FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 47: Transportation › Subpart 47.3
FAR 47.305-16 Shipping characteristics.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This section tells contracting officers when to include certain shipping-related clauses in solicitations and contracts. It matters to contractors because those clauses affect how offers are evaluated for freight costs and what shipping characteristics the contractor must guarantee.
Applies to: Contracting officers and contractors involved in f.o.b. origin or destination shipments
Key terms: f.o.b. origin · f.o.b. destination · carload · truckload · simplified acquisition threshold
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) Required shipping weights. The contracting officer shall insert in solicitations and contracts the clause at 52.247-59, F.o.b. Origin—Carload and Truckload Shipments, when it is contemplated that they may result in f.o.b. origin contracts with shipments in carloads or truckloads. This will facilitate realistic freight cost evaluations of offers and ensure that contractors produce economical shipments of agreed size.
(b) Guaranteed shipping characteristics. (1) The contracting officer shall insert in soliciations and contracts, excluding those at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, the clause at 52.247-60, Guaranteed Shipping Characteristics, when shipping and other characteristics are required to evaluate offers as to transportation costs. When all of the shipping characteristics listed in paragraph (a) of the clause at 52.247-60 are not required to evaluate offers as to transportation costs, the contracting officer shall delete the characteristics not required from the clause.
(2) The award document shall show the shipping characteristics used in the evaluation.
(c) Minimum size of shipments. When volume rates may apply, the contracting officer shall insert in solicitations and contracts the clause at 52.247-61, F.o.b. Origin—Minimum Size of Shipments.
(d) Specific quantities unknown. (1) When total requirements and destinations to which shipments will be made are known, but the specific quantity to be shipped to each destination cannot be predetermined, solicitations shall state that offers are to be submitted on the basis of delivery f.o.b. origin and/or f.o.b. destination and that offers will be evaluated on both bases.
(2) The contracting officer shall insert in solicitations and contracts the clause at 52.247-62, Specific Quantities Unknown, when total requirements and destinations to which shipments will be made are known, but the specific quantity to be shipped to each destination cannot be predetermined. This clause protects the interests of both the Government and the contractor during the course of the performance of the contract.
Sections it refers to
← 47.305-15 Loading responsibilities of contractors. · 47.305-17 Returnable cylinders. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 47
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 9, 27, and 47 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Training To Prevent Human Trafficking for Certain Air Carriers; Correction ↗ · final rule 2024-12-30 · effective 2025-01-03
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Training To Prevent Human Trafficking for Certain Air Carriers ↗ · final rule 2024-12-16 · effective 2025-01-03
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.