Sodium Chloride Bulk Road Salt

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES
SPECIFICATIONS
Sodium Chloride (Bulk Road Salt)
Invitation for Bid No. 6100065611

SPECIFICATIONS 2026-2027
Sodium Chloride (Bulk Road Salt)
Solicitation No. 6100065611
I. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
1. SCOPE: This Invitation for Bid (IFB) 6100065611 (identified here and in other documents
as the "Contract") is being issued by the Department of General Services (DGS) and will
cover the requirements of Commonwealth agencies and pre-registered Local Public
Procurement Units (COSTARS members) for Sodium Chloride (Bulk Road Salt). In
addition to this Specifications document, the following documents are incorporated as
attachments and are made part of the IFB package.
Attachment A Sodium Chloride (Bulk Road Salt) Estimates
Attachment B Sodium Chloride Bid Sheet
Attachment C Manufacturer Guarantee Form
Attachment D Specifications for Sodium Chloride
Attachment E Sample Report
Attachment F Contractor Point of Contact Form
Attachment G PennDOT Plant Locations
Attachment H Map of PennDOT Districts and Counties
Attachment I COSTARS Program Election to Participate
Attachment J GSPUR-89 Reciprocal Limitations Act Requirements
Attachment K Iran Free Certification Form
Attachment L Lobbying Certification Form
Attachment M BOP-2201 Worker Protection Form
This IFB is comprised of sixty-seven (67) line items with each line item representing an
individual county within the Commonwealth. A breakdown of 2026-2027 Sodium Chloride
estimates for each county is set forth in Attachment A to these Specifications.
2. BIDDING INFORMATION: The Commonwealth is requesting Suppliers submit bids for
Sodium Chloride (Bulk Road Salt). Do not enter pricing on the electronic IFB, rather,
bidders must enter initial bid pricing into the attached Sodium Chloride Bid Sheet, included
as Attachment B, and submit it along with the bid response.
The following documents are required to be completed and returned/attached with your
electronic bid. These are in addition to any other requirements to submit documentation
within the bid specifications. Bids may be rejected for failure to complete and return
required documents.
* Sodium Chloride Bid Sheet, Attachment B, to these Specifications. Do not
provide in PDF format. Must be in Excel format
* GSPUR-89, Attachment J to these Specifications
* Contractor Point of Contact Form, Attachment F to these Specifications
* Iran Free Certification Form, Attachment K to these Specifications
* Lobbying Certification Form, Attachment L to these Specifications
* BOP-2201 Worker Protection Form, Attachment M to these Specifications
* Manufacturer Guarantee, Attachment C to these Specifications (if applicable)
* Material Safety Data Sheet
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* Quality Control Plan (reference section 7)
* COSTARS Program Election to Participate form, Attachment I to these
Specifications
* Copy of active DGS Certified Small Business certification (if applicable)
The Attachment B - Sodium Chloride Bid Sheet has two tabs. The first tab contains the
FOB delivered price per ton submittal by County. The second tab covers the Supplier
stockpile pick-up pricing.
Tab 1 County Bid Sheet: Reflects 67 counties. Suppliers may select any/all
Counties to bid on.
Tab 2 Stockpile Pick-up Pricing: Pick-up pricing to unrestricted supplier
stockpiles. These prices will not be used in evaluations for award. Pick-up
pricing will be fixed for the initial term of the contract and will not be subject
to fuel price adjustments as outlined in section 22.
3. METHOD OF AWARD: Award will be made by line item (County), to the lowest responsive
and responsible bidder, based on the FOB delivered price per ton. Bid prices are
evaluated at the base unit of measure listed on the bid sheet for each line item. Suppliers
may be awarded none, any, and/or all line items listed in this IFB.
4. TERM OF CONTRACT: The Contract shall commence on the Effective Date no earlier
than August 1, 2026 and expire on July 31, 2027.
5. OPTION TO RENEW: Renewals shall be mutually agreed upon by DGS and the
Supplier(s). Non-renewed contracts, whether partial or in whole, will be competitively re-
solicited. Upon renewal, the Contract terms and conditions shall apply same as the prior
year. Estimated quantity requirements for the renewal period will be provided and
incorporated into the renewed Contract(s). Renewal pricing will be negotiated between
DGS and the Supplier(s) and shall become effective August 1st of the current year. The
agreed upon renewal pricing will be considered the new "bid" price for purposes of any
price adjustments during the renewal period.
