Government transportation contracts and government trucking contracts for carriers
Government transportation contracts are posted every week: local freight runs for a VA medical center, an office move for a federal field office, expedited freight forwarding for the Navy, warehousing and delivery for a regional depot, mail haul for the Postal Service. Most of them are in the wrong state, need equipment you do not run or are set aside for someone else. FederalContracts reads each new federal trucking and transportation solicitation the day it posts, scores it out of 100 against your trucks, NAICS codes, set-asides and the states you cover, and sends one short list each morning with the best fits first.
A three truck box truck operator in Georgia and a 40 tractor carrier in Ohio see the same notices on SAM.gov. They should not be reading the same list.
| Match | Solicitation and agency | NAICS | Set-aside | Place of performance | Response due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83 | Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Custodial, Pest Control, and Grounds Maintenance Service Contract at U.S. Marine Corps Air St | 561210 | Full and open | Not stated | 28 Oct |
| 77 | N6247826R2431 FACILITIES AND LIGHTING MAINTENANCE SERVICES at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Oahu, Hawaii | 561210 | 8(a) | Not stated | 13 Oct 7 days left |
| 74 | USACE SPK MOTCO Facilities and Utilities Maintenance Services - Concord, California | 561210 | 8(a) | Not stated | 8 Oct 2 days left |
| 74 | Operation and Maintenance of Government-Owned Facilities and Equipment, Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam and Lake Seminole Project, Florida and Geo | 561210 | Total small business | Not stated | 19 Oct |
| 70 | Solicitation - BWT Operation and Maintenance | 561210 | Total small business | Not stated | 16 Oct |
Where do I find government trucking contracts?
You find federal government trucking contracts on SAM.gov under Contract Opportunities, filtered by trucking NAICS codes such as 484110 and 484121. Postal Service mail haul is bid separately on USPS eSourcing, GSA freight rates are tendered in GSA's TMSS 2.0 system, and DoD freight runs through the Army's carrier program. State and local hauling is posted on each state, county and transit agency portal.
| Where the work is | Typical buyers | What it looks like | How you get in |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAM.gov solicitations | VA, DoD bases, USDA, Interior, GSA regions | Local delivery, moves, shuttle service, freight forwarding, warehousing and delivery | |
| USPS highway contract routes | Postal Service | Mail haul from long haul tractor trailers to single van box routes | |
| GSA Freight Management Program | Civilian agencies shipping freight | Rate tenders that agencies pick from by price and service | |
| DoD freight program | Military shipments inside the US | Truckload, LTL and specialized moves under DoD rules | |
| State and local portals | State DOTs, transit agencies, school districts, counties | Hauling, snow and debris removal, student transport, fleet moves |
The ranked list covers the SAM.gov side every morning, and on Capture it adds state, county and city bids. USPS and GSA rate programs run in their own systems, so register there as well if you want that work.
Trucking NAICS codes the matching reads
Federal notices for trucking almost always carry one of these codes. Put every code you can perform on your profile, because a single agency might post a move under 484210 one year and under 484110 the next.
| NAICS | What it covers | Typical federal notice |
|---|---|---|
| 484110 | General freight trucking, local | Base to base delivery runs, depot shuttles |
| 484121 | General freight trucking, long distance, truckload | Dedicated truckload lanes, equipment moves |
| 484122 | General freight trucking, long distance, less than truckload | Regional LTL service for an agency |
| 484210 | Used household and office goods moving | Office relocations, furniture moves for field offices |
| 484220 | Specialized freight trucking, local | Flatbed, heavy haul, hazardous materials within a region |
| 492110 | Couriers and express delivery services | Scheduled courier routes for labs and clinics |
| 488510 | Freight transportation arrangement | Freight forwarding and brokerage services |
| 493110 | General warehousing and storage | Third party logistics with storage and delivery |
On the service side, federal transportation buys use product service codes in the V group, with V112 for motor freight. Each NAICS code has an SBA size standard measured in average annual receipts, and that limit decides whether you count as small for a set-aside. Check the current SBA table for the codes you list before you bid.
