TABLE OF CONTENTS
Topics | Sections |
1.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? 1.2 What is the scope of this chapter? 1.3 What are the authorities for this chapter? 1.4 Who is responsible for acquisition and disposal of heavy duty motor equipment? 1.5 How does the Service manage the long-term size and composition of the heavy duty motor equipment fleet? | |
1.6 What are the overall requirements when purchasing heavy duty motor equipment? 1.7 Can the Service obtain excess or used heavy duty motor equipment? | |
1.8 Who determines whether to replace or dispose of heavy duty motor equipment? 1.9 What are the Service’s standards for replacing heavy duty motor equipment? 1.10 How does the Service dispose of heavy duty motor equipment that we own and are replacing? 1.11 What are the minimum replacement times for heavy duty motor equipment? 1.12 What are the repair limits for heavy duty motor equipment? 1.13 What are the minimum annual utilization standards for heavy duty motor equipment? | |
1.14 Who manages the proceeds from sales of heavy duty motor equipment? 1.15 Who is responsible for identifying available proceeds from sales of heavy duty motor equipment? 1.16 How are proceeds from the sale of heavy duty motor equipment applied? 1.17 How does the Service transfer excess heavy duty motor equipment? 1.18 What are the requirements for reconditioning Service heavy duty motor equipment before selling it through the General Services Administration (GSA)? |
OVERVIEW, AUTHORITIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter describes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) policy for acquiring and disposing of heavy duty motor equipment.
1.2 What is the scope of this chapter?
A. This chapter applies to:
(1) Duty stations that own, lease, rent, or manage heavy duty motor equipment;
(2) Contracting Officers (CO) and CO representatives who procure heavy duty motor equipment; and
(3) Managers and supervisors who manage heavy duty equipment.
B. Heavy duty motor equipment as applied in this chapter includes:
(1) Any land-based item of heavy equipment and associated attachments that are self-propelled or drawn by mechanical power or designed principally for off-highway use.
(a) This includes construction, maintenance, materials handling, forestry, and agricultural equipment such as dozers, agricultural tractors, skid steers, etc.
(b) See Table 1-2 in section 1.11A for a more comprehensive list.
(2) Associated implements, attachments, or features of items of heavy equipment.
C. This chapter does not cover boats, aircraft, cars, light and heavy duty trucks, and light duty equipment, such as all-terrain vehicles (ATV), lawn tractors, and small agricultural tractors under 25 horsepower because they do not meet the definition of “heavy duty motor equipment.” See Part 320, Motor Vehicle Management, for policy on these items.
D. Additional, more detailed guidance supplementing this chapter is in the Heavy Equipment Utilization and Replacement Handbook.
