[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 111 (Wednesday, June 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31761-31762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-15465]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Proposed Implementation of the Defense Table of Official 
Distances (DTOD) in the DoD Personal Property Program

AGENCY: Military Traffic Management Command, DoD.

ACTION: Notice (Request for Comments).

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SUMMARY: The Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC), as Program 
Director for the Department of Defense (DoD) Personal Property Program, 
intends to utilize a new automated distance calculation product known 
as the Defense Table of Official Distances (DTOD) in the DoD personal 
property program. The DTOD will replace existing distance calculation 
products used within the DoD such as the Rand McNally TDM Milemaker 
System, and Household Goods Carriers' Mileage Guide. The DTOD will 
become the DoD standard source for distance information worldwide. 
Commercially, DTOD is known as PC*MILER by ALK Associates, Inc. The 
DTOD/PC*MILER will be used by the DoD for all distance calculations, 
analysis, and for transportation payments/audits. Carriers and third 
party providers may continue to use other mileage sources for their own 
business purposes. However, carriers and third party providers 
participating in the DoD personal property program must agree to be 
bound by the DTOD/PC*MILER distance calculations for payment and audit 
purposes.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Headquarters, Military Traffic 
Management Command, ATTN: MTOP-T, Room 617, 5611 Columbia Pike, Falls 
Church, VA 22041-5050.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Additional information concerning the DTOD for MTMC Personal Property 
Program can be provided by contacting Mr. Alex Moreno (Domestic 
solicitation) (703) 681-6190 or Ms. Shelia R. Woodson (International 
solicitation) (703) 681-9383. Information regarding DTOD Compliant 
Commercial Software and Other Technical Information can be provided by 
contacting ALK Associates, Inc. at 1 (800) 377-MILE or on the Internet 
at www.pcmiler.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. The proposed effective dates for use of the DTOD in the DoD 
personal property program will be: (A) 1 April 1999 for the 
international thru government bill of lading (ITGBL) rate solicitation; 
and (B) 1 May 1999 for the domestic rate solicitation. All shipments 
picked up on or after the effective dates will be governed by the DTOD.
    2. In accordance with this implementation process, the ITGBL Rate 
Solicitation, Item 405 (Governing Regulations), paragraph a, will be 
revised as follows: a. ITGBL shipments made under this solicitation are 
subject to the terms and conditions of the PPGBL, the rules and 
regulations contained herein, and the carrier Tender of Service on file 
with HQMTMC. Where rates or other services are based on mileage, the 
distance or mileage computations shall be those provided in the Defense 
Table of Official Distances (DTOD).
    3. The Domestic Rate Solicitation, Item 10, (Governing mileage 
guide), paragraph 1 and 4, will be revised as follows: paragraph 1. 
Where rates or other services are based on mileage, the distance or 
mileage computations shall be those provided in the Defense Table of 
Official Distances (DTOD); paragraph 4 will be deleted.
    4. DTOD and PC*MILER will produce identical distance calculations. 
Carriers and other parties who seek more information about PC*MILER may 
contact ALK Associates Inc. at telephone 1-800-377-MILE, or via 
Internet at www.pcmiler.com.
    5. Proposed Implementation Dates. The schedule for use of the DTOD/
PC*MILER in distance calculations, payment, and post payment audits for 
shipments under the DoD International Government Bill of Lading Rate 
Solicitation is 1 April 1999 and for the DoD Domestic Rate Solicitation 
is 1 May 1999.
    6. Background. Currently, several sources for highway distance 
information are being used to support various DoD transportation 
programs, such as travel, travel entitlement reimbursement, freight and 
personal property movements. Moreover, separate products are used to 
calculate overseas distances. The result is a variance in distance 
computations produced by different products and a high cost to DoD of 
licensing and maintaining multiple mileage sources.
    a. Until 1996, DoD was required by law to maintain an official 
mileage table

[[Page 31762]]

for payment of travel and transportation allowances, known as the 
Official Table of Distances. The FY96 Defense Authorization Act deleted 
this requirement, thus providing the opportunity to use a commercial 
mileage product. MTMC announced a plan to convert to a new automated 
mileage standard calculation product in the previous Federal Register 
notice (Vol. 62, No. 218, page 60692) Wednesday, November 12, 1997. In 
seeking a single integrated source of automated highway distance 
calculations, the MTMC contracted with Science Applications 
International Corporation (SAIC) to perform a market survey of 
available products (Phase I) and to provide a product that would 
support DoD transportation programs (Phase II). SAIC in turn conducted 
a commercial competition to identify and acquire a commercial-off-the-
shelf, point-to-point distance calculation source that would meet all 
the DoD requirements. PC*MILER was chosen by SAIC to be that source. 
PC*MILER, developed specifically to serve the trucking industry, will 
contain Standard Point Location Codes, military locations and other 
worldwide locations required by DoD. Updates and version control of 
DTOD and PC*MILER will be consistent with industry practices.
    b. In surveying and evaluating vendors and products, SAIC's 
criteria focused on compatibility with existing and planned automated 
systems, consistency in calculation, and adaptability to various DoD 
network applications and transportation program uses. SAIC also 
compared commercially available distance calculation products to 
identify viable candidates for the competitive selection process. That 
comparison resulted in finding a variance of 2.0%+/- amongst the 
vendors of evaluated products. A copy of this comparison will be 
provided, upon written request, sent to the point of contract 
identified above.
    c. The DTOD/PC*MILER product will calculate both ``shortest'' and 
``practical'' mileage. Currently, the DoD and the household goods 
carrier industry use ``shortest'' mileage to calculate the distances 
used for payment purposes. ``Shortest'' routes represent distances and 
routes that a driver would take to minimize total distance traveled 
while still following a truck-navigable route. DoD will continue to use 
the ``shortest'' routes. Carriers and/or other parties who choose to 
use PC*MILER will have opportunities to provide feedback to ALK 
Associates, Inc., the provider of DTOD software, regarding routings, 
database suggestions such as distance differences, road preference 
suggestions, road reclassifications, new locations, etc. ALK 
Associates, Inc., will provide all interested parties the capability to 
license PC*MILER, to ensure the ability to consistently determine the 
exact mileage that the DoD uses for payments and auditing.
    d. It is anticipated that transition to DTOD will have no 
significant impact on small businesses since those businesses currently 
use one or more similar distance calculation products. All offerors 
will be free to establish their rates based on applicable distance 
information.
    e. Interested parties are invited to provide comments concerning 
the use of the DTOD in the DoD Personal Property Program and the 
proposed implementation dates to the address provided above. Comments 
will be accepted for a period of 60 days from the publication date of 
this notice.
    7. Regulatory Flexibility Act. This change is related to public 
contracts and is designed to standardize distance calculations for 
line-haul transportation. This change is not considered rule making 
within the meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612.
    8. Paperwork Reduction Act. The Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq., does not apply because no information collection 
requirements or recordskeeping responsibilities are imposed on 
offerors, contractors, or members of the public.
Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register, Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-15465 Filed 6-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M