Who awards government transportation contracts
The buyers of trucking and hauling services are not the agencies you might expect. Large freight moves for the military mostly run through standing carrier programs, so the solicitations a small carrier can win on SAM.gov tend to be local and recurring.
| Buyer | What they post | Why it suits a small carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Medical center shuttles, supply delivery, furniture and equipment moves | Recurring local runs, many set aside for veteran owned firms |
| Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine installations | On base delivery, warehousing and delivery, equipment hauling | Base level contracting offices buy locally |
| Defense Logistics Agency | Distribution support and freight forwarding | Large volume, often through multiple award contracts |
| USDA and Interior agencies | Hauling for forest, park and food programs, seasonal moves | Rural lanes that big carriers skip |
| GSA and civilian field offices | Office moves, storage, courier service | Short contracts that build past performance |
| FEMA and disaster response | Emergency hauling and logistics during declared disasters | Fast awards, needs equipment ready to roll |
Government box truck contracts and what they really are
Government box truck contracts exist, but they rarely look like the ads promise. A federal agency does not hire a box truck. It buys a service: delivering supplies to five clinics on a schedule, moving an office across town, running a courier loop for a lab, or carrying mail on a postal route. A box truck owner wins that work by bidding the service, with the right insurance and a price that covers the whole term.
What box truck operators actually win:
- Local delivery and courier routes under 484110 and 492110, often for VA clinics, labs and base supply rooms.
- Office and furniture moves under 484210, posted by field offices that are consolidating or relocating.
- Postal Service box and van routes, bid on USPS eSourcing, where some highway contract routes need a single van or straight truck.
- Subcontract runs for prime contractors that hold a larger logistics contract and need local capacity.
Be wary of anyone selling a list of guaranteed box truck contracts or a course that promises awards. Federal contracts are awarded by contracting officers on public solicitations, and there is no paid shortcut to an award. What does work is seeing every fitting notice early and bidding the ones you can price well.
What decides whether you can win a trucking contract
Most carriers lose federal transportation bids on paperwork long before price. Check these before you spend an evening on a proposal.
- Operating authority and safety record. Agencies check that your USDOT number and FMCSA authority are active and that your safety record is clean. DoD freight adds SCAC, carrier registration, a surety bond and safety score thresholds.
- Insurance. Each solicitation sets auto liability and cargo limits. DoD freight sets a minimum cargo coverage in the Defense Transportation Regulation, and agencies ask for certificates naming them before work starts.
- SAM registration. An active SAM.gov registration with your Unique Entity ID and the right NAICS codes is required for every federal award.
- Labor rules. Many driving and hauling service contracts carry Service Contract Act wage determinations, which set minimum wages and fringe benefits for drivers. Carriage of freight under published tariff rates is exempt.
- Size and set-aside status. Small business, 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB and HUBZone set-asides are common on local transportation work. Your size is measured against the size standard of the NAICS code on the notice.
- Price for the whole term. Fuel, insurance renewals and wage determination increases all land inside a multi-year base and option period. Bid what the last year will cost, not the first.
How trucking bid matching works
- Describe your fleet in one line. Box trucks, tractors, flatbeds, moves, courier, warehousing. The matcher reads the full notice text against it, so "shuttle service" and "supply delivery" still reach you.
- Add your codes, states and set-aside. NAICS 484, 492, 488 and 493 codes, the states your trucks cover, and any small business certification.
- Get one ranked list each morning. Every new notice gets a score out of 100 and a one line reason, such as "local delivery in your state, small business set-aside, due in 12 days" or "outside your region".
- Track deadlines and amendments. Save a bid and its response and question deadlines go on your board, updated when the agency posts an amendment.
Prior awards for the same buying office sit beside each bid, so you can see who runs the work today and roughly what it paid. More detail is on how it works.
Who pays for a trucking bid list
- Box truck and cargo van operators with one to ten trucks who want recurring local routes instead of load board rates.
- Regional carriers and LTL operators that bid dedicated lanes and need every agency notice in their states without a full time person on SAM.gov.
