Tire Leasing Services

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, operating as Trinity Metro, is issuing a Request for Proposal for a five-year tire leasing services agreement to supply and deliver tires for its diverse fleet of fixed-route transit buses, on-demand vehicles, paratransit services, and staff vehicles, with Year 1 estimated annual mileage of 6,444,408 miles. Qualified proposers must demonstrate extensive experience managing transit tire lease programs of comparable scale, maintain adequate local inventory, perform quarterly tire inventories, and provide documentation of 100% tire recycling compliance. Key requirements include providing at least two full-time tire technicians with a minimum of five years' experience in wheel maintenance and bus tire service, installing a stationary wheel cleaner at Trinity Metro's garage within 30 days of contract execution, and submitting firm, fixed tire mileage rates for each tire type with no adjustments across the five-year contract period; start-up costs must be identified and spread evenly across all contract years, while monthly service charges covering tire technician labor and maintenance services must be firm for each contract year with provisions for annual wage adjustments aligned to Trinity Metro's Mechanic II rates. The evaluation criteria allocate 30 points to technical qualifications and experience, 25 points to inventory and service management capability, 25 points to technical approach and methodology including tire brand durability and recycling strategy, and 20 points to pricing and cost effectiveness. Proposers must submit responses by April 2, 2026 at 2:00 PM CST, with written questions due by March 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST; the contract is expected to be executed in April 2026 with an effective date of May 1, 2026, running through April 30, 2031. Responses are limited to a maximum of 30 pages, excluding forms and appendices, and must include mandatory certifications such as debarment certification, conflict of interest acknowledgment, non-collusion affidavit, and anti-boycott verification.

The RFP does not identify any set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to specific organization types, though comprehensive insurance requirements must be met, including $1 million combined single limits for automobile liability, $2 million for commercial general liability, and workers' compensation with a $1 million employer's liability cap. No incumbent vendor is identified for this procurement, indicating this is a new contract opportunity with no existing contractor to transition from. The specific contract award value or budget range is not disclosed in the available documentation; however, pricing will be evaluated as part of the best-value determination, with the contract to be awarded to the responsive, responsible proposer offering the greatest overall value to Trinity Metro. Given the scale of operations with over 6.4 million miles annually and the comprehensive service requirements, interested firms should be prepared to demonstrate substantial operational capacity and financial stability to support this five-year agreement.