FAR 52.247-9—Agreed Weight-General Freight.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.247-9, Agreed Weight-General Freight, is a transportation clause used when the Government shipping activity—not the carrier—determines the weight of freight shipments other than household goods or office furniture. It applies in solicitations and contracts for transportation or transportation-related services when the shipping activity is responsible for weighing the shipment, and it is prescribed by FAR 47.207-4(a)(1). The clause establishes a simple but important rule: the shipping activity determines the shipment weight, records that weight on the covering shipping document, and the contractor must accept that weight as the agreed weight for the shipment. In practice, this clause reduces disputes over billable weight, supports consistent freight charges, and creates a clear documentary basis for transportation payment. It matters because freight charges often depend on weight, so the clause allocates responsibility for weight determination and limits later disagreement about the amount used for rating and billing.
Key Rules
Use only in covered procurements
This clause is prescribed for solicitations and contracts for transportation or transportation-related services when the shipping activity determines the weight of shipments of freight other than household goods or office furniture. It is not a general freight clause for all transportation situations; it applies only when the stated conditions in FAR 47.207-4(a)(1) are met.
Shipping activity determines weight
The Government shipping activity, not the contractor, must determine the weight of each shipment. This means the agency’s shipping function controls the official weight used for the shipment.
Weight must be documented
The determined weight must be shown on the covering shipping document. The shipping document becomes the record that supports the agreed weight for billing and transportation administration.
Contractor must accept agreed weight
The contractor is required to accept the weight shown by the shipping activity as the agreed weight. This prevents the contractor from later disputing the shipment weight for rating or payment purposes, absent some other contractual or legal issue outside the clause.
Applies to freight, not household goods
The clause expressly covers freight other than household goods or office furniture. Those excluded categories are handled under different transportation rules and clauses.
Responsibilities
Shipping Activity
Determine the weight of each shipment, record that weight on the covering shipping document, and ensure the documented weight is the official agreed weight used for the shipment.
Contractor
Accept the weight shown by the shipping activity as the agreed weight and use that weight for transportation rating, billing, and contract performance purposes.
Contracting Officer
Include the clause in solicitations and contracts when the prescription in FAR 47.207-4(a)(1) applies and ensure the contract structure matches the intended weight-determination process.
Agency/Transportation Personnel
Administer the shipment process so the weight determination is properly made and documented, and maintain records that support payment and audit review.
Practical Implications
This clause helps avoid disputes over freight charges by fixing the shipment weight at the Government-determined amount before billing occurs.
The most common pitfall is failing to document the weight clearly on the shipping document; if the record is incomplete, payment and audit support can become problematic.
Contractors should verify that the clause is used only for the right type of shipment, since it does not apply to household goods or office furniture.
Contracting officers and shipping personnel should make sure the shipping activity actually has a reliable process for weighing shipments, because the clause depends on that determination being accurate and consistently recorded.
Because the contractor must accept the stated weight, any disagreement usually has to be addressed through shipment documentation, contract administration, or a separate dispute process rather than by simply reweighing the shipment after the fact.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 47.207-4 (a)(1) , insert the following clause in solicitations and contracts for transportation or for transportation-related services when the shipping activity determines the weight of shipments of freight other than household goods or office furniture: Agreed Weight-General Freight (Apr 1984) The shipping activity shall determine the weight of each shipment. The weight shall be shown on the covering shipping document and shall be accepted by the Contractor as the agreed weight. (End of clause)