Special Item Number (SIN) 485

Ground Transportation

Requirements

10/1/2019

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Contents

1. SIN Description ........................................................................................................................ 2

2. Scope ....................................................................................................................................... 2

3. General Requirements............................................................................................................. 2

4. Reporting Requirements ......................................................................................................... 3

5. Specific Requirements............................................................................................................. 5

6. Specific Requirements Applicable to Emergency Bus Evacuation Services............................ 8

7. Definitions................................................................................................................................ 9
Special Item Number (SIN) 485

Ground Transportation

Requirements

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1. SIN Description 

SIN: 485 Ground Transportation 

NAICS: 4853200, 485991, 485999

OPEN TO ALL SOURCES

The General Services Administration (GSA) offers the opportunity to acquire ground passenger 

transportation service through its GSA schedules program and leverage the Government’s purchasing 

power by soliciting for ground transportation services using van, motor coach (bus), ambulance, taxicab 

or limousine for both scheduled and unscheduled routes. The Contractor shall provide professional 

ground transportation services to assist the Government in meeting its driver/shuttle needs. Services 

include, but are not limited to, the following:

Single Passenger Transport Driver Services Passenger Assistance

Multiple Passenger Transport Shuttle Services Package Support

VIP Transport Bus Services

Airport Transport Ambulette and Ambulance Services

2. Scope

The Contractor shall:

a) Provide a full range of services necessary to satisfy ordering agencies’ ground 

transportation requirements. The Government is seeking services that industry normally 

accords to commercial customers.

b) Be capable of providing services for ordering agencies with multiple organizational levels 

and geographic locations nationwide and/or worldwide.

c) Be capable of handling multiple task orders simultaneously.

d) Contractors may offer this SIN for performance 1) regionally, 2) domestically or 3) 

worldwide. Contractors offering on a regional basis must specify the area in which 

services are being offered for consideration. Please further specify the domestic 

coverage area (i.e. “48 contiguous states + D.C.”, or “all states and U.S. territories”). If 

offering worldwide, please also specify the domestic coverage area as indicated.

3. General Requirements

The Contractor shall:

a) Provide commercial ground transportation services using vans, ambulances, motor coach 

(bus), taxicab or limousine for both scheduled and unscheduled routes. Services can be used 

for single or multiple passenger shuttle transportation between and among specified 

locations; driver services; airport transport; VIP transport, etc. within or between cities.

b) Furnish all vehicles, insurance, drivers, supervision, maintenance, equipment, and operating 
Special Item Number (SIN) 485

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supplies/services, and perform all services necessary to provide passenger ground 

transportation services for ordering agencies.

c) Provide driver-only services to operate Government owned/rented/leased vehicles as 

specified by the ordering agency. In such cases the Government will provide the vehicle, and 

maintenance.

d) Ensure that its firm and staff maintain any generally required professional certification, 

accreditation, license, bond, and proficiency relative to their area of expertise. The Contractor 

shall retain documentation of such records. The Government will not pay for expenses to 

meet this requirement.

e) Fuel may be provided by the Government or by contractor, as stipulated in task orders issued 

under this contract.

f) In the event of a recovery purchase, contractor may be required to provide and implement 

close-out and shutdown procedures.

4. Reporting Requirements

The Contractor shall:

a) Provide Government agencies with standard commercial and custom reports as requested. This 

includes, but is not limited to, the number of passengers and packages transported by day and 

time; passenger lists; mileage; etc.

b) Identify commercial reports that are available to enhance an agency’s ability to manage its 

ground transportation program. Reports should be available on a monthly, quarterly and yearly 

basis, and have the ability to roll up data at an aggregate level for the agency.

c) Provide all passenger information for transactions paid by all forms of payment, including, but not 

limited to Government Charge Card will be in all reports

d) Provide GSA with a quarterly report, electronically, that details each ordering agency’s ground 

passenger expenditures for the given report period, and provide individual and cumulative total 

across all agencies serviced, by type of service ordered for the fiscal year report period. See 

required data fields below.