1.3 What are the authorities for this chapter?
A. 412 DM 1, Motor Vehicle Management, General Program Polices.
B. Motor Vehicle Management (41 CFR 102-34).
C. Executive Order 13149, Greening the Government through Federal Fleet and Transportation Efficiency.
D. Management and Disposal of Government Property (40 U.S.C. 10).
1.4 Who is responsible for acquisition and disposal of heavy duty motor equipment? See Table 1-1.
Table 1-1: Responsibilities for Heavy Duty Motor Equipment
These employees… | Are responsible for… |
A. The Director | Approving or declining to approve all Servicewide policy. |
B. The Assistant Director – Business Management and Operations | (1) Establishing overall policy and guidance for acquisition, safety, personal property, and internal control over financial reporting (see Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-123, Appendix A; heavy duty motor equipment as controlled personal policy); and (2) Supporting the National Heavy Equipment Coordinator’s implementation of this policy by providing technical guidance and transactional support. |
C. Chief – National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) | (1) Leading the development and deployment of the Service’s on-the-ground heavy duty motor equipment management program, (2) Maintaining the National Heavy Equipment Coordinator position within the NWRS Headquarters office, (3) Developing and defending national budget requests for the heavy duty motor equipment program within the NWRS, and (4) Providing guidance, expertise, and assistance on heavy duty motor equipment to programs outside the NWRS. |
D. National Heavy Equipment Coordinator | (1) Ensuring Servicewide implementation of this policy, (2) Coordinating with Headquarters Division of Contracting and General Services personnel on the development of Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) and Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) contract specifications for heavy duty motor equipment, and reviewing them when they’re complete, (3) Approving waivers for heavy duty motor equipment purchases that are not listed or that do not meet IDIQ or BPA specifications, (4) Providing national guidance and recommendations on policy related to heavy duty motor equipment management, (5) Establishing national standards for the calculation of life cycle cost analysis on heavy duty motor equipment, (6) Developing standards for replacing heavy duty motor equipment to include strategies to maximize proceeds of sales, (7) Providing guidance for what to do with the proceeds from sales of heavy duty equipment, and (8) Leading a national team of peers to review and update this and any associated policies and procedures. |
E. Regional Directors and Regional Special Agents-In-Charge (SACs) | (1) Implementing the requirements in this chapter in their areas of responsibility, and (2) Ensuring Assistant Regional Directors and Refuge Chiefs are held accountable for an efficient and effective program. |
F. Assistant Regional Directors (e.g., Fisheries, Ecological Services, etc.) and the Regional Chiefs – NWRS | (1) Ensuring that, for their areas of responsibility, the purchase, tracking, and disposal of heavy duty motor equipment complies with this chapter, (2) Supporting the Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator to ensure this policy is implemented in the most effective and efficient manner possible, (3) Maintaining the Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator position within the NWRS Regional office (the Regional Chief – NWRS may assign this position to an expert in a particular field station), and (4) Holding field station managers accountable for compliance with this policy. |
G. Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators | (1) Assisting the National Heavy Equipment Coordinator to: (a) Establish standard acquisition procedures and replacement cycles for heavy duty motor equipment and associated attachments, and (b) Develop an effective program to maximize the proceeds of sales; (2) Monitoring utilization of heavy equipment within their Regions to guide long-term efforts to maximize cost-effective fleet management. Utilization information in combination with an understanding of mission needs guides composition, type, and location of heavy equipment items; (3) Ensuring the purchase, tracking, and disposal of heavy duty motor equipment in their Regions complies with this chapter; (4) Determining specifications and selection of the proper type and size of heavy duty motor equipment to meet individual station and overall Regional mission needs by using established contracts, such as ID/IQs and BPAs, to ensure the best value for the Government; (5) Reviewing and approving all acquisition requests for heavy duty motor equipment to make sure the correct specifications are used, the correct Universal Product Code (UPC) has been assigned, and that the safety components on equipment meet national standards; (6) Establishing an effective program for the replacement cycles for heavy duty motor equipment in their areas of responsibility according to national standards; (7) Ensuring heavy duty motor equipment meets current Federal emission standards; (8) Tracking proceeds of sales of heavy duty motor equipment and recommending how to apply the proceeds toward new purchases; (9) Conducting station reviews to determine right size and placement of heavy duty motor equipment; (10) Managing Regional heavy duty motor equipment funds to correspond with national guidance and policy; and (11) Reviewing and approving transfers of heavy duty motor equipment within their Regions. |
H. Regional Fire Management Coordinators | (1) Coordinating with the Zone Fire Management Officer (FMO) and Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator to manage fire equipment replacement and investment of proceeds of sales, and (2) Working with the Zone FMO and Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator to determine fire apparatus specification requirements before ordering new fire equipment. |
I. National Fire Management Working Capital Fund Program Manager | (1) Serving as the technical expert for administering the Service’s Fire Management Working Capital Fund (WCF) program, (2) Coordinating with the National and Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators to ensure integration and management of applicable special purpose fire apparatus, (3) Overseeing management and transfers to the WCF account, (4) Establishing national WCF life cycle and replacement standards, and (5) Coordinating with Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators and Regional Property Managers to ensure the proceeds from WCF equipment sales are applied to the WCF account. |
J. Regional Property Managers | (1) Supporting the Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators to implement this policy by creating, maintaining, and disposing of property records in the property management system of record in accordance with Part 310 of the Service Manual; (2) Coordinating with the Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators and Regional contracting staff on the acquisition and disposal of heavy duty motor equipment assets; and (3) Working with the Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators to ensure the Regional inventory of heavy equipment is conducted annually. |
K. Project Leaders/Supervisors | (1) Ensuring that employees acquire, use, equip, maintain, and dispose of heavy duty motor equipment and other equipment as required in Parts 322, 320, and 243; (2) Providing their Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator the information they need to replace heavy duty motor equipment on the duty station; (3) Providing timely and accurate utilization reporting in in the heavy duty motor equipment management system of record; (4) Assisting Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators to identify heavy duty motor equipment available for the Regional sharing program; (5) Assisting Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator to identify right size and composition for the heavy duty motor equipment fleet on the duty stations for which they’re responsible; (6) Identifying equipment that needs to be disposed of and submitting reports to the Regional Property Manager within 30 days of receiving replacement equipment; and (7) Ensuring heavy duty motor equipment replacements are within the standards in this chapter. |
