FAR 52.247-53—Freight Classification Description.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.247-53, Freight Classification Description, is a solicitation provision used when the supplies being bought are new to the supply system, nonstandard, or modified versions of items previously shipped, and when different freight classifications may apply. Its purpose is to help the Government identify the most accurate and advantageous freight classification for transportation pricing and shipment planning, especially under f.o.b. origin contracts. The provision asks offerors to provide the same Uniform Freight Classification (rail) or National Motor Freight Classification description they use commercially, including packaging form, container material, unusual dimensions, and any other condition that affects traffic classification. It also tells offerors that the Government will use that information, along with other available data, to determine the classification description it will apply. In practice, this clause helps prevent misclassification, unexpected freight charges, and disputes over shipping costs by giving the Government enough detail to match the commodity to the proper freight class before award.
Key Rules
Use only when classification may vary
This provision is prescribed for solicitations involving supplies that are new to the supply system, nonstandard, or modified from previously shipped items, where freight classifications may differ. It is intended for situations where the Government cannot safely assume a standard freight description.
Offeror must describe commodity fully
Offerors are requested to provide the full freight classification description they use in commercial shipment practice. The description should be detailed enough to identify the commodity for rail or motor freight purposes.
Include packaging and dimensions
The description must cover packaging type, container material, unusual shipping dimensions, and other conditions that affect traffic descriptions. These details can materially change the applicable freight class and transportation charges.
Government determines final classification
The Government will use the offeror’s description, plus other available information, to select the classification description it considers most appropriate and advantageous. The offeror’s description is informative, not controlling.
Shipment must follow Government classification
For f.o.b. origin contracts awarded from the solicitation, shipments will be made in accordance with the shipping classification description specified by the Government, even if that differs from the offeror’s description.
Offeror’s entry is a solicitation response
The blank line at the end of the provision is where the offeror states the commodity description for freight classification purposes. This response supports evaluation and shipping planning, but it does not override the Government’s final determination.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Include this provision only when the prescription in FAR 47.305-9(b)(1) applies. Review the offeror’s freight classification description, consider other available information, and determine the classification description that is most appropriate and advantageous to the Government.
Offeror/Contractor
Provide an accurate, commercially used freight classification description for the supplies, including packaging, container material, dimensions, and other relevant shipping characteristics. Understand that the Government may use a different classification for shipment under an f.o.b. origin contract.
Government Transportation/Shipping Personnel
Use the selected classification description for shipment planning and execution, and ensure shipments conform to the Government-specified freight classification under applicable f.o.b. origin arrangements.
Practical Implications
This clause is mainly about avoiding freight misclassification, which can lead to higher transportation costs, billing disputes, or shipment delays.
Offerors should not give a generic product name alone; missing packaging or dimensional details can cause the Government to choose a less favorable or different freight class.
Contracting officers should verify that the provision is used only in the situations identified by the prescription, not as a routine clause in every solicitation.
Because the Government is not bound by the offeror’s description, contractors should expect the final shipping classification to differ from their commercial practice.
For f.o.b. origin contracts, the shipping classification chosen by the Government controls the actual shipment, so transportation and packaging assumptions should be checked early in the acquisition process.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 47.305-9 (b)(1) , insert the following provision in solicitations when the supplies being acquired are new to the supply system, nonstandard, or modifications of previously shipped items, and different freight classifications may apply: Freight Classification Description (Apr 1984) Offerors are requested to indicate below the full Uniform Freight Classification (rail) description, or the National Motor Freight Classification description applicable to the supplies, the same as offeror uses for commercial shipment. This description should include the packing of the commodity (box, crate, bundle, loose, setup, knocked down, compressed, unwrapped, etc.), the container material (fiberboard, wooden, etc.), unusual shipping dimensions, and other conditions affecting traffic descriptions. The Government will use these descriptions as well as other information available to determine the classification description most appropriate and advantageous to the Government. Offeror understands that shipments on any f.o.b. origin contract awarded, as a result of this solicitation, will be made in conformity with the shipping classification description specified by the Government, which may be different from the classification description furnished below. For Freight Classification Purposes, Offeror Describes This Commodity as ___________ . (End of clause)