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Sheet1
| HDV Q&As | Set 5 - POSTED 08 OCT 2019 |
| Solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079 | |
| Question 1) | We request that any solicitation/contract include prompt payment in accordance with FAR 52.232-40. |
| Answer: | 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors is only typically used in Small Business Set-Asides. Solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079 is Full and Open competition and 52.232-40 will not be added. |
| Question 2) | We request any solicitation/contract include Duty-Free Entry in accordance with DFAR 252.225-7013. |
| Answer: | DFARs 252.225-7013 Duty-Free Entry has been added under Amendment 0001 to Solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079. |
| Question 3) | In accordance with FAR 52.232-31, we request that any Solicitation/Contract include Installment Payments in accordance with FAR 52.232-30. We will provide a Payment Schedule and Milestones for the installments with the invoices. |
| Answer: | Installment Payments are not being considered for this effort. |
| Question 4) | We request that any Solicitation/Contract include 52.219-4, Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns and be included in the Evaluation of our Offer. |
| Answer: | As stated on page one (1) of the STA1449 under Block 10. this Acquisition is "Unrestricted", meaning Full & Open Competition. A HUBZone set-aside is not being considered. |
| Question 5) | Please check (53) 52.232-29, Terms for Financing of Purchases of Commercial Items. |
| Answer: | Advance payments and installment payments are not being considered under this effort. |
| Question 6) | Please confirm if the quantities in the ATTACHMENT 0005 TAB for Spares is for all four CLINS/KITS for each Ordering Year. The kits do not appear to be broken out on the Spreadsheet to match the SF1449. |
| Answer: | Attachment 0005 will be amended under Amendment 0001 to Solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079 to correct spares TAB. CLINs 0091, 0092 & 0093 reflect the total quantity for all variants for each ordering period. |
| Question 7) | The TIQ attachments 0003 and 0004 list an Item 19. Performance requirement. Performance requirements are not a Part of Spec Attachments 0001 and 0002. Please add to the Specs or delete from the TIQ. |
| Answer: | This is being addressed in Amendment 0001 to Solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079. Attachments 0001 & 0002 are being revised to include Section 19. Performance. |
| Question 8) | Spare Parts: The ‘SEPARATOR ASM-FUEL/WATER’ is listed twice in the spare parts list (line 30 and line 35). |
| Answer: | Attachment 0005 will be amended under Amendment 0001 to Solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079 to remove duplicate parts. |
| Question 9) | Specs 3.6.2 Winch. The winch is requested to have a ‘wireless remote control’ and also requested a ‘minimum distance of 12 ft.’. We believe the requirement for a ‘wireless’ remote control is in error. Most winches used in rugged terrain and remote environments are controlled by wire, and this is the common and proven solution. Wireless remotes introduce extra complexity, less reliability and the remotes are more prone to damage, battery run-down and loss when the trucks are operated in extreme environments. If a wire control is stolen or lost, a wire control from a different truck will work. If a wireless control is lost/stolen and the wireless control from another unit is not coded to operate all winches, then the operator will have to manually operate the winch in front of the truck. This introduces an unnecessary level of risk/danger to the operator. Additionally, when operating a wireless remote the battery of the remote must be fully charged, if the battery of the wireless remote is not charged due to neglect or due to prolonged time, then the wireless remote is useless. When operating trucks in a challenging environment, simple is always better than complex. We believe a wireless remote introduces unnecessary complexity, and a wire remote with all trucks will ensure the winch can be operated when it really matters most. Wireless remotes have not been requested and supplied before for this category of trucks. We strongly request and recommend deleting the requirement for a ‘wireless’ remote or at least allowing ‘wire’ remotes. |
| Answer: | The term "Wireless" was removed from both specifications. This will be reflected under Amendment 0001 to Solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079. |