- Movers and relocation companies that win office moves and storage contracts from federal field offices.
- Veteran owned and 8(a) carriers that want the set-asides they qualify for at the top. Veteran owners can read more on government contracts for veterans.
- Logistics and warehousing firms that sell third party logistics, distribution and freight forwarding to agencies and to primes.
Ways to find government transportation bids compared
| Option | What you get | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| SAM.gov saved searches | Every notice that matches your filter, by email, in date order | No fee, plus the hours to read all of it |
| USPS eSourcing | Postal Service route solicitations | No fee, separate registration and rules |
| GSA TMSS 2.0 | Federal freight rate tenders | No fee to file, agencies pay a program fee on shipments |
| Load boards | Commercial spot freight, not government contracts | Subscription plus thin spot rates |
| Generic bid alert services | Keyword alerts from many portals | From a few hundred USD a year, plenty of near misses |
| FederalContracts | Federal notices scored against your fleet, with a reason, deadlines and award history | 129 USD a month or 768 USD a year, state and local on Capture |
Where others win: USPS and GSA rate programs are only found in their own systems, and a plain SAM.gov saved search costs nothing if you have the time to read it. For a side by side of paid bid sites, see government bidding sites compared.
What carriers get on each plan
- Bid Desk, 129 USD a month or 768 USD a year. Federal solicitations, 1 company profile, 3 seats, 5 saved searches, a daily ranked digest with the reason for each match, deadline reminders and 3 years of award history.
- Capture, 349 USD a month or 2,088 USD a year. Federal plus state, county and municipal bids, so DOT, transit and school transport notices land in the same list, with 5 business lines, 15 seats and full award history with exports.
- Enterprise, annual and invoiced. Unlimited profiles and seats, SSO, webhooks and a full API.
Every feature is listed on pricing. Monthly plans run to the end of the month you paid for and stop when you cancel.
How do I get government contracts for my trucking company?
To get government contracts for a trucking company, register in SAM.gov with your trucking NAICS codes, keep your FMCSA authority, insurance and safety record clean, and bid the local delivery, moving and hauling notices that fit your equipment. Start with small recurring routes near your base to build past performance, then add USPS eSourcing and set-aside work you qualify for.
Can I get government contracts with a box truck?
Yes, a box truck operator can win government contracts, mostly local delivery, courier, office moves and some Postal Service routes. Agencies buy the service, not the truck, so you bid a priced service for a term with the insurance the solicitation asks for. Small business and veteran set-asides make many of these local contracts open only to firms your size.
How do I find government freight contracts?
You find government freight contracts on SAM.gov under NAICS 484121, 484122 and 488510, in GSA's Freight Management Program through TMSS 2.0 rate tenders, and in the DoD carrier program for military freight. Each runs on its own registration. A ranked list saves the daily SAM.gov search by scoring each freight notice against your lanes and equipment.
Do government trucking contracts pay well?
Government trucking contracts pay steady rather than spectacular rates. A contract fixes the price for a base year and options, which protects you from spot market swings but exposes you to fuel and insurance increases you did not price in. Contracts with Service Contract Act wage determinations also set driver pay floors, so price labor carefully before you bid.
Do I need a SCAC code for government contracts?
You need a SCAC code to haul DoD freight through the military carrier program, and many federal shipping systems ask for one. A SCAC is a four letter code issued by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association. Ordinary SAM.gov service contracts such as an office move or a courier route usually do not require one, so read the notice.
Are there state and local government transportation contracts too?
Yes. State DOTs, transit agencies, school districts and counties post hauling, snow removal, debris, student transport and fleet service bids on their own portals, and DOT funded work often has DBE goals. Capture adds these state and local notices to the same ranked list. For how they are posted, see state and local government bids.
See today's transportation contracts ranked for your fleet
Type your fleet line, home state and NAICS codes. Bid Match ranks a dated snapshot of public federal solicitation records against them, so you see the kind of list you would get each morning before you pay.
Related reading: government contract alerts, government contract finder, list of government contracts for bid, small business government contracting opportunities, government construction contracts.