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  • Per diem lookup
Buy through us
Explore buy through us
Category management
Government property for sale or lease
Personal property (tangible goods)
Real property (real estate and buildings) for public use
Real property sales
Vehicle sales
Products and services
Human capital
Industrial products and services
Office management
Professional services
Security and protection
Transportation and logistics services
Purchasing programs
Assisted acquisition
Commercial platforms
Emergency acquisition basic ordering agreements
Federal strategic sourcing initiative
Fleet management
HCaTS and HCaTS SB
OASIS and OASIS SB
Requisition programs
State and local programs
Shared services
Payroll services
Support services for CABs
Sell to government
Explore sell to government
Step 1: Learn about government contracting
Ways you can sell to government
How to access contract opportunities
Conduct market research
Step 2: Compete for a contract
Register your business
Certify as a small business
Become a schedule holder
Market your business
Research active solicitations
Respond to a solicitation
What to expect during the award process
Step 3: Manage your contract
Comply with contractual requirements
Handle contract modifications
Monitor past performance evaluations
Real estate
Explore real estate
Design and construction
3D-4D building information modeling
Computer-aided design standards
Engineering
Project management information system
Prospectus thresholds
Facilities management
Security
Tenant services
Water quality management
Our properties
Owned and leased properties
Regional buildings
Renting property
Real estate services
Leasing
Real property disposal
Reimbursable services (RWA)
For businesses seeking opportunities
For workers in federal buildings
Voice of the customer
Workplace optimization
Commercial coworking
Federal coworking
Policy and regulations
Explore policy and regulations
Acquisition management policy
Aviation management policy
Information technology policy
Real property management policy
Relocation management policy
Travel management policy
Vehicle management policy
Regulations
Federal acquisition regulations
Federal management regulations
Federal travel regulations
Small business
Explore small business
Small business goals
Register your business
Explore business models
Research the federal market
Subcontracting and other partnerships
Forecast of contracting opportunities
Small business resources
Small business contacts
Small business events
Videos
Travel
Explore travel
Plan a trip
Per diem rates
Transportation (airfare rates, POV rates, etc.)
Lodging
Travel charge card
Travel and lodging services
E-gov travel service (ETS)
Rideshare
Travel category schedule
Federal travel regulation
Technology
Explore technology
Build websites and digital services
Purchasing programs
Cloud computing services
Cybersecurity products and services
Governmentwide acquisition contracts
MAS information technology
USAccess
Government initiatives
Artificial Intelligence
Cybersecurity
Emerging citizen technology
FedRAMP
Federal identity, credentials, and access management
Robotic process automation community
Technology modernization fund
Training
About us
Explore about us
Background and history
Overview
Mission and strategic goals
Role in presidential transitions
Careers
Get an internship
Launch your career
Elevate your professional career
Discover special hiring paths
Resources and related links
Events and training
Our training programs
Newsroom
Agency blog
Congressional testimony
GSA does that podcast
News releases
Speeches
Videos
Organization
Leadership directory
Federal Acquisition Service
Public Buildings Service
Staff offices
Regions
Region 1 | New England
Region 2 | Northeast and Caribbean
Region 3 | Mid-Atlantic
Region 4 | Southeast Sunbelt
Region 5 | Great Lakes
Region 6 | Heartland
Region 7 | Greater Southwest
Region 8 | Rocky Mountain
Region 9 | Pacific Rim
Region 10 | Northwest/Arctic
Region 11 | National Capital Region
Contact us
  1. Home
  2. Policy & regulations
  3. Policy
  4. Transportation Management Policy
  5. Make shipping decisions

Make shipping decisions

Next make some decisions based on the information you’ve gathered and requirements such as governing regulations, contract, or tender of service requirements.

Packaging and equipment

Determine whether you need anything special in terms of packaging, protection equipment, or a trailer such as flatbeds, box truck, tanker, etc.

Accessorial services

Decide whether your shipment requires services above the basic transportation service of moving goods from point a to point b — also known as accessorial services or accessorials.