| Question 10) | Specs 14.3 and 15.3. 14in. (355 mm) side height. Previous requirements were for a side height of 800mm in height. Considering the Personnel Carriers will have seats, thus needing backrests, we question whether a minimum side height of 355mm is appropriate. Please see attached picture for reference. If you notice the seats themselves will be at or above the minimum wall height of 355mm, and there is no requirement for backrests on the benches in 15.5. Additionally, we believe the requirement for foldable benches is to allow for quick and easy transportation of goods (i.e. crates, boxes, equipment, etc.). If someone proposes a body with seats in the middle of the body and facing outwards (because of the low side height), you will not get this same effect. For this requirement, we request your consideration to change 15.3. to a minimum height of 800 mm for at least the sides. |
| Answer: | The Government added specification requirement 15.5.1.2 for a backrest. This will be reflected under Amendment 0001 to Solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079. |
| Question 11) | Where is the delivery location for these vehicles? |
| Answer: | Delivery location for this effort has not been determined at this time. Please refer to Section M.5.2 of Solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079 for how the evaluation of transportation costs will be determined. |
| Question 12) | The specifications for all variants include a requirement for the gland hand connections to be in accordance with SAE J318. As the tender is allowing vehicles that are certified to ECE, these vehicles would normally include glad hands in accordance with ISO 1728. Will the government allow glad hands in accordance with ISO 1728? |
| Answer: | Yes, please see the revised Specifications (Attachments 0001 and 0002 Section 9.2 BRAKE SYSTEM. |
| Question 13) | The specification does not reference any speed requirements for the vehicles. Does the government have any maximum speed or speed on grade requirements? |
| Answer: | Speed requirements have been addressed in the revised Specifications (Attachments 0001 and 0002 Section 19. Performance). |
| Question 14) | Please confirm 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns applies to this procurement. |
| Answer: | Yes, 52.219-4 applies to this procurement. |
| Question 15) | Is it possible to use two different wheelbase versions of the same truck model – one wheelbase for the Water/Fuel Tankers in Attachment 0001 and a different wheelbase for the flat-bed/general transport trucks in Attachment 0002? Or do all trucks in the solicitation have to be the same wheelbase? |
| Answer: | Yes, two different wheelbase versions of the same truck model are acceptable as long as they meet the specifications (Attachment 0001 & Attachment 0002). |
| Question 16) | Points 14.3.2 and 15.3.3 state that the controls of the pump shall be located inside the driver’s cab. Normal configurations for these type of trucks have the activation of the pump power source (PTO, generator etc) located inside the cab and then a separate control panel located next to the pump itself inside a cabinet on the exterior of the truck to control most of the pump functions. Is this configuration acceptable or are all pump related controls required to be inside the driver’s cab? |
| Answer: | Yes, it is acceptable for the controls in the cab to just activate the pump power source (PTO, generator etc). |
| Question 17) | Reference: TIQ 19(a) requirement for, 'achieving a top speed of at least 65 mph at GVW on a level highway' utilizing ,'off-road tires in a single rear design' (See spec 10.1.). Single Rear Mount 365/85R20 Off Road tires with regard to major reputable tire brands Michelin, Continental, Pirelli and Goodyear cannot technically meet the speed requirement of 65 mph. These off-road tires meeting the necessary load range (10,000 lbs. to 11,000 lbs.) have a speed index rating of either 'G' or 'J' which does not meet the 65 mph speed requirement. The trucks are geared and designed for primary use in 'off-road' conditions. All previous orders for these configurations have been provided with these types of tires and are the appropriate tires for the configuration, capacity and terrain requirements. We request deleting the requirement in TIQ 19(a) for the top speed of 'at least 65 mph at GVW on a level highway'' or adjusting the top speed to 'at least 55 mph'. This will ensure the correct tires are provided for the off-road conditions required. |
| Answer: | Solicitation Amendment 0002 will reduce the speed to 55 mph (See Section 19 Performance in Attachment 0001 & 0002). |
| Question 18) | Transportation Evaluation: Regarding transport evaluation, the port of Shuaiba, Kuwait (Iraq) has been chosen. Based on previous history for these types of trucks, we believe the Government should consider utilizing a West Africa port for the evaluation of Left-Hand Drive (LHD) units with Douala, Cameroon being the most appropriate port of choice. Utilizing a West Africa port for LHD trucks for the freight evaluation, likely more accurately reflects the majority of countries being served by this 3-year contract and associated Delivery Orders. Mombasa makes sense for Right-Hand Drive units (RHD) for countries in that region and for LHD units going to Somalia. |