1.5 How does the Service manage the long-term size and composition of the heavy duty motor equipment fleet?
A. Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators work with field stations to:
(1) Monitor Regional mission needs and equipment utilization rates to determine whether or not to retain, dispose of, or relocate heavy duty motor equipment; and
(2) Ensure that the overall composition of the fleet provides the most effective type of equipment to meet our needs in the most cost-effective manner feasible.
B. Our overall goal is to provide for the most effective management of the Service’s heavy equipment fleet allowable within available funds and for long-term sustainability of the heavy equipment fleet.
PURCHASING EQUIPMENT
1.6 What are the overall requirements when purchasing heavy duty motor equipment?
A. Employees may only purchase heavy duty motor equipment using the established ID/IQ contracts. The National Heavy Equipment Coordinator must approve any exemptions to this or any other requirement in this policy.
B. All heavy duty motor equipment must meet the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) engine emissions standards. Refer to the Heavy Equipment Utilization and Replacement Handbook for emission exemptions.
C. The Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator or their designee must approve all purchases or other acquisition of heavy duty motor equipment at duty stations in their Regions.
1.7 Can the Service obtain excess or used heavy duty motor equipment? Yes, but any heavy duty motor equipment acquired from Government or State excess or bought in used condition must meet the current EPA engine emissions standards. The National and Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators may exempt acquisition of a piece of equipment from this standard on a case-by-case basis.
REPLACING EQUIPMENT
1.8 Who determines whether to replace or dispose of heavy duty motor equipment? Duty station personnel notify the Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator when a piece of heavy equipment is ready for disposal or transfer. The Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator determines whether the equipment should be transferred elsewhere in the Service, traded in for replacement equipment, or sold using the exchange sale authority.
A. The Accountable Officer (AO) at the duty station is responsible for notifying the Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator when equipment has met its intended minimum replacement age/hours.
B. The Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator determines if the equipment can be transferred to another Service duty station, traded in for replacement equipment, or sold.
C. The Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator is also responsible for providing the required documentation to the Regional Personal Property Manager, who processes the transfer or disposal transaction in the property management system.
1.9 What are the Service’s standards for replacing heavy duty motor equipment?
A. The AO may request the disposal or replacement of heavy duty motor equipment when it meets either the years or hours minimum standards (see sections 1.10 and 1.11).
B. The Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator may decide to retain equipment even if the standards in section 1.11 would allow us to dispose of or replace it if:
(1) It is in safe, usable condition, and
(2) We can operate it without excessive maintenance cost or substantial reduction in trade-in value.
C. The AO may request replacement of heavy duty motor equipment before they meet the standards in section 1.11 if:
(1) The repair costs would be excessive (see section 1.12), or
(2) The equipment may become unsafe to operate because it was exposed to environmental (e.g., rough terrain) or chemical elements (e.g., salt or sea water). Qualified personnel or a mechanic should inspect heavy duty motor equipment to identify necessary repairs. If repairs exceed the limitations in section 1.12, the AO may request disposal of the equipment if the AO has written documentation to support the decision.
1.10 How does the Service dispose of heavy duty motor equipment that we own and are replacing? We must sell equipment that we intend to replace to receive money to help pay for the replacement. Sales are processed through the General Services Administration (GSA) and may be sold to another bureau in the Department, another Federal agency, or a third party.
A. The equipment must meet or exceed the replacement standards before you can consider replacing it (see sections 1.11 and 1.12).
B. The Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator notifies the Regional Property Manager the equipment meets or exceeds replacement criteria based on the following criteria. The Coordinator also provides the required forms to support the disposal:
(1) The heavy duty motor equipment must not be excess or surplus.