The Government operates on a fiscal year basis of October 1 through September 30 of each 

year. The report is due by the 30th calendar day after the end of each report period as indicated 

below:

Service Provided Between Services Report Due to GSA By

January 1 and March 31 April 30

April 1 and June 30 July 30

July 1 and September 30 October 30

October 1 and December 31 January 30

Electronic Submittal. The information shall be provided in an electronic commercial format 

readable in Microsoft Excel 2010 and uploaded into the Sales Reporting Portal 

(SRP) https://srp.fas.gsa.gov/ as an attachment to the contractor’s quarterly IFF and sales 

reporting.
Special Item Number (SIN) 485

Ground Transportation

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Required Data Fields. The minimum data fields to be reported are:

Delivery Services

Type of Service Agency Number of

Transactions*

(List by Type of Service

Ordered)

Dollar Value of

Transactions*

(List by Type of service

ordered)

Accessorial Services

Accessorial Services 

Description

Agency Number of

Transactions*

(List by type of Service

Ordered)

Dollar Value of

Transactions*

(List by type of service

ordered)

* NOTE: Each individual accessorial is also considered a “type of service” ordered. For each 

accessorial charge, identify and name the accessorial and list the total number of accessorials used 

and the total dollar amount for each accessorial used during the period reported.

Failure to Submit Reports. The failure to submit a report or in the proper format with required 

information in two (2) consecutive quarters and or three (3) of four (4) quarters may result in 

negative evaluation when considering performance rating for renewing options and may result in 

termination of the Contract. Contractors with contracts on file for this SIN are required to submit a 

report even if no services were provided during the quarter. 

Fraudulent Use: The contractor shall provide the GSA Contracting Officer a quarterly report listing 

any suspected fraudulent use of the schedule by authorized or unauthorized users (e.g. using the 

schedule for personal use vs. official Government purposes). Contractors may report suspected 

fraudulent use to the GSA Contracting Officer at any time.

The information shall include, at a minimum, the agency, account number, name and address of 

account, point of contact and phone number for the account, shipping and billing information 

including the sender and recipient, origin and destination addresses, and proof of delivery. The 

contractor shall provide the relevant information and the reason why it suspects fraudulent use of 

the Government account number, including names, dates, phone numbers, origin and destination 

information for suspected shipments, billing and payment information, and any action taken by the 

Contractor.

Customized Reports:

(1) The Contractor, if offered commercially, shall provide upon request of the Government

agency, customized reports on service performed under this contract.

(2) The specific data elements of the report will be outlined in the Task Order.
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GSA Contracting Office:

From time to time, the GSA Contracting Office may require and the Contractor shall provide 

agency-specific data on the contract services provided (e.g., number of transactions per service, 

associated sales, etc.) to respond to Congressional, policy, management or OMB inquiries about a 

specific agency. This is separate from other reporting requirements identified herein.

5. Specific Requirements

The Contractor shall perform the following: 

a) Operating Authority and Compliance:

1) Contractors that operate ground transportation services as a carrier of 8 or more 

passengers, shall provide proof of compliance annually with the US Department of 

Transportation (DOT) Safer System found at https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. Proof of 

compliance includes updated MCS150 applications every 24 months as required by DOT.

2) Shall provide on award, and on the anniversary of award date, proof of carriers’ updated 

Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) and Power Unit (PU) data to ensure that it is current and 

accurate with the MCS-150 carrier registration information with DOT. Outdated or 

inaccurate data could negatively affect your safety assessment. If safety assessment is 

less than satisfactory or exceeds an intervention threshold for a safety category (i.e: 

Unsafe Driving, Hours of Service compliance, driver fitness, controlled substances and 

alcohol, vehicle maintenance, crash indicator, etc.), this will be grounds to terminate your 

contract. 

3) The Contractor shall have and maintain current charter or common carrier operating 

authority as required by the appropriate regulatory agencies. The Contractor shall comply 

with all stipulations and representations required by any Federal, State, Municipal or local 

laws or executive orders, or any applicable rules, orders, regulations, or requirements of 

any commercial carriers.

4) Ensure all drivers and equipment are in compliance with the Department of 

Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Regulations, 

including a Safety Measurement System rating that does not exceed the intervention 

threshold as defined by DOT. Safety Rating must be, at a minimum “satisfactory” (see 

http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS/ to look up Safety Ratings).

5) Ensure all vehicles have the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) 

Numbers for all vehicles involved in interstate commerce, whether they are private 

carriers or for hire carrier. These DOT numbers shall be provided to the Contracting 

Officer prior to award of any contract.

6) Ensure that limousine services are in compliance with 49 C.F.R. Parts 390-399 of 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR).

7) Ensure that shuttle buses are in compliance with 49 CFR Part 38 – Americans and 

Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Specifications for Transportation Vehicles.

8) Ensure vehicles are accessible for standard or motorized wheelchairs or motor scooters, 

which includes appropriate locking devices when required by ordering agency.

