FAR 47.305-14—Mode of transportation.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 47.305-14 addresses how solicitations should handle the mode of transportation for government shipments. It covers three related topics: the general rule against naming a specific transportation mode or carrier, the limited exception when program requirements require particular types of carriers, and the contracting officer’s duty to obtain transportation specifications such as mode, route, and delivery details from the transportation office. The purpose is to preserve competition and avoid unnecessarily restricting the market while still allowing the Government to impose transportation constraints when mission needs require them. In practice, this section helps ensure that shipping requirements are set by transportation specialists, not improvised in the solicitation, and that any restriction on carriers is justified and clearly stated. For contractors, it signals that transportation terms may be broader than a single carrier unless the solicitation expressly limits acceptable offers. For contracting officers, it is a control point to prevent avoidable procurement errors and to align solicitation language with agency transportation policy and program needs.
Key Rules
Do not name a carrier
As a general rule, solicitations should not specify a particular carrier. The Government should avoid narrowing competition to one company unless a valid program need requires it.
Do not fix a transport mode
Solicitations should also avoid specifying a particular mode of transportation unless necessary. This prevents unnecessary restrictions on how the contractor may satisfy the shipping requirement.
Use exceptions only when required
If program requirements make a particular type of carrier necessary, the solicitation may limit acceptable offers to those involving the specified carrier types. In that case, the restriction must be tied to the requirement and clearly stated so offerors know the limitation.
Get transportation specs from experts
The contracting officer must obtain specifications for mode, route, delivery, and similar transportation details from the transportation office. This ensures the solicitation reflects proper transportation planning and agency policy.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Avoid specifying a particular mode or carrier unless justified by program requirements; obtain transportation specifications for mode, route, delivery, and related details from the transportation office; ensure any restriction on carrier type is clearly stated in the solicitation.
Transportation Office
Provide the contracting officer with the required transportation specifications, including mode, route, delivery, and other shipping details needed to support the solicitation.
Program Office
Identify and communicate any mission or program requirements that make a particular type of carrier or transportation arrangement necessary.
Offerors/Contractors
Review the solicitation to determine whether transportation is unrestricted or limited to specified carrier types, and submit offers that comply with any stated transportation constraints.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly a competition safeguard: unnecessary carrier or mode restrictions can reduce the number of acceptable offers and may create procurement risk.
Contracting officers should not draft transportation terms on their own; they should coordinate with the transportation office early so the solicitation reflects the correct mode, route, and delivery requirements.
If a solicitation does limit carriers, the limitation must be tied to a real program need and written clearly enough that offerors understand whether their proposed shipping approach is acceptable.
A common pitfall is over-specifying transportation details in the solicitation without a documented need, which can lead to protests, reduced competition, or administrative rework.
Contractors should watch for hidden transportation restrictions in the solicitation and confirm whether the Government will accept alternative carriers or modes before pricing and proposing.
Official Regulatory Text
Generally, solicitations shall not specify a particular mode of transportation or a particular carrier. If the use of particular types of carriers is necessary to meet program requirements, the solicitation shall provide that only offers involving the specified types of carriers will be considered. The contracting officer shall obtain all specifications for mode, route, delivery, etc., from the transportation office.