Bus Transaxle Reconditioning Services

The City of Charlotte, North Carolina Department of General Services is soliciting bids for Bus Transaxle Reconditioning Services to support the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Bus Operations Division's fleet of 304 buses. This Invitation to Bid (ITB #269-2026-2067), posted on April 16, 2026, seeks a qualified supplier to provide comprehensive transaxle reconditioning services including pickup, diagnosis, testing, disassembly, cleaning, parts replacement, reassembly, and delivery of differential components. The solicitation specifies four differential items with estimated annual quantities: RS2114SNFL923 (LOFL 30') at 2 units, RS21160NFLF49 (5.13 ratio) at 7 units, T1163WX35 (5.38 ring gear sub/LOFL) at 15 units, and RS23160R4.56 (MCI 2001) at 4 units. Bidders must submit electronic proposals through the Bonfire e-Procurement Portal by May 15, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST, with written questions due by May 4, 2026. A public bid opening will occur via Microsoft Teams on May 15, 2026, and contract award by Charlotte City Council is anticipated for June 22, 2026, with an effective date of September 9, 2026. The initial contract term is three years with options for up to two additional one-year extensions. Key qualifications and requirements include use of genuine Meritor parts, employment of certified professionals, maintenance of at least one differential per part number on hand, 24-hour turnaround for item returns after pickup, 24-hour response time for warranty issues, delivery within five business days to designated facilities, and assignment of a dedicated full-time Account Executive with cell phone availability during business hours and two-business-day response time for communications. Evaluation will be based on the lowest responsive responsible bidder, considering vendor qualifications, experience, quality, delivery, and workmanship, with a mandatory one-year unlimited mileage warranty covering defects, workmanship, and materials.

The City of Charlotte has established requirements for compliance with the Charlotte Business Inclusion Program for minority and women business enterprise utilization, and all vendors must comply with Buy America provisions under 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(1) regarding steel, iron, and manufactured products procurement. All pricing must be submitted as fixed unit prices per item, including all shipping, delivery, discounts, labor, equipment, freight, and associated service costs with no additional charges permitted; prices are firm for 120 calendar days from bid opening and remain fixed for the entire contract period. Vendors must maintain commercial general liability insurance at $1,000,000 per occurrence, workers' compensation insurance meeting North Carolina statutory requirements, and automobile liability insurance, and must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws including Federal Transit Administration requirements and civil rights laws. Required bid submissions include Non-Discrimination Provision certification, three client references, an Exceptions Form for any deviations from ITB terms, Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension, Byrd Anti-Lobbying Certification, Buy America Certification, and Addenda Receipt Confirmation. No incumbent contractor is identified in the solicitation documents, and no specific budget range or award value is disclosed; however, the pricing sheet indicates estimated costs including $142,326 for 2 units of the LOFL 30' differential and $1,576,036 for 22 units of the Gillig Sub/LOFL differential, suggesting a potential annual contract value in the range of $1.8 to $2.5 million based on the specified quantities and unit pricing provided.