9) For task order purposes, DOD may require the contractor to be on DOD’s Approved 

Carrier List for the term of the order.
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10) In the event landline and wireless communications may be unstable or unreliable, 

contractor shall ensure there is adequate back-up communication between central 

dispatch, field staff, bus operators and other parties as specified in task orders placed 

under this contract.

b) Vehicle and Passenger Safety: 

The Contractor shall:

1) Comply with the generally accepted standards for vehicle operation and maintenance 

practices. As a minimum, the contractor shall comply with all provisions, applicable 

statutes and agreements which may affect safety, and with all Department of 

Transportation and State regulations, directives, orders, rules and standards. Compliance 

with published standards may not, standing alone, constitute compliance with generally 

accepted standards of operation, training or maintenance.

2) Ensure all operating equipment is properly maintained. Contractor must have in place a 

company program ensuring the systematic inspection and maintenance of all vehicles in 

the carrier’s control. All parts and accessories must be in safe and reliable operating 

conditions at all times. This includes vehicles’ brake system, hazard and warning signals, 

head lamps or lights, parking brake system, reflective material strip and tail lamps, turn 

signals and other accessories that may affect the safe operation of the vehicles.

3) Provide a copy of vehicle maintenance records upon request of the agency.

4) In the event of an accident or failure of a vehicle, the contractor’s driver shall do his/her 

utmost to ensure the safety of all passengers. The contractor shall immediately dispatch 

vehicle(s) to the scene to transport stranded passengers while simultaneously notifying 

the customer agency of the incident and any/all actions taken. The Contractor shall be 

required to repair or replace inoperative vehicle within one (1) hour, beginning from the 

time the vehicle is first determined to be inoperative. The services shall not be considered 

restored until the contractor officially notifies the customer agency. If the Contractor fails 

to repair or replace inoperative vehicle with a similar vehicle as outlined, the agency, at 

its option, may elect to secure a replacement vehicle from other sources, regardless of 

the reasons that caused the downtime. The contractor shall be assessed for any cost 

incurred by the customer agency in securing replacement services.

5) Comply with the Department of Transportation (DOT) safety inspections ensuring that 

each vehicle used in the performance of this contract be inspected in accordance with the 

inspection requirements of the state/local governmental regions in which the vehicle is 

garaged and ensure that all vehicle (s) used to transport Government employees meet 

the local and state inspection safety requirements. A current certificate of inspection must 

be available for review by the ordering agency.

6) Prior to departure from the origin point, each driver may be requested to present to the 

federal agency a Vehicle Condition Report, indicating a bus standard or service/safety 

inspection was conducted by the carrier prior to dispatch from the company offices.

7) Keep records and logs of mileage, maintenance, accidents and repairs, and so forth, for 

all vehicles used under this contract for verification purposes. The Contractor shall keep 

vehicle inspection records in the location where the vehicles are maintained or garaged, 

for at least 1 year.

8) The Contractor shall also maintain employee-training records, documenting training 

required by the Contractor and equipment operator training and safety training. The 

records shall be made available to the customer agencies upon request.
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Ground Transportation

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c) Insurance:

The Contractor shall:

1) Possess and maintain adequate liability insurance in accordance with state or local 

regulations to cover both drivers and vehicles being operated by the drivers at his/her 

own expense.

2) Furnish copies of current insurance coverage for each passenger vehicle required by the 

applicable regulatory authorities.

3) Ensure that all vehicle(s) used to transport Government employees and authorized users 

meet the local and state insurance requirements.

4) Possess and maintain insurance coverage for Interstate/Intrastate carriers in the amount 

required by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA)/state regulatory body, 

respectively. Contractors operating both intrastate and interstate are required to comply 

with FHA insurance requirements.

5) Possess and maintain general liability insurance of at least $1,500,000 for any vehicles 

with a seating capacity of 15 or less (including the driver) and $5,000,000 if vehicle has a 

seating capacity of 16 or more passengers.

6) Possess and maintain evidence of Worker’s Compensation Insurance or a written 

explanation as to why the Contractor is exempt from the requirement.

7) Provide proof of insurance upon request. Proof of commercial insurance is not required 

for those carriers self-insured under FHA/DOT criterion.

d) Indemnification: 

The Contractor shall:

1) Agree to indemnify and save harmless agency from and against any claims brought 

against agency and liabilities incurred by agency arising from driver’s relationship with 

driver’s employees, whether under industrial accident laws, worker’s compensation laws, 

or any other federal, state, or municipal laws, rules, regulations, and orders applicable to 

the relationship between employers and employees.