| Answer: | The ports selected are only for evaluation purposes. The solicitation clearly identifies the Port of Shuaiba Kuwait to be utilized for the equipment identified as being evaluated to Iraq. The only two countries identified in the Solicitation are Somalia and Iraq. |
| Question 19) | The revised specification for brake glad-hands is requesting both ISO 1728 and SAE 318. ISO and SAE glad-hands are not only physically different glad-hands, they are also plumbed differently on the tractor and trailer pneumatics and valves. How does the government want the vehicles plumbed, IAW with SAE or ISO? |
| Answer: | Amendment 0002 will include an update to the specifications Section 9.2 to clarify. |
| Question 20) | The revised specification includes a 45% longitudinal slope at GVW. Will the government consider a more commercial standard 30% longitudinal slope? |
| Answer: | Yes, the government will consider a more commercial standard 30% longitudinal slope. Amendment 0002 will include an update to Section 19. Performance. |
| Question 21) | Why does the parts section require a 24V alternator when the vehicle specs do not mandate a specific electrical system? |
| Answer: | This is an error, the parts section should just state "Alternator". This was corrected under Amendment 0001 - Attachment 0005 Pricing. |
| Question 22) | Manuals. The requirement says Manuals in English and languages will be requested upon delivery orders? Can you confirm the languages? |
| Answer: | Arabic and French, as stated under narrative A001 on each CLIN on solicitation W56HZV-19-R-0079. |
| Question 23) | Section 2.1. – FMVSS- Need to understand where the units will be delivered. No Chassis provider can accommodate all safety requirements on as broad as the requirement reads. |
| Answer: | Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) alone will suffice OR any one of the other safety standards called out in Attachment 0001 & 0002 under section 2. SAFETY may be adhered to. All are not required. |
| Question 24) | 1.1 ( water tank & fuel tank )- The chassis spec called for will not accommodate the requirements for the equipment requested on that chassis. The GVW can not be obtained on a 4x4 chassis in the market today. A 6x6 chassis ( tandem ) chassis is required to meet the requirements. |
| Answer: | The Govt has had prior awards to similarly written specifications. The current specification will not be changed. |
| Question 25) | 7.1- Transmission – Flatbed & Transport – where as a 4x4 21000 GVW will accommodate the weight requirement manual transmission unavailable on that unit. Whereas a Ford F 750 chassis will also meet the weight requirements , and has a manual transmission, Ford does not offer a 4x4 model in the F750 . |
| Answer: | A manual transmission is required. An automated manual transmission or an automatic transmission is not acceptable. |
| Question 26) | 3.6 – Water Tank- The winch has no designation of power source: ( i.e. 12 Volt or 24 volt ) . Will the winch require a separate power source or rather run from the chassis battery ? Lastly a wireless remote is not the preferred operating source in environments where , blasting or other radio controlled devices are at use. |
| Answer: | The winch has no designation of power source: ( i.e. 12 Volt or 24 volt ) . The power source for the winch is up to the offeror. The wireless remote control has been removed from the requirement and has been updated on Attachments 0001 & 0002 under Section 3.6. |
| Question 27) | Please extend the solicitation for an additional two weeks. |
| Answer: | No further solicitation extensions will be given. |
| Question 28) | On the spare parts list it requests pricing for shipping containers. What is the purpose of this? The government has always contracted with a shipping company to bring in containers for loading the spare parts and then that container gets unloaded at the end destination and returned to the shipping company. Certified shipping containers are not typically for sale. |
| Answer: | The purpose of the shipping containers is for spare parts storage. There is a line to enter a price for shipping containers on Attachment 0005 - Pricing & Spares. |
| Question 29) | Section 52.247-60 GUARANTEED SHIPPING CHARACTERISTICS asks for the size of each container for the spare parts. Many of the containers are of various dimensions. It also asks for the number of items per container as well as weight of each container and number of containers per pallet. This too will vary based on each spare part. We understand that you are asking for this info in order to evaluate shipping costs. Due to the various sizes, weights, etc., can we just list the number of shipping containers required for each CLIN? Also how are we supposed to fill this information out for the trucks as none of it is relevant to each of the truck variants? |