(2) Law must not preclude the acquisition of replacement equipment.
C. The Regional Property Manager verifies that they received the required forms. The Regional Property Manager processes the transactions by working with GSA on property disposal following the guidelines in Part 310 of the Service Manual. Required documentation may include:
(1) Standard Form (SF)-126, Report of Personal Property for Sale,
(2) A description of the heavy duty motor equipment,
(3) An hour meter statement, and
(4) Digital photos.
D. When GSA completes a sale, they notify the station contact and send the contact a copy of the Purchaser’s Receipt and Authority to Release Property. After verifying the buyer’s identification, the duty station may release the equipment to the purchaser.
E. The proceeds from the sale of the heavy duty motor equipment apply toward the purchase of replacement equipment.
F. The AO must:
(1) Keep the equipment in temporary storage until the purchaser picks it up, and
(2) Report the exchange to the GSA Regional office and the Regional Property Manager. The Regional Property Manager updates the system of record as required in Part 310.
1.11 What are the minimum replacement times for heavy duty motor equipment?
A. Table 1-2 includes the minimum standards for replacing heavy duty motor equipment. The Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator is responsible for determining whether or not to replace equipment based on use, age, and locality.
Table 1-2: Service’s Minimum Heavy Equipment Replacement Standards
Equipment Type | Yearsa | Hoursa |
Agricultural Tractors | 6 | 2,500 hrs. |
Backhoe Loaders | 8 | 2,000 hrs. |
Hydraulic Excavators | 8 | 2,500 hrs. |
Mini Excavators | 7 | 1,500 hrs. |
Crawler Dozers | 8 | 2,500 hrs. |
Wheeled/Crawler Loaders | 9 | 3,000 hrs. |
Motor Graders | 10 | 3,000 hrs. |
Skid Steers and Compact Track Loaders | 6 | 1,500 hrs. |
Self-Propelled Scrapers | 8 | 3,000 hrs. |
Specialty Tracked Equipment | 8 | 2,000 hrs. |
Forklifts | 8 | 2,500 hrs. |
Amphibious/soft-tracked equipment (wheeled or tracked) | 8 | 2,000 hrs. |
a A minimum standard is stated for years or hours. Use the one that occurs first.
B. Rehabilitation may extend the useful life of costly equipment and reduce or delay large equipment procurement outlays.
C. Generally, rehabilitation costs should not exceed 50 percent of the replacement cost.
1.12 What are the repair limits for heavy duty motor equipment?
A. See Table 1-3.
Table 1-3: Repair Limits for Heavy Duty Motor Equipment
Age of Equipment | Maximum Percentage of Repair to Value Per Job |
1 | 50 |
2 | 45 |
3 | 40 |
4 | 35 |
5 | 30 |
6 | 25 |
7 | 20 |
8 | 15 |
9+ | 10 |
B. Following is an example of how to use this table:
● A 2013 dozer needs repairs in 2015.
● The equipment is 2 years old, which equals 45% maximum repair limit per job based on replacement cost.
● The replacement cost is $145,000.
● 45% x $145,000 = $65,250.
● Repairs up to $65,250 can be authorized for repair of this dozer.
1.13 What are the minimum annual utilization standards for heavy duty motor equipment? See Table 1-4.
Table 1-4: Heavy Duty Motor Equipment Utilization Standards
Equipment Type | Minimum Annual Utilization (in hours) | Standard Annual Utilization (in hours) |
Ag Tractors | 150 | 300 |
Backhoe Loaders | 125 | 250 |
Hydraulic Excavators | 150 | 300 |
Mini Excavators | 150 | 300 |
Crawler Dozers | 125 | 250 |
Wheeled/Crawler Loaders | 150 | 300 |
Motor Graders | 150 | 300 |
Skid Steers and | 125 | 250 |
Self-Propelled Scrapers | 150 | 300 |
Specialty Tracked Equipment | 125 | 250 |
Forklifts | 100 | 200 |
PROCEEDS FROM SALES AND TRANSFER REQUIREMENTS
1.14 Who manages the proceeds from sales of heavy duty motor equipment? The National and Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators manage proceeds from sales, except for fire equipment, which the National Fire Management WCF Program Manager handles.