2) The Government will not be responsible for violations incurred by the operator or citation 

issued for deficiencies of the vehicle. Contractor shall agree to indemnify and save 

harmless the Government agency from and against any claims brought against the 

Agency and liabilities incurred by the Agency arising from Driver’s relationship with 

Driver’s employees

e) Driver:

The Contractor shall comply with the following:

1) All drivers must meet and be in compliance with all state licensing requirements as 

outlined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The Contractor, as 

an independent contractor, and not as an agent of the Government, shall at his/her own 

expense, obtain and maintain the necessary permits, franchises, licenses, or other 

authorizations and certifications required of commercial carriers to lawfully perform the 

services required under this contract.

2) Ensure all drivers assigned to work under this contract are trained, fully qualified, have no 
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criminal or police record, have a safe driving record, have a good command of the 

English language (both verbal and written). Vehicles shall be operated by drivers who 

meet all state and local licensing and insurance requirements. Contractor shall ensure all 

drivers obey all traffic rules and regulations, including posted speed limits, traffic signals 

and director/parking signs in compliance with applicable state and local laws.

3) Ensure drivers are routinely tested for drug and alcohol violations. The Contractor driver’s 

annual summary of drug and alcohol testing records will be provided upon request as 

part of the inspection in accordance with 49 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 382 and 

391. Such services will be at the company’s own expense.

4) Drivers shall assist passengers with any luggage, including loading the luggage into the 

vehicle upon pick-up, and retrieving the luggage from the vehicle upon drop-off.

5) Drivers, if necessary, shall offer assistance to all passengers into and out of a vehicle that 

has a high entrance step. This may include placement of a stepping stool below the 

entrance to make entering and exiting the vehicle easier for passengers.

6) Drivers may be required to make circuitous routes in order to pick-up or drop-off 

passengers at different locations. In such situations, in order to save time and avoid 

backtracking, drivers shall attempt to get to the next location that is closest first, and so 

on.

f) Hours of Operation and Geographic Coverage: 

The Contractor shall:

1) Provide ground transportation service on a daily basis (Monday through Friday), except 

on Federal holidays and other non-work days or official closings observed by the Federal 

Government. Ordering agencies may require contractors to provide off-hour ground

transportation support, as stipulated in task orders placed under this contract.

2) Provide ground transportation services for ordering agencies with multiple organizational 

levels and geographic locations nationwide and/or worldwide. 

3) The contractor shall be capable of handling multiple task orders simultaneously.

g) Government Furnished Property: 

The ordering agency may provide the vehicle, maintenance and fuel, etc. when driver only 

services are required.

h) Security: 

The Contractor shall comply with the security procedures in effect at the Federal Government 

facility and/or customer agency installations.

6. Specific Requirements Applicable to Emergency Bus 

Evacuation Services

Contractors may elect to provide services in support of emergency bus evacuations events 

coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) in response to national 

or natural disasters. Contractors, when awarded this additional service, must comply with the 

additional terms outlined below. 
Special Item Number (SIN) 485

Ground Transportation

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Emergency Bus Evacuation Services General Requirements

The Contractor will provide these services :

a) Be able to provide CONUS scope contingent upon activation of FEMA support services.

b) Provide a minimum of 1% ADA compliant coaches of the total required per task order under 

emergency events in lieu of the ground transportation Requirement document “Ensure that 

shuttle buses are in compliance with 49 CFR Part 38 – Americans and Disabilities Act (ADA) 

Accessibility Specifications for Transportation Vehicles.”

c) Offer emergency evacuation services 24/7 response.

d) Accept/reject task orders within 4 hours after receipt.

e) Identify alternative minimum order limitations.

f) Identify the places of origin for all subcontractors for purposes of Service Contract Labor 

Standards Act compliance.

g) Firms offering this support must also offer transportation consulting services under 

SIN 541614SVC Supply and Value Chain Management.

h) Support both operational planning of their response to a specific evacuation and to assist 

federal, state, and local emergency planners in developing preparedness plans.

i) Indicate that they will participate in Recovery Purchasing under the GSA Schedule Program 

as set forth in Section 833 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization for Fiscal Year 

2007.

