team Lead will then pay for the attempted scale test.
7. COMPLIANCE AND RESTRICTIONS
The vendor shall obtain any permits necessary to properly perform the scale testing. The cost of the permit(s) shall be borne by the vendor.
The individuals conducting the scale testing for the vendor are prohibited from performing any scale maintenance or calibrations identified as necessary based on the results of the scale tests performed under this Contract. Maintenance and calibration activities are outside the scope of this Contract and must be arranged and carried out separately from the testing services.
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