| Answer: | Throughout solictation W56HZV-19-R-0079 it states that the spare parts were to be containerized in 20' ISO shipping containers for the purpose of the Transportation Cost Evaluation. For this reason, it is completely acceptable (and preferred) to simply state the number of 20' containers and their weights per CLIN. For example, CLIN 0091 (ordering year one of spares) could be two (2) 20' Containers each weighing 22,000 pounds loaded (including the weight of the empty container). The Government does not need to know the weights of each box/crate/pallet inside the container. |
| Question 30) | Section 52.247-60 GUARANTEED SHIPPING CHARACTERISTICS asks for the number of containers or pallets per railcar as well as per trailer. Is this even applicable to the trucks or the spares? |
| Answer: | The Government transportation office has confirmed that they do not need the railcar information filled out under clause 52.247-60 GUARANTEED SHIPPING CHARACTERISTICS. |
| Question 31) | Regarding hand delivery of W56HZV19R0079 HDV proposal CDs/DVDs, the RFP states approval to enter the installation must be obtained prior to the closing date and time for receipt of proposals. Would you be the POC to obtain installation access? If not, would you kindly provide instructions on how to obtain this approval? |
| Answer: | Section L 2.2.4 Method of Submission for Unclassified Proposal clearly defines what is necessary to devliery the proposal. |
| Question 32) | Proposal delivery. Annex L describes the DVD/turn in process but we see the electronic upload section on the FBO link. Is the requirement for DVD only or will you accept electronic uploads? |
| Answer: | Electronic upload will not be accepted. Please see Section L 2.2.4 for proposal delivery instructions. |
| Question 33) | Glad hands follow up. As currently written the answer would exclude US based trucks due to the ISO requirement (this standard is not applicable for US trucks). Recommend this standard be rewritten to allow the trucks to be either ISO or SAE compatible. |
| Answer: | Glad-hands are required for this procurement under Specification Attachments 0001 & 0002, Section 9. Brake System. |
| Question 34) | Parts containerization. We see the requirement to provide the containerization/palletization data for shipping but we do not see a line for container costs. Our assumption is that we are not providing a price for containers/ Please confirm. |
| Answer: | The line for container cost is found on Attachment 0005 - Pricing under the "spares" TAB "20 FT. ISO Shipping/Storage Container" |
| Question 35) | Regarding supplier CAGE Code requirement, is an NCAGE Code acceptable? |
| Answer: | Yes, NCAGE Codes is acceptable. The NCAGE is part of the NATO Codification System (NCS), and is required for all foreign entities before completing a SAM registration. |
| Question 36) | Our manufacturer no longer uses the RBM calculation as the RBM calculation only pertains to the chassis frame rail in isolation. This calculation has been replaced with the similar longitudinal stiffness (K) calculation of the whole chassis, as this is more useful to body builders. The longitudinal stiffness (K) is a first order parameter concerning the handling features of the chassis. We request that the longitudinal stiffness(K) calculation be allowed as an acceptable value for consideration. |
| Answer: | The RBM calculation is required in our supporting documentation as stated in the TIQ - Section 4. Ratings. |
| Question 37) | We need to include in our proposal an acknowledgement that we have read and understood Amendment 0003. To accomplish this we are faced with the prospect of dispatching a fresh submission by DHL, a time consuming and costly exercise. We submitted our proposal in good time on the basis that 08 October would be the cut off date. We therefore respectfully ask the government for authorization to dispatch the Amendment 0003 acknowledgement to you electronically, as this will save unnecessary time, effort and money, which is only fair since we met the original conditions. |
Answer: Per Section L.2.2.3 Proposal Submission Address - Proposals shall be submitted to the address below. All proposals delivered in response to this solicitation, whether hand-carried or submitted via U.S. mail, shall be addressed as follows:
US Army Contracting Command Warren Bid Room, Bldg 231, Mail Stop 303 Attn: W56HZV-19-R-0089 Non-standard Heavy Duty Vehicles (Multiple Variants) Proposal 6501 East 11 Mile Road Warren, MI 48397-5000 No exceptions will be considered.