  • Additional stops - the TSP is required to make more than one stop for pickup or delivery
  • After Hours, Weekend or Holiday Service - pickup or delivery is required outside normal business hours as defined by your agreement with the TSP
  • Dual Driver Service - the shipment requires two drivers
  • Exclusive use - the trailer is locked and sealed at origin and only the shipper’s load is permitted on the trailer
  • Extra Labor - the TSP must provide persons to load or unload freight
  • Forklift Service - the TSP is required to provide a forklift for loading or unloading the van
  • Fuel surcharge - a charge to cover the fluctuating cost of fuel
  • Hydraulic lift gate service - a hydraulic platform to lift freight from ground level up to the level of the truck when freight is picked up or delivered
  • Notification Charge - the TSP is required to notify the receiver to schedule delivery
  • Special Permits - shipment requires the TSP to acquire special permits such as oversize or overweight limits

Mode

Choose the mode(s) you will use. The mode is a method of transportation, such as rail, motor, air, water, pipeline, or multimodal (two or more modes).

Your shipping urgency and any special handling requirements determine which mode of transportation you select. Each mode has unique requirements for documentation, liability, size, weight and delivery time. Hazardous materials, radioactive, and other specialized cargo may require special permits and may limit your choices.

Certain shipments may require two or more modes (multimodal). For example to ship via air, rail, or ocean you may need to arrange to have the cargo delivered by a truck to the air, rail, or ocean carrier.

Container requirements

Transportation service providers (TSPs) usually bundle cargo into larger units that can be easily handled, moved, and stacked. The customary cargo unit varies by mode and vehicle. If you don’t have enough cargo to fill a unit, you may need to get the TSP to consolidate your goods with those of others.

Mode Customary cargo unit What to do if your cargo doesn’t fill a unit
rail container
  • What size containers are available?
  • Will the shipment fill a container or less than a container load (LCL)?
  • If LCL, you will need the cargo consolidated by a TSP.
motor truckload
  • What size truckloads are available?
  • Will the shipment fill a truckload or less than a truckload (LTL)?
  • TSPs may charge for dimensional or actual weight when shipping small parcels or LTL.
air pieces or pallets
  • Is the shipment going in pieces or on a pallet?
  • Ship pieces (not on a pallet) via a small package delivery service.
water container
  • What size containers are available?
  • Will the shipment fill a container or less than a container load (LCL)?
  • If LCL, you will need the cargo consolidated by a TSP.

Procurement method

Select the procurement option that best suits the situation.

Use one of our options

  1. Transportation Management Solutions Services 2.0 (TMSS 2.0)

    Use TMSS 2.0, our automated solution to manage your freight and household goods (HHG) shipments from booking a shipment online to settling the final bill.

    • Already have a login?
    • New federal customers

    Participating TMSS 2.0 TSPs consent to comply with a GSA tender of service, an agreement that includes rates and rules for performing general freight services for federal agencies.

    • The tender of service for freight is the Standard Tender of Service (STOS), and it can be found on the GSA Freight Management Program webpage.
    • The tender of service for HHG is the the Household Goods Tender of Service (HTOS) and it can be found by selecting “Reference Library” on the GSA Employee Relocation webpage.
  2. Multiple Awards Schedule (MAS) Transportation and Logistics Services Category

    Find pre-qualified contractors under the package delivery and packaging services subcategories.

Use another agency’s transportation contract

  • The agency issuing the contract must have
    • statutory authority to procure transportation on behalf of other agencies or
    • a delegation of authority from the GSA Administrator to procure transportation on behalf of other agencies
  • The contract must allow its use by other agencies

When shipping small parcels use the mandated solution, the Department of Defense’s Next Generation Delivery Services (NGDS) contract unless you have an approved exception.

Contract directly with the TSP

You must use the acquisition rules under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 47 Transportation.

Negotiate a government rate tender

A rate tender is an offer from a TSP to an agency for service rates and charges. You can negotiate a government rate tender under the authority of a government traffic statute, Title 49 U.S.Code Section 13712 for truck [PDF] or Title 49 U.S.Code Section 10721 for rail [PDF].

Find additional information on purchasing transportation at the Federal Management Regulations Subpart B—Acquiring Transportation or Related Services.

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Last updated: May 2, 2024
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When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.