FAR 47.305—Solicitation provisions, contract clauses, and transportation factors.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 47.305 addresses how transportation considerations are built into the acquisition process through solicitation provisions, contract clauses, and scheduling decisions that affect freight movement. It requires the contracting officer to coordinate transportation factors with the transportation office during planning, solicitation, and award, and it directs activities to schedule deliveries, when feasible, to reduce transportation costs and carrier energy consumption. In practice, this section is about making sure transportation is not treated as an afterthought: it should be considered early enough to influence the solicitation, contract terms, delivery schedules, and logistics planning. The section also points readers to related FAR guidance on specific transportation-saving opportunities, including FAR 47.305-7 and 47.305-8. For contractors and contracting officers, the practical significance is that delivery terms, shipment timing, and transportation arrangements may affect price, performance, and compliance, and those factors should be coordinated with the agency’s transportation specialists rather than handled in isolation.
Key Rules
Coordinate with transportation office
The contracting officer must coordinate transportation factors with the transportation office during planning, solicitation, and award. This ensures transportation requirements, constraints, and cost-saving opportunities are considered before the acquisition is finalized.
Consider transportation in acquisition planning
Transportation issues are not limited to post-award logistics; they must be addressed during acquisition planning and reflected in the solicitation and award process. Early coordination helps avoid delivery terms or shipment methods that increase cost or create performance problems.
Schedule deliveries to save costs
To the extent feasible, activities should schedule deliveries in ways that reduce transportation costs. This means delivery timing should be planned to support efficient shipping, consolidation, routing, and mode selection where possible.
Reduce carrier energy use
Delivery scheduling should also aim to reduce carrier energy consumption, alongside cost savings. The rule recognizes that transportation efficiency includes both economic and energy-related considerations.
Use related FAR guidance
The section specifically points to FAR 47.305-7 and 47.305-8 for examples of transportation-saving possibilities. Users should consult those provisions for more detailed options and implementation guidance.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Coordinate transportation factors with the transportation office during planning, solicitation, and award; ensure transportation considerations are reflected in acquisition documents and decisions; and support delivery scheduling that can reduce transportation costs and energy use when feasible.
Transportation Office
Provide transportation expertise, advice, and coordination support to the contracting officer during acquisition planning, solicitation development, and award so transportation factors are properly addressed.
Activities/Program Offices
Schedule deliveries, to the extent feasible, in ways that promote transportation efficiency, lower costs, and reduce carrier energy consumption; work with contracting and transportation personnel to align delivery needs with logistics realities.
Contractors
Follow the delivery terms, shipment schedules, and transportation-related requirements established in the solicitation and contract; coordinate with the government as needed when transportation-related performance issues arise.
Practical Implications
Transportation should be addressed early, not after award. If the contracting officer waits until performance begins, the agency may miss opportunities to reduce freight costs or avoid inefficient delivery schedules.
Delivery timing can materially affect price and logistics. Consolidated or better-timed shipments may lower transportation costs and energy use, while poorly planned delivery windows can increase both.
Coordination is a compliance and planning issue. Failing to involve the transportation office can lead to inconsistent delivery terms, avoidable shipping expenses, or contract terms that are hard to execute.
The phrase 'to the extent feasible' matters. Agencies should pursue transportation savings where practical, but the rule does not require impossible or operationally disruptive delivery schedules.
Contractors should pay close attention to transportation-related solicitation terms. Delivery requirements, shipment methods, and timing can affect performance risk, cost, and the need for coordination with government logistics personnel.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) The contracting officer shall coordinate transportation factors with the transportation office during the planning, solicitation, and award phases of the acquisition process (see 47.105 ). (b) To the extent feasible, activities shall schedule deliveries to effect savings in transportation costs, and concomitant reductions in energy consumption by carriers (see 47.305-7 and 47.305-8 for specific possibilities).