Emergency Bus Evacuation Services Pricing Requirements

The Contractor will provide these services including the following pricing specific to these services:

a) Emergency Plan Response Consultation and Preparation fee

b) Planning and Staging Base pricing per Bus Day, which shall include coach, driver, fuel, driver 

food and driver lodging.

c) Propose alternate pricing structures based upon scenarios where the customer requires buses to 

be parked for extensive periods of time.

d) Propose alternate pricing structures based upon scenarios where the Federal Government

provides fuel and/or food and/or lodging.

e) Include the statement “All travel and per diem costs associated with the delivery of these services 

is included in the fixed price Bus Day rate herein or provided by the Government and will not be 

billed separately.” 

f) Any cancellation fees that apply. For example: if an ordering agency has requested an 

Emergency Plan response, and the Contractor has provided a plan of action, has busses fueled 

and stationed in preparation, but the ordering agency cancels its request, or the need fails to 

materialize, a cancellation fee will apply to cover the contractor’s emergency preparation costs.

7. Definitions

Accessorial Charges or Accessorials: A fee charged to an existing charge that is supplementary 

to the line-haul. Typical accessorials may include but is not limited to: administration fees, offloading 

fees, local shipping or delivery charges, handling fees, or fluctuating fuel surcharges.

Ambulette Services: Can include but are not limited to a specially equipped motor vehicle for 

transporting convalescing or handicapped individuals and/or those that may or may not need 

wheelchair and/or gurney services, para-transit, senior citizens and special needs passenger 

transportation services. These services may also include oxygen tanks. Services may also offer 
Special Item Number (SIN) 485

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pricing for various personnel needed for transporting convalescing or handicapped people. The 

contractor’s motor vehicles and employees transporting customers shall comply with all applicable 

Federal, State and local laws, executive orders, rules and regulations applicable to its performance 

under this contract in accordance with the locations it services.

Ambulance Services: Can include but are not limited to a specially equipped motor vehicle for the 

transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or 

injury. These services may also include oxygen tanks. Services may also offer pricing for various 

personnel, such as EMT or appropriate medical personnel needed for transporting the sick or injured 

individuals. The contractor’s motor vehicles and employees transporting customers shall comply with 

all applicable Federal, State and local laws, executive orders, rules and regulations applicable to its 

performance under this contract in accordance with the locations it services.

Bus Carriers: Carriers operating motor vehicles authorized by the Federal Highway Administration 

or State regulatory bodies to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver, passengers and 

their baggage for compensation.

Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV): A vehicle employed in interstate commerce that is “designed or 

used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation.”

CONUS: Continental United States, which is the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (FMCSR): Part 49, Code of Federal Regulations under 

web site: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov. 

FIPS: Federal Information Processing Standards. Publication 95-1 lists the 4-digit codes for each

Federal agency. This publication is available at http://www.itl.nist.gov/fipspubs/fip95-1.htm.

Fiscal Year: October 1 through September 30

Fuel Surcharge: A fee added to an existing charge to cover the rise in costs of gasoline or diesel 

fuel. A surcharge may be either a fixed amount per transaction or an amount calculated as a 

percentage of the charge. Fuel Surcharges, if charged, must be disclosed in the accessorial chart of 

the Pricing Proposal.

Industrial Funding Fee (IFF): The IFF reimburses the General Services Administration for the costs 

incurred in procuring and managing the Transportation, Delivery and Relocation Solution schedule. 

The IFF is to be built into the RSVP pricing offered.

Limo/Van Carriers: Commercial carriers operating motor vehicles authorized by State or Federal 

authorities to transport no more than 16 passengers including the driver and passengers’ baggage.

Limousine: Means a stretch limousine or any of the four-door, full-size luxury vehicles having a 

standard seating capacity for Limo/Van Carriers or Non-Commercial Motor Vehicle (non-CMV) 

operators or carriers operating motor vehicles authorized by State or Federal authorities to transport 

no more than 15 passengers, the driver and the passengers’ baggage.

Motor Coach: A vehicle designed for long distance transportation of passengers, characterized by 

integral construction with an elevated passenger deck located over a baggage compartment. It’s at 

least 35 feet in length and transports 30 passengers or more.

OCONUS: Refers to “outside the Continental United States” that is, any country, state or possession 

outside of the lower 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Shuttle: A motor vehicle with a seating capacity of 7 or more passengers engaged in the business of 
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carrying passengers for hire, or offering to carry passengers for hire, except motor vehicles used as 

taxicabs, ambulances, sightseeing tour vehicles, and except limousines rented with drivers by 

contract.

Taxicabs: A type of public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers; typically 

for a non-shared ride. A taxicab is a vehicle for hire which conveys passengers between locations of 

their choice.

Van: A motor vehicle used to transport passengers.

Vehicle: A motor vehicle as defined in the Motor Vehicle Act.

Vehicle Condition Report: A bus standard or service/safety inspection conducted by the contractor 

prior to dispatch from the company offices.