Onboarding Ends For The 2023 Program Year

January 31st marked the official end to the 2023 FEMA Tender of Service program year onboarding period. Since November 1st, 2022’s early bird onboarding and November 15th’s open onboarding, the FEMA Tender of Service program team has been working diligently to onboard new and re-applying Transportation Service Providers (TSPs) for the 2023 program year. Now we can officially say welcome to our new TSPs and welcome back to those TSPs who have been working with FEMA or have worked with FEMA before. The 2022 program year is still in progress and will end on April 30th, 2023. 2023 approved TSPs will be eligible for FEMA transportation opportunities beginning on May 1, 2023.

For the TSPs that were not approved or missed the onboarding deadline, worry not; we encourage you to try again for the 2024 program year. Keep an eye out for future announcements and updates on our program's website at www.fema.gov/transportation-programs.

This issue:

ONBOARDING ENDS FOR THE 2023 PROGRAM YEAR

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YOU'RE APPROVED! NOW WHAT?

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2023 FEMA RATE FILING CYCLE 

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THE QUESTION SECTION

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Now that you have fully completed the onboarding process, what’s next? Here are a few pro tips and reminders.

    All approved TSPs for the 2023 Program year should have received an official welcome email that covers the important next steps. These steps include getting at least one team member access to Web Tenders in LSCMS. FEMA will grant Web Tenders access after completing the training (link provided in your approval email) and passing the final exam with an 80% or higher score. Per the FEMA STOS, TSPs are required to use Web Tenders to provide timely information regarding the status of shipments they are moving for FEMA. Failure to do so will result in a service performance failure to meet the In-Transit Visibility metric. It may not be a bad idea to retake the training as a refresher for our re-approved TSPs that have not taken the Logistics Gateway training in a while or to rewatch our handy video about how to enter In Transit Visibility messages into LSCMS.

You're Approved! Now What?

   Note that as a FEMA-approved TSP, you must log in to LSCMS at least once a month to prevent your account from getting deactivated.

   You must maintain an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) and valid cargo insurance even after approval.

   As a FEMA-approved TSP, you must be prepared to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week. FEMA requires TSPs to provide a single point of contact (email and phone number) for potential transportation opportunities. It is vital to provide FEMA with a reliable bid contact email and phone number for quick communication. Keep in mind your organization can only have one bid contact, so it is helpful to use a group email address. That way, if one team member is unavailable, another team member can view the FEMA request and respond promptly.

With that said, the most effective way for a TSP to increase their chances of being awarded FEMA shipment opportunities is to provide efficient and effective service. FEMA places high value on TSPs that respond quickly to agency requests, pick up and deliver shipments on time, and avoid performance failures. If you would like to update your bid email, make sure to reach out to fema-transportation-programs@fema.dhs.gov so we can update your profile information in our systems.

2023 FEMA Rate Filing Cycle

For FEMA-approved TSPs providing TL, LTL, and TTHU services to FEMA, you have the option of submitting linehaul rates and accessorials during the open Rate Filing Cycle. The Rate Filing Cycle begins on March 15th, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. EDT and ends on March 29th, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. EDT and applies to Motor Freight Trucking TSPs only. FEMA does not solicit rates for Air, Maritime, and Rail services, as they are spot bid only. The rates submitted will take effect on May 1st, 2023 and will remain in effect until April 30th, 2024. Motor Freight TSPs interested in submitting rates for the 2023 program year are strongly encouraged to attend the online training sessions that will walk them through the process of submitting rate offers.

The following dates will be available for this training:

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023, 1:00 p.m. EST

Thursday, March 2nd, 2023, 10:00 a.m. EST

FEMA will email invitations to all eligible Motor Freight TSPs to register for one of the training dates in the next few weeks. If you haven't received an email invitation by February 24th, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at fema-transportation-programs@fema.dhs.gov

The Question Section

Q: My company was not approved for the 2023 program year, but I plan on applying for the 2024 program year. Will I get to keep my LSCMS account?

A: If you were not approved for the 2023 program year, your LSCMS account and all accounts associated with your company profile will be deactivated. To begin the application process for the new program year, you must submit a new LSCMS Access Control Form once onboarding re-opens in late 2023.

Q: My company was approved for the 2023 Program Year, when do I start getting loads?

A: TSPs approved for the 2023 program year will be eligible to receive transportation moves from FEMA starting May 1st, 2023. Remember that registration with the FEMA Tender of Service Program does not guarantee that you will be offered transportation opportunities with FEMA. There may be times when FEMA has very few transportation requirements as well as times when FEMA has an urgent need for a great deal of transportation support.

Q: Even though onboarding is over, can I request LSCMS access for new users in my company?

A: Yes. We will continue to process LSCMS Access Control Forms for TSPs that are approved in the FEMA Tender of Service Program. We will not accept new LSCMS Access Control Forms for TSPs not were not approved in the program.

Q: I am a FEMA-approved Motor Freight TSP; do I have to submit rates when the bid cycle opens in March?

A: You are not required to submit rates as a FEMA-approved Motor Freight TSP. If you do not submit rates, you will only be eligible for One Time Only (OTO) Spot Bids.

Q: My company started the onboarding process before the deadline but was not approved for the 2023 program year. How can I find out why?

A: You can send an email to fema-transportation-programs@fema.dhs.gov for information regarding your onboarding status. Make sure to include your company name and SCAC in the email.

Q: When does onboarding for the 2024 program year begin?

A: We have not yet determined the dates for the 2024 onboarding season but onboarding typically begins in November or December of each year. Your best bet is to keep an eye on our program's website for any future updates and announcements.

Q: I participated in the rate filing cycle last year and would like to submit my trucking rates again this year. Can I use the same login and password from last year?

A: You will not be able to use the same username and password that you used to submit rates last year. Instead, you will be given new login credentials to submit your bids. Keep in mind that your LSCMS login credentials and your bid cycle login credentials are separate.