[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 90 (Thursday, May 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31307-31308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-11638]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION


Federal Supply Service; Standard Tender of Service

AGENCY: Federal Supply Service, GSA.

ACTION: Notice for comment on adoption of an interim 2 percent 
insurance related surcharge.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with 41 U.S.C. 418b, the General Services 
Administration (GSA) is publishing for comment in the attachment to 
this Notice adoption of an interim 2 percent ``insurance related 
surcharge'' requested by the freight motor carrier industry, 
hereinafter referred to as transportation service provider (TSP). The 
surcharge will allow TSP's to recover rapidly increasing insurance 
premiums resulting from changes in the economy compounded by the events 
of September 11, 2001.

DATES: Effective Date: This Notice is effective May 1, 2002.
    Comment Date: Please submit your comments by June 10, 2002.
    Expiration Date: This Notice will expire October 31, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Mail comments to the General Services Administration, Travel 
and Transportation Management Division (FBL), Crystal Mall Bldg. 4, Rm. 
812, 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202, Attn: Raymond 
Price (Re: Insurance Related Surcharge Federal Register Notice).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Raymond Price, Transportation 
Programs Branch, by phone at 703-305-7536 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GSA, through adoption of the 2 percent 
surcharge reflected in the attachment to this Notice, is providing TSP 
participants in GSA's General Freight Standard Tender of Service relief 
from sudden and unforeseen increases in insurances costs that have 
occurred as a result of fluctuations in the economy compounded by the 
events of September 11th. Without this surcharge, TSP's that submit 
tenders for closed van, filing window controlled traffic would not be 
able to begin recovering the unexpected insurance cost increases until 
the rates they file under GSA's next Request for Offers become 
effective on November 1, 2002.

Tauna T. Delmonico,
Director, Travel and Transportation Management Division.

Attachment--Notice to Federal Customer Agencies and Transportation 
Service Providers Participating in GSA's Freight Management Program 
(FMP)--2 Percent Insurance Related Surcharge

    In a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA) dated 
March 11, 2002, the Counsel for the National Motor Freight Traffic 
Association (NMFTA) requested that transportation service providers 
(TSP's) be allowed to assess a 2 percent surcharge on all domestic 
closed van freight shipments moving under GSA's FMP. The NMFTA made 
this request to help offset sudden and unforeseen increases in 
insurance premiums resulting from economic fluctuations compounded by 
the events of September 11, 2001. GSA has approved the 2 percent 
surcharge. As a result, effective May 1, 2002, a TSP may add to an 
agency's billing invoice a separate line item equivalent to 2 percent 
of a shipment's line-haul charge.
    Identified below are timeframes during which TSP's will have their 
next opportunity to submit either new or supplemental electronic rate 
offers (see column titled ``Next Open Window Filing Period''). A TSP 
will need to make adjustments in its rate offers during the appropriate 
timeframe to continue to recover its costs for any elevated insurance 
premiums. Consequently, effective November 1, 2002, a TSP that submits 
electronic tender filings no longer will be permitted to bill agencies 
participating in GSA's FMP for an insurance related surcharge as a 
separate line item.

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                                                       Next open window filing
             Request for offers (RFO)                           period                     Effective date
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National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and         July or August, 2002.........  November 1, 2002.
 National Industries for the Severely Handicapped
 (NISH) issued July 6, 2001.
General Request for Offers issued February 25,
 2002, including:

[[Page 31308]]

 
    --General freight rate offers (Sec. 8)          August 1-September 6, 2002...  November 1, 2002.
    --Intrastate Alaska rate offers (Sec. 8)
    --US Postal Service (USPS) rate offers (Sec.
     9)
    --Fire suppression support service rate offers
     (Sec. 10)
    --Agency specific non-alternating rate offers
     (Sec. 11)
    --Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma
     City, OK, rate offers (Sec. 12) and
    --Agency specific alternating rate offers
     (Sec. 13)
*United States Mint issued January 7, 2002........  None.........................  May 1, 2003.
*GSA Western Distribution Center, Stockton, CA      None.........................  May 1, 2003.
 issued November 9, 2001.
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* Neither U.S. nor GSA Western Distribution Center, Stockton, CA, RFO's contain a supplemental filing window.
  Effective November 1, 2002, a TSP will not be permitted to continue billing the 2 percent insurance related
  surcharge as a separate line item for this traffic unless it submits a request to GSA substantiating the
  continued need for a surcharge and GSA approves the request.

    Additionally, any TSP that has a paper Optional Form 280 (OF 280) 
on file with GSA for domestic closed van freight shipments will need to 
submit a supplement to each OF 280 (with an effective date of November 
1, 2002) effectively adjusting its rate offers to continue to recover 
the cost of any elevated insurance premiums. Consequently, effective 
November 1, 2002, a TSP with an OF 280 freight tender on file with GSA 
no longer will be allowed to bill agencies participating in GSA's FMP 
for an insurance related surcharge as a separate line item.

[FR Doc. 02-11638 Filed 5-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-24-M