Semi-Truck Lease

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, on behalf of the Department of Corrections, is soliciting bids for the lease of 24 tandem axle daycab tractor semi-trucks to support Kentucky Correctional Industries operations. The full-service lease agreement must include labor, parts, fluids, tire replacement and repair, 24/7/365 emergency roadside assistance, vehicle substitution during mechanical failures, preventive maintenance inspections, and federal annual safety inspections. Each vehicle must have a towing capacity of 45,000 pounds and be capable of handling estimated annual mileage of up to 50,000 miles with weekly mileage not exceeding 1,000 miles. The initial contract period is two years from the date of award, with two optional two-year renewal periods available by mutual written agreement. Bidders must demonstrate a minimum of three years of experience with similar leasing projects and submit proposals including both monthly and mileage rates, quoted FOB Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed, excluding federal excise tax and Kentucky sales or use tax. The award will be determined on a best-value basis using the following measurable criteria: Price (90 points, with the lowest bidder receiving maximum points and others scored proportionally), Delivery (10 points, based on stated working days with one percent deducted daily from invoices for missed deadlines), and Experience (Pass/Fail requirement). Vendors' written questions were due February 9, 2024, at 10:00 AM ET, and bid closing is February 16, 2024, at 1:30 PM ET; a bidders' conference line will be available at 844-603-5060, participant code 44510, at 3:30 PM ET on the bid closing date. Equipment will be shipped to and billed through Kentucky Correctional Industries located at 1041 Leestown Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, with statewide deliveries made via major routes including Interstates 64, 65, 75, Bluegrass Parkway, Western Kentucky Parkway, and Mountain Parkway. The Commonwealth prefers a Freightliner semi-tractor with automatic transmission and 75 mph maximum speed, with delivery desired as soon as possible.

All bidders must be registered in the Kentucky eProcurement System and submit responses electronically; paper bids are not acceptable. Bidders must comply with affidavit requirements including campaign finance certifications under Kentucky Revised Statutes 45A.110 and 45A.115, with affidavits executed before a notary public and effective for one year from execution. Resident bidder status requires certification that the entity is authorized to transact business in Kentucky and has maintained corporate income tax filings, unemployment insurance fund payments, and workers' compensation coverage for at least one year prior to and through the contract advertisement date, with resident bidders receiving reciprocal preference equal to preferences given by the bidder's home state under KRS 45A.490-494. Kentucky Correctional Industries qualifies for a 20 percent preference based on maximum points awarded. All vendors must carry general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, plus automobile/truck liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, with the Finance and Administration Cabinet named as additional insured. Price increases are prohibited during the first twelve months of the contract; thereafter, increases may be requested only with written justification based on industry-wide changes, and price decreases must be reflected immediately. No current incumbent vendor is identified in the solicitation. The Commonwealth reserves the right to cancel the RFB if responses exceed available funding, and all contracts are subject to Kentucky law with disputes resolved in Franklin Circuit Court. No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the available solicitation documents.