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Defense Transportation Regulation (DTR) Part 1, Chapter 104-Buses

DoD Approved Carriers - List

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GOPAX Instructions

DTMO Bus – 01 Standards of Service & Inspection Checklist (formerly DD 1341)

Report Locally Arranged Moves

Government Charter Coach Certificate

Information for Transportation Officers Arranging Moves

The DoD Bus Program ensures that commercial bus, van, and limousine companies, that offer charter service, provide safe vehicles that consistently meet DoD standards of service. DTMO manages the program through DoD Bus Agreement #5.

Bus transportation is often the most economical and efficient method of moving Department of Defense (DoD) travelers, because of the number of passengers and baggage requirements related to group movements.

Policy

The Defense Transportation Regulation (DTR) Part 1, Chapter 104-Buses outlines the routing authority for bus moves, includes procurement and payment procedures, and covers topics related to the transport of baggage and more.

Transportation Offices (TOs) arranging group travel and paying with DoD funds must abide by the policies and regulations outlined in DTR, including the use of the U.S. Transportation Command’s Groups Operational Passenger System (GOPAX).

Only DoD-approved carriers are permitted to be used for official travel.

How to Create a Bus Request

This is an overview of the process for booking a bus movement. For complete instructions, see DTR, part 1, chapter 104, paragraph C.

Submit a bus movement Request for Service through GOPAX. Per the DTR, TO’s must book bus moves through GOPAX. In rare instances when GOPAX is not available, TOs may book bus movement outside GOPAX as long as they abide by the regulations and procedures set forth in the DTR, use a DOD approved carrier, and report the move to the Defense Travel Management Office via the Report for Locally/Manually Moves.
Review bids. Once the request for movement is submitted, carriers reply with bids that include cancellation fees. The Transportation Officer reviews the bids and awards a contract based on best value.
Provide Form DTMO BUS-01 – Bus Movement Standards of Service & Inspection Checklist to Group Leader. Group leaders must complete the Bus Movement Standards of Service & Inspection Checklist (formerly the DD Form 1341) prior to movement. Upon return, the group leader must send the completed form to the Transportation Officer. After the move, it is important to validate with the group leader any changes that affected the move (e.g., an increase or decrease in passenger count, changes in baggage or impedimenta requirements, changes in dates or time, or cancellation of all or part of arranged transportation).
Submit DTMO Bus-01 form. Email the completed form to dodhra.mc-alex.dtmo.mbx.military-bus-program@mail.mil. TOs should also report any unsatisfactory performance or payment problems via this email address.
Settle Carrier invoice. Within seven business days of completion of the bus movement, the carrier sends the invoice and reports expenses via a Government Charter Coach Certificate (GCCC) form to the TO for settlement.

Use of GOPAX

The U.S. Transportation Command's Groups Operational Passenger System (GOPAX) should be used by DoD personnel to submit requests for bus movements and for carriers to bid on those requests.

All TOs need to establish a GOPAX account. See Instructions for TOs Requesting Access to GOPAX. In order to access GOPAX, ALL users must complete a one-time registration in GEOAxIS. The recommended internet browser to access GOPAX is Chrome. If you have a CAC, TO’s can access the estimator tool at https://gopax.transport.mil/estimator/login

If you have any questions, call USTRANSCOM at 618-220-6432 or email transcom.scott.tcj3.mbx.gopax@mail.mil

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access USTRANSCOM’s Group Operational Passenger System (GOPAX)?

Access GOPAX by logging into https://gopax.transport.mil. Per the DTR, TOs have the option to use GOPAX to submit Requests for Service for bus movements and for participating carriers to bid on those requests. If you do not have a GOPAX account, you will need to establish one. See Instructions for Creating a GOPAX account. All GOPAX system issues are handled by USTRANSCOM (See Part III, 28).

2. What is a Request for Service?

The Request for Service is a list of requirements for chartered passenger or group movements of government personnel. The Transportation Officer (TO) submits a Request for Service online to the carrier or the carrier’s representative for each group of passengers through GOPAX. The Request for Service contains the origin and destination of the group, the number of passengers in the group, the branch of military service, the estimated number of pieces and weight of baggage, dimensions, number and weight of pieces of impedimenta, the time the group is available for travel, the required arrival time, the deadline for submission of offers of service, and any other information pertinent to the military transportation requirement.

Note: Information and data related to bus movements is sensitive and will not be shared, sold, or posted online, e.g. social media, without the written approval of an authorized DoD representative.

3. What is the basis of awarding a movement under the DoD Bus Program?

The TO, government representative, or the Defense Travel Management Office in some cases, will select the carrier(s) whose Rate and Service Proposal offers or combination of bids provide the highest level of service at the best value to satisfy the movement requirements. In addition to cost, best value factors influencing carrier selection include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) The presence of sufficient equipment to perform the move. (2) The overall condition of the equipment (with an emphasis on safety). (3) The carrier’s history of providing timely and responsible service. (4) The conduct and performance of operating personnel.

4. Do I have to get multiple bids (Rate and Service Proposals) to make an award?

The beauty of Group Operational Passenger System (GOPAX) is that it automatically distributes the Requests for Service to all participating carriers, so more than three carriers are notified, satisfying this requirement. If you are arranging a local/manual move, the Defense Transportation Regulations (DTR) requires that three carriers be notified of a Request for Service to obtain a competitive Rate and Service Proposal.

5. Is there a minimum timeframe that I have to have a Request for Service posted in GOPAX?

No. The Defense Transportation Regulations (DTR) does not require a minimum timeframe, however, it is in your best interest to post a Request for Service as soon as you can to receive competitive bids for a movement.

6. What recourse do I have if a carrier does not show or provides poor service?

If you have a failure in service, please email the Defense Travel Management Office dodhra.mc-alex.dtmo.mbx.military-bus-program@mail.mil. The recourse will depend on the specific performance failure.

7. Do I have to report movements to the Defense Travel Management Office?

Per the DTR, TOs are required to report locally/manually arranged bus moves no later than the 5th calendar day of each month. The Defense Travel Management Office has access to all movement data through the Group Operational Passenger System (GOPAX).

8. What happens if no carrier bids on a movement?

There may be instances where no bids (Rate and Service Proposals) are received. (In these cases, requestors may need to use the DoD Approved Carriers list to contact carriers directly to solicit bids. If you are still not able to get bids, please email the Defense Travel Management Office at dodhra.mc-alex.dtmo.mbx.military-bus-program@mail.mil.

9. Do I have any requirements to inspect carrier equipment?

TOs must complete a DTMO Bus-01 Standards of Service & Inspection Checklist. The TO or the group leader is authorized to reject any equipment when the equipment or driver does not meet the specific requirements requested, or Standards of Service identified on the DTMO Bus-01.. The group leader must submit a separate DTMO-BUS-01 form for each chartered move. At the completion of the move, the group leader must provide the completed forms to the TO, which must then be forwarded to the DTMO within 7 days of completion.

10. Can I use a Government Transportation Request (GTR) to pay for a movement?

GTR payments are for OCONUS movements only. Government Travel Charge Card should be the first option for payment unless other payment arrangements have been made. TOs must assist carriers with any payment concerns that may arise. In the event that a payment dispute cannot be resolved at the local level, it may be elevated to the DTMO for resolution by emailing dodhra.mc-alex.dtmo.mbx.military-busprogram@mail.mil.