Equip Rental w/operator D2 FHWA

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, is issuing a Request for Bid (RFB 605 2500000463) for equipment rental services with operators to support Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-eligible work in Highway District 2, which encompasses eleven counties (Caldwell, Christian, Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, Hopkins, McLean, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Union, and Webster). The procurement seeks hourly rates for twelve line items of heavy equipment with qualified operators, including three excavator configurations (bucket/grapple, hammer, and long-reach boom) with 50-hour estimated quantities, tandem dump trucks, small and large dozers, skid steer loaders, light plants, grinding attachments (10 hours), motor graders, escort trucks, and wheeled loaders, all with quantities ranging from 10 to 50 hours. All equipment must be furnished in excellent mechanical condition with fuel, lubrication, maintenance, and qualified operators included in the hourly rates. Bidders must establish routine work response times in calendar days and guarantee 48-hour emergency response with $750 per piece mobilization compensation for 24-hour delivery, with the Commonwealth guaranteeing a minimum of eight hours per work order. The bid closing date is February 26, 2025, at 1:30 PM Eastern Time, with a tentative award date of March 5, 2025, and the initial contract period running from award through February 28, 2026, with four optional one-year renewal periods available. Evaluation will utilize a best-value ranking approach weighted at 95 points for pricing and 5 points for response time, with bidders required to register in the Kentucky Vendor Self Service (VSS) eProcurement system at least 24-48 hours prior to bid closing and submit responses electronically only through that platform.

Contractors must comply with Federal Highway Administration eligibility requirements, Davis-Bacon Act wage determinations, and Buy America/Build America Act compliance, with a 0% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal applicable to this procurement. All bidders must carry general liability insurance with $1,000,000 limits and Kentucky workers' compensation insurance, listing the Commonwealth and its agents as additional insureds, with ACORD certificates required within ten days of award notification. Price adjustments are prohibited during the first twelve months of the contract; thereafter, any increases require documented justification based on industry-wide changes. Bidders must submit required affidavits addressing campaign finance compliance, resident bidder status, employee immigration status, and subcontractor compliance, along with non-collusion and non-discrimination certifications. Mobilization and demobilization costs, equipment delivery to job sites, and all tolls are the vendor's responsibility at no expense to the Transportation Cabinet. No incumbent vendors or budget ranges are specified in the solicitation documents, and no set-aside restrictions limit eligible bidder types beyond federal compliance requirements.