FAR 47.207-3—Description of shipment, origin, and destination.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 47.207-3 tells the contracting officer what information must be put into transportation solicitations so offerors can price and perform the work accurately. It covers five main subjects: the origin of shipments, the destination of shipments, the description of the freight, exclusions from the freight to be moved, and the quantity of freight or shipments expected. In practice, this means the solicitation must give enough detail for carriers to understand where freight starts, where it must go, what the freight is, what is not included, and how much movement is expected. The rule is designed to reduce ambiguity, support fair competition, and prevent disputes over scope, pricing, and performance. It also ties specific solicitation language to required clauses, including the Freight Excluded clause at 52.247-7 and the Estimated Weights or Quantities Not Guaranteed clause at 52.247-8 when estimates are used. For contractors, this section matters because incomplete shipment data can lead to bad pricing assumptions, operational problems, or claims after award. For contracting officers, it is a checklist for building a solicitation that is complete enough for transportation market pricing and execution.
Key Rules
State shipment origin clearly
The solicitation must identify the freight origin in full detail. If there is one origin, include the shipper’s name, street address, city, State, and ZIP code; if there are multiple or indefinite origins, describe the origin area with boundaries and ZIP codes.
State delivery destination clearly
The solicitation must identify delivery points in full detail. If there is one destination, include the consignee’s name, street address, city, State, and ZIP code; if there are multiple or indefinite destinations, describe the delivery area with boundaries and ZIP codes.
Describe the freight completely
For nonbulk freight, include an inventory. Also include the freight classification description from the transportation office if available; if not, use a clear nontechnical description and add details such as size, weight, hazardous material status, export packing, or unusual value.
Identify excluded shipments
The solicitation must clearly state any freight or shipment types excluded from the requirement, such as bulk freight, hazardous commodities, or shipments above or below certain weights. When exclusions are identified, the solicitation must include a clause substantially the same as FAR 52.247-7, Freight Excluded.
State quantity or weight
The contracting officer must state the actual weight of the freight or a reasonably accurate estimate. For extended service contracts, this may be a schedule of expected tonnage or item counts over time; for household goods group moves, the solicitation should estimate aggregate weights and explain the basis for the estimate.
Use estimate disclaimer when needed
When weights or quantities are estimates rather than guaranteed amounts, the contracting officer must insert FAR 52.247-8, Estimated Weights or Quantities Not Guaranteed.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Prepare solicitation language that fully describes shipment origin, destination, freight characteristics, exclusions, and quantity/weight information. Ensure required clauses are included when exclusions or estimates are used, and provide enough detail for offerors to price and perform accurately.
Transportation Office
Provide the freight classification description when available and support the contracting officer with transportation-specific information needed to describe the freight accurately.
Offerors/Contractors
Review the solicitation details to understand the shipment scope, pricing basis, excluded items, and whether quantities are estimates. Use the provided origin, destination, freight, and quantity information to develop realistic proposals and performance plans.
Agency/Shipper or Consignee Activity
Supply accurate location, shipment, and inventory information so the contracting officer can describe origins, destinations, and freight characteristics correctly in the solicitation.
Practical Implications
This section is a solicitation-completeness requirement: if the origin, destination, freight description, exclusions, or quantity data are vague, carriers may price in risk or refuse to bid.
A common pitfall is listing only a general area or program name instead of a full address or a properly bounded origin/destination area with ZIP codes.
Another frequent issue is failing to distinguish between actual and estimated weights; if estimates are used, the solicitation should clearly say so and include the required clause.
For nonbulk freight, an inventory is important because carriers need to know what is being moved, not just the total weight.
If certain commodities are excluded, the exclusion must be explicit and the Freight Excluded clause should be added; otherwise, disputes can arise over whether the carrier was expected to move those items.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Origin of shipments . The contracting officer shall include in solicitations full details regarding the location from which the freight is to be shipped. For example, if a single location is shown, furnish the shipper’s name, street address, city, State, and ZIP code. If several or indefinite locations are involved, as in the case of multiple shippers or drayage contracts, describe the area of origin including boundaries and ZIP codes. (b) Destination of shipments . The contracting officer shall include full details regarding delivery points. For example, if a single delivery point is shown, furnish the consignee’s name, street address, city, State, and ZIP code. If several or indefinite delivery points are involved, describe the delivery area, including boundaries and ZIP codes. (c) Description of the freight . The contracting officer shall include in solicitations- (1) An inventory if the freight consists of nonbulk items; and (2) The freight classification description, which should be obtained from the transportation office. If a freight classification description is not available, use a clear nontechnical description. Include additional details necessary to ensure that the prospective offerors have complete information about the freight; e.g., size, weight, hazardous material, whether packed for export, or unusual value. (d) Exclusion of freight . The contracting officer shall- (1) Clearly identify any freight or types of shipments that are subject to exclusion; e.g., bulk freight, hazardous commodities, or shipments under or over specified weights; and (2) Insert a clause substantially the same as the clause at 52.247-7 , Freight Excluded, when any commodities or types of shipments have been identified for exclusion. (e) Quantity. (1) The contracting officer shall state the actual weight of the freight or a reasonably accurate estimate. The following are examples: (i) If the contract covers transportation services required over an extended period of time, include a schedule of actual or estimated tonnage or number of items to be transported per week, month, or other time period. (ii) If the contract covers a group movement of household goods, give an estimate of the aggregate weights and the basis for determining the aggregate weight. (2) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.247-8 , Estimated Weights or Quantities Not Guaranteed, when weights or quantities are estimates.