1.15 Who is responsible for identifying available proceeds from sales of heavy duty motor equipment? Regional Budget and Finance offices track proceeds from sales, report on those sales to the programs that owned the equipment, and provide the information for inclusion in the heavy equipment replacement plan. The Budget and Finance office should generate the reports at least twice a year to ensure all proceeds have been applied before time limits on funding have expired, and provide the reports to Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators.
1.16 How are proceeds from the sale of heavy duty motor equipment applied?
A. Proceeds from sales of heavy duty motor equipment must be returned to the Regional heavy equipment fund. See the Heavy Equipment Utilization and Replacement Handbook for guidance on Fire Program WCF proceeds.
B. The Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator applies the proceeds to the appropriate equipment replacement acquisitions using the UPC to meet Service mission needs. Following is an example:
The UPC for a bulldozer is 38051900.
● The first two digits (38051900) indicate the family of equipment (heavy equipment),
● The third and fourth digits of the UPC (38051900) indicate the category of equipment (earthmoving equipment), and
● The last four digits (38051900) indicate the specific type of equipment (bulldozer).
Because we use many types of equipment to complete similar projects, the first two digits of the UPC code is the deciding factor for what we can apply proceeds of sales to.
1.17 How does the Service transfer excess heavy duty motor equipment?
A. Transfer to another bureau in the Department.
(1) If a duty station wants to dispose of excess heavy duty motor equipment, the AO notifies the Regional Property Manager that the duty station no longer needs the equipment.
(a) The Regional Property Manager consults with the Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinator for concurrence in the proposed disposal. After receiving concurrence, the Regional Property Manager uses an informal process (i.e., phone or email) to notify Property Managers in other bureaus that the equipment is available for transfer.
(b) The first Property Manager to claim the equipment gets it.
(2) The Regional Property Manager records the transfer of heavy duty motor equipment to another bureau on Form DI-104, Transfer of Property, and in FBMS. The form is what’s used to update property records and accounts.
B. Transfer to another Federal agency. If no other bureau needs the equipment, we may transfer it to another Federal agency.
(1) The Regional Property Manager advertises excess equipment on GSAexcess.gov. They must include the following information for each piece of equipment on the Web site:
(a) Manufacturer,
(b) Model,
(c) Number of cylinders and engine size, and
(d) Hour meter.
(2) If another Federal agency claims the equipment, GSA will give the Regional Property Manager a completed SF-122, Transfer Order Excess Personal Property. The Regional Property must remove the equipment from inventory in FBMS within 30 days of removal of equipment at its physical location.
C. Charge cards, owner’s manuals, and tags.
(1) If we transfer the equipment to any organization outside the Service, the AO must destroy the fleet charge card and remove decals and tags (see 320 FW 5).
(2) The owner's manual and relevant documents must always stay with the equipment when transferred.
D. When transfer is not possible. If we are unsuccessful at transferring equipment, the Regional Property Manager contacts GSA. GSA may dispose of it through its donation or sales programs.
1.18 What are the requirements for reconditioning Service heavy duty motor equipment before selling it through GSA?
A. To maximize our sales proceeds, all heavy duty motor equipment we offer for sale must be appearance-reconditioned. Appearance reconditioning includes making minor repairs or replacements and cleaning the vehicle to improve its value.
B. Table 1-5 is a checklist of tasks that we must complete on all heavy duty motor equipment offered for sale under exchange sale authority:
Table 1-5: Checklist of Reconditioning Tasks
✓ | Wash heavy duty motor equipment, including wheels and the inside and outside of all windows. |
✓ | Remove trash and debris from the operator’s compartment (including under and behind seats) and other areas of the equipment. |
✓ | Vacuum the operator’s compartment (floor, seats, storage compartments) and dust the control panel, interior door panels, steering column, etc. |
✓ | Inflate tires and spare to appropriate levels. |
✓ | Replenish oil, coolant, windshield washer fluid, etc. |
✓ | Remove any items from the equipment not for sale (e.g., winch). |
C. Do not make major repairs, such as engine or drive train overhauls, or replace major parts unless it is clear that the cost of the parts and repairs will more than offset the expected increase in the sale price.