GSA Transportation Business Practices Keep Pace with Industry

GSA#9643

February 24, 2000
Contact: Eleni Martin (202) 501-1231

WASHINGTON - To keep pace with industry and to use better business practices to manage transportation, the U.S. General Services Administration has revised governmentwide transportation management regulations. The new regulations include broad policy to assist Federal agencies in developing transportation programs best suited to their needs and the new mandate for agency pre-payment audit programs.

"With the government spending around $12 to $18 billion to move supplies, furniture, and household goods," said Ted Bembenek, Acting Director, Transportation Management Policy Division, Office of Governmentwide Policy, "we saw a need to revitalize the regulations to make more sense in today's electronic world. GSA is changing 93 years of culture and custom." Regulation changes will:

Implement Public Law 105-264 that mandates agency pre-payment audit programs.
Retire the nine-page paper Government Bills of Lading (GBLs) for domestic freight and household goods, effective September 30, 2001. (International shipments will continue to require a GBL form.)
Promote the use of electronic transportation documents.
Expand the use of charge cards as an option or additional way to pay for transportation services.

The use of electronic GBLs make it easier for Federal agencies to conduct prepayment audits on transportation documents. When conducting prepayment audits, agencies will have three choices. They can create their own internal plan, hire a contractor, or use FSS audit division contractor. Some transportation modes and forms of payment will not lend themselves to a pre-payment audit. In those cases, agencies can apply for waivers to allow for continuing use of post-payments.

"To meet tomorrow's challenges, we must foster a strong partnership with other government agencies and industry," said Bembenek. "The Governmentwide Transportation Policy Council (GTPC) will serve as the forum to explore commercial business practices and systems beneficial to government agencies and leverage our business needs for the best value, cost and service." The GTPC is composed of representatives from each Federal agency with an interest in transportation.

FMR102-117 is expected to be published in the Federal Register by the end of the month; FMR 102-118 was published in the Federal Register on February 22. The regulations will also be posted on the GSA website at http://policyworks.gov/transportation. For more information, contact Ted Bembenek at (202) 208-7629.