Semi-Truck Lease

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, on behalf of the Department of Corrections, issued Request for Bid (RFB) 758 2400000517 for a semi-truck lease opportunity based in Elliott County. The procurement seeks to lease one tandem axle daycab tractor semi-truck, preferably a Freightliner with automatic transmission, to support statewide deliveries via major Kentucky highways including I-64, I-65, I-75, Bluegrass Parkway, Western Kentucky Parkway, and Mountain Parkway. The vehicle must accommodate estimated usage of up to 1,000 miles per week (50,000 miles annually) with a 45,000-pound towing capacity and a maximum speed setting of 75 mph, and will be based at 1041 Leestown Road, Frankfort, Kentucky when not in use. The full-service lease 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. Vendors' written questions were due by March 20, 2024, at 10:00 AM ET, with bids required by March 27, 2024, at 1:30 PM ET via electronic submission through the Commonwealth's eProcurement system. The initial contract term is two years from the award date with four optional one-year renewal periods. Award will be determined using a best-value approach with 90 points allocated for price (with the lowest bid receiving maximum points and others scored proportionally), 10 points for delivery timeliness measured in working days, and a pass/fail requirement for three years of demonstrated experience with similar projects.

Kentucky resident bidders and qualified bidders, including Kentucky Correctional Industries, are eligible to receive reciprocal and preferential scoring adjustments as evaluation criteria. Bidders must maintain Contractor's General Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, plus automobile/truck liability coverage of $1,000,000 combined single limit, with certificates of insurance provided prior to award and naming the Commonwealth as additional insured. Prices must remain firm for the initial 24-month term, with any subsequent increases permissible only upon written justification based on industry-wide changes and approval by the Office of Procurement Services. Prices must be quoted as F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed, excluding federal excise tax and Kentucky sales or use tax. Late deliveries incur a one percent daily deduction from invoices. The Finance and Administration Cabinet reserves the right to deem vendors ineligible for non-compliance with solicitation requirements and terms, and may consider past vendor performance records, potentially disqualifying vendors with poor performance within the last 12 months. No specific budget range or award value was disclosed in the solicitation documents.