FAR 47.207-5—Contractor responsibilities.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 47.207-5 explains how the contracting officer must define a contractor’s transportation-related duties when the government buys freight transportation or moving services. It covers the contractor’s responsibilities for equipment type and size, supervision/labor/materials, accessorial services in moving contracts, receipt of shipment, loading and unloading, and returning undelivered freight. The section exists to make sure solicitation and contract terms clearly identify any service obligations that go beyond ordinary transportation, so the contractor knows exactly what it must provide and the government can enforce performance. In practice, this means the contracting officer must tailor the contract language to the shipment and service requirements and insert the correct FAR clause when the contractor is taking on specific handling or logistics duties. The section is especially important in freight, household goods, office furniture, and other transportation contracts where responsibility for physical handling, accessorial support, or failed deliveries can shift between the government and the contractor. Clear drafting here helps avoid disputes over who supplies equipment, who loads or unloads, who receives the shipment, and who must return freight that cannot be delivered.
Key Rules
Specify nonstandard services clearly
The contracting officer must clearly identify any service requirements that are not considered normal transportation or transportation-related requirements. This prevents ambiguity about what the contractor is actually obligated to do beyond moving freight from one point to another.
State equipment requirements
If appropriate, the contracting officer must specify the type and size of equipment the contractor must furnish. If not, the contract must require clean and sound closed-type equipment of sufficient size to accommodate the shipment.
Use supervision and labor clause
When the contractor must furnish supervision, labor, or materials, the contracting officer must insert a clause substantially the same as FAR 52.247-12. This clause is the mechanism for assigning those added responsibilities in the contract.
Use moving-contract accessorial clause
For transportation of household goods or office furniture, the contracting officer must insert a clause substantially the same as FAR 52.247-13. This ensures accessorial services are addressed in moving contracts where extra handling or support is often needed.
Assign receipt responsibility by clause
The contracting officer must insert FAR 52.247-14, Contractor Responsibility for Receipt of Shipment, when the contractor is responsible for receiving the shipment. This makes receipt duties explicit and enforceable.
Assign loading and unloading duties
When the contractor is responsible for loading and unloading shipments, the contracting officer must insert FAR 52.247-15. The clause clarifies who performs these physical handling tasks and under what contract terms.
Assign return of undelivered freight
When the contractor must return freight that cannot be delivered, the contracting officer must insert FAR 52.247-16. This allocates responsibility for handling failed deliveries and returning goods to the proper destination.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Determine which transportation-related duties are beyond normal service, clearly state those requirements in the solicitation and contract, specify equipment type and size when needed, and insert the correct FAR clauses for supervision/labor/materials, accessorial services, receipt of shipment, loading and unloading, and return of undelivered freight as applicable.
Contractor
Provide the equipment, labor, supervision, materials, receipt handling, loading/unloading, or return transportation services required by the contract once those duties are assigned. The contractor must comply with the specific clause and contract language governing the shipment and related services.
Agency/Requirement Owner
Define the operational needs for the shipment or move so the contracting officer can draft accurate service requirements. The requiring activity should identify whether the work involves household goods, office furniture, special equipment, loading/unloading, or other nonstandard transportation tasks.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly about avoiding gaps in responsibility. If the contract does not clearly assign a task like loading, receipt, or return of undelivered freight, disputes and extra costs are likely.
The contracting officer should not assume standard transportation terms cover special handling, labor, or accessorial services. Those duties must be spelled out and tied to the correct clause.
Equipment descriptions matter. If the shipment needs a specific trailer, container, or vehicle size, the contract should say so; otherwise the default is clean, sound, closed-type equipment large enough for the load.
Household goods and office furniture moves are treated specially because they often require accessorial services beyond basic carriage. Missing the required clause can create performance and payment problems.
Contractors should review these clauses carefully before bidding or accepting the work, because they can shift significant operational and cost responsibility to the contractor, especially for loading, unloading, and failed deliveries.
Official Regulatory Text
Contractor responsibilities vary with the kinds of freight to be shipped and services required. The contracting officer shall specify clearly those service requirements that are not considered normal transportation or transportation-related requirements. (a) Type of equipment . If appropriate, the contracting officer shall specify the type and size of equipment to be furnished by the contractor. Otherwise, state that the contractor shall furnish clean and sound closed-type equipment of sufficient size to accommodate the shipment. (b) Supervision, labor, or materials. The contracting officer shall insert a clause substantially the same as the clause at 52.247-12 , Supervision, Labor, or Materials, when the contractor is required to furnish supervision, labor, or materials. (c) Accessorial services-moving contracts. The contracting officer shall insert a clause substantially the same as the clause at 52.247-13 , Accessorial Services-Moving Contracts, in contracts for the transportation of household goods or office furniture. (d) Receipt of shipment. The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.247-14 , Contractor Responsibility for Receipt of Shipment. (e) Loading and unloading. The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.247-15 , Contractor Responsibility for Loading and Unloading, when the contractor is responsible for loading and unloading shipments. (f) Return of undelivered freight. The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.247-16 , Contractor Responsibility for Returning Undelivered Freight, when the contractor is responsible for returning undelivered freight.