Transport services, heavy off-road equipment

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for transport services of heavy off-road equipment on a term contract basis, funded with federal FEMA dollars. The procurement seeks quotes for two types of specialized transport services: "Landall" type transport vehicles with a minimum 48-foot length, 102-inch width, and 112,000-pound GCVWR capacity equipped with hydraulic winches, and "Low-boy" type transport vehicles with 100,000-pound GVWR capacity. Both services must include operator and escort vehicle support as needed, with estimated annual emergency quantities of 134 hours for Landall transport and 140 hours for Low-boy transport. The scope encompasses pick-up and delivery of County off-road heavy equipment throughout various County locations during hurricane or disaster events, with the successful bidder responsible for all loading and offloading operations. Compensation is based on hourly rates quoted by vendors, with a minimum one-hour charge for services completed in less than one hour and subsequent time billable in quarter-hour increments, plus a fixed $30 per hour rate for escort vehicle services. All costs including supervision, labor, equipment, materials, tools, fuel, mobilization, and demobilization must be included in the base hourly rate. Qualified bidders must provide evidence of three references for similar services within the past three years, a detailed list of transport equipment with specifications, proof of required insurance coverage (Commercial General Liability, Business Auto Liability, and Motor Truck Cargo all at $500,000 minimum, plus Workers' Compensation), maintain current CDL Class A licensure and vehicle registration, possess oversize load permits, and provide a 24-hour emergency contact number. Award will be made on an all-or-none basis to the lowest responsive and responsible quoter who must quote all items to be considered. The RFQ submission deadline was July 12, 2018, at 4:00 p.m. Palm Beach County local time, and the contract would be issued for an initial 12-month term or until the estimated amount is expended at the County's discretion, with an option to renew for four additional 12-month periods.

The solicitation documentation does not identify any specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular categories of organizations, disadvantaged enterprises, or minority-owned businesses. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are listed in the available procurement materials, nor are there references to existing infrastructure or technology requiring integration with the selected vendor's services. Specific award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the RFQ; however, the estimated annual quantities of 134 hours for Landall transport and 140 hours for Low-boy transport services provide prospective bidders with baseline utilization projections for pricing purposes. Given the federal FEMA funding source and the disaster response nature of the services, vendors should anticipate potential activation on an emergency basis with limited notice requirements.