Whitfield County is accepting bids for a tandem dump trucks with operators contract through the end of the month.
“The intent of this invitation is to obtain competitive sealed bids from qualified vendors so that Whitfield County Public Works will have the ability to contract tandem axle dump trucks with operators on a yearly basis,” county documents read. “The contractor shall furnish all equipment, insurance and services required to fulfill the terms and conditions of this invitation to bid.”
Per county documents, the move to maintain a smaller fleet of dump trucks is an effort to reduce the overall local government budget and eliminate “unnecessary” capital expenses.
“The cost-saving initiative will require the use of contracted trucks and operators to support paving operations or any other special projects assigned,” the official invitation for bid paperwork reads.
The document indicates that submitted prices will remain firm for the contract period, which extends from the approval date until Jan. 31, 2025 — “regardless of any changes that may occur as a result of manufacturer/production changes, factory shutdowns, delivery schedules (or) inflation in price of materials and labor.”
The contract can be canceled by either party, for any reason, just as long as 60 days written notice is provided.
“The county shall not be bound to purchase a minimum quantity nor restricted to a maximum quantity during the initial contract agreement period and any subsequent renewals,” county documents note.
The invitation for bids stipulates that the tandem trucks must have a gross vehicle weight of 66,000 pounds, with beds capable of hauling 15 tons of asphalt paving materials, graded aggregates and/or dirt backfill at the minimum.
“The price shall include the tandem truck and an operator, fuel, insurance, pick-up and delivery of all materials needed for Whitfield County projects,” the documents read. “The materials will generally be loaded from local vendors, however, materials may need to be hauled outside of Whitfield County when not available locally.”
The projected work schedule for the selected vendor is four days per week in the summer and five days per week in the winter. Per the bid document, Saturday work “will be limited, but a three-day notice shall be given whenever possible.”
The bid invitation does prioritize “local vendor privilege” in the selection process.
“The local vendor privilege gives qualifying vendors, who are within 4% of the low bid, the opportunity to agree to match the low bid within 24 hours,” documents indicate. “If more than one local vendor meets the qualifications, the lowest local bidder will be given the first opportunity to match the low bid.”
To qualify, a vendor has to have an established place of business within Whitfield County and at least two employees who have been working for said business for a minimum of six months.
“Whitfield County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids for any reason, to waive technicalities and to make an award deemed in its best interest,” documents note. “Whitfield County shall have the right to delete a unit item from bid if necessary or proper in the sole determination of Whitfield County.”
The cutoff date for bids is listed as 2 p.m. on Feb. 29.