Freight Management Program

GSA provides agencies with standardized and cost effective transportation services. Below you will find current GSA Freight requests for offers (RFOs) and standard tender of service (STOS).

General information and approval documents for freight transportation service providers (TSPs)

Standard tender of service

The GSA standard tender of service (STOS) serves as the base document for the transportation of freight-all-kinds (FAK) shipments by federal civilian agencies and other eligible organizations utilizing the services of GSA Freight Management branch.

The STOS is comprised of three parts:

  1. GSA No. 2, Freight STOS establishes carrier approval requirements, solicitation and submission of rate offer procedures, performance requirements, service standards, and non-use procedures
  2. GSA No. 200, Uniform Rules Tariff describes all accessorial and rule tariffs
  3. GSA Baseline Rate Publication No. 1000-D describes all carrier and bureau line haul tariffs

Rate offers for the transportation of FAK shipments, solicited and accepted in accordance with the STOS, provides federal civilian agencies and other eligible organizations with the most economical and responsive transportation rates and services.

Freight request for offers

The request for offers (RFOs) is the process by which GSA invites TSPs to submit rates to provide transportation services for the shipment of freight. The RFO transmits the special filing instructions for the submission of rate offers.

TSPs who have been approved by the Freight Management branch and have agreed to abide by the STOS terms, conditions, and associated supplements, are eligible to file rates. RFOs are issued prior to rate filing periods.

Our STOS establishes a uniform basis for buying freight transportation through our rules and accessorial services. GSA solicitation and acceptance of rates and charges provide highly competitive pricing, which in many cases includes the solicitation and acceptance of rates specific to an agency’s facility and traffic characteristics. Read the TSP rate filing instructions [PDF - 1 MB].

Last Reviewed: 2022-12-20