6. QUALIFICATIONS OF SUPPLIERS: Bidding suppliers must own an approved source,
that is approved and listed in Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)
Publication 35, Bulletin 15, of Sodium Chloride Type 1, Grade 1, or provide the
Commonwealth with a guarantee from an approved source, that is approved and listed in
PennDOT Publication 35 Bulletin 15, of supply from the owner of the approved source.
For award, those suppliers who do not own an approved source must furnish with their
bids a Manufacturer's Guarantee Form (Attachment C to these Specifications) signed by
the owner of an approved source of Sodium Chloride Type 1, Grade 1 IAW, AASHTO
M143 or ASTM D632. Failure to include a signed guarantee with the bid shall result in the
rejection of the bid unless the supplier is offering to provide material from an approved
source they own.
7. NEW SOURCES: In the event that a new source is developed and placed in operation by
an approved source already in Bulletin 15 during the life of this contract, the new source
is subject to approval by PennDOT before material is delivered to users of this contract.
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8. ACCEPTANCE OF SODIUM CHLORIDE: On the basis of certification in accordance with
the current Quality Control Plan on file with PennDOT, Bureau of Operations and the
specifications for Sodium Chloride Type 1, Grade 1 IAW, AASHTO M143 or ASTM D632.
A current Quality Control Plan (QC Plan) shall be forwarded to the Bureau of Operations
within 15 working days of Notification of Award. Failure to supply the required Quality
Control Plan may result in award to the next lowest supplier. Mail to:
* Winter Operations Section
PA Department of Transportation
Bureau of Operations
400 North Street - 6th Floor
Harrisburg PA 17120
9. SPECIFICATIONS: Suppliers shall comply with Department of Transportation Publication
408 Section 722 - Sodium Chloride. In addition, the supplier must furnish sodium chloride
from a manufacturer listed in Publication 35 Bulletin 15, and meeting the requirements
Publication 408, Section 722 - Sodium Chloride. See Attachment D to these
Specifications.
10. TESTING: Testing will be conducted randomly by the PennDOT Laboratory. Suppliers
will be notified, via certified letter, of test failures. Notification will occur on a regular basis.
After a Supplier has received three such letters, their level of certification may change.
The changing of the level of certification will require more frequent testing of the material
being delivered and the resubmission of an updated quality control plan that address the
areas of the test results where the material did not meet specification.
11. MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET: The material safety data sheet for each product
being bid shall be included with the bid proposal. Failure to include the material safety
data sheet may be cause for rejection of the bid
12. STOCKPILE INSPECTION: The Commonwealth, at its own discretion, may inspect any
awarded supplier's stockpile/storage area used to store and from which the awarded
material is shipped.
The inspection may include, but not limited to the following:
a. Are the piles of material covered properly to ensure protection from adverse
weather?
b. Proper sampling of material. Samples may be taken and forward to PennDOT
Laboratory for testing for conformance to specifications listed in this contract.
If the inspection results in piles of material not being covered and/or failing test results, the
awarded Supplier using said stockpile/storage area may be notified to discontinue
shipping material to PennDOT locations from that stockpile/storage area.
If such notification is necessary, it shall be made by PennDOT in conjunction with DGS.
13. REPLENISH: PennDOT reserves the right to replenish stockpiles between May 1st and
July 31st of the contract period, which may exceed the established maximum quantities.
Prior to issuing any replenishment orders, PennDOT and DGS will consult with the
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awarded supplier to establish a mutually agreeable delivery schedule, expected daily
tonnage rates, etc.
14. DELIVERIES: Each using entity will accept deliveries between the hours of 7:00 AM and
3:00 PM, Monday through Friday, except holidays, in absence of a prior agreed upon
schedule. The initial fill and remainder of the season (winter fill) deliveries are shipped in
accordance with the following:
a. Department/using entity personnel must be present to receive all materials being
shipped unless otherwise agreed upon. Shipments shall be made in a continuous
manner so that the availability of receiving personnel is scheduled efficiently.
b. The Supplier and or his Transportation Company shall confirm the schedule of
deliveries 24 hours prior to delivery. The Supplier and or his Transportation
Company shall coordinate notification of deliveries with the County Maintenance
Manager / using entity or his designee prior to delivery.
c. Deliveries any time other than weekdays between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00
PM will be scheduled only upon agreement and coordination with the County
Maintenance Manager / using entity or his designee.
d. Protect all deliveries of salt by waterproof covering throughout the shipping
process. The Department/using entity may reject unprotected shipments.
e. Department/using entity personnel receiving all materials should clearly note any
issues regarding the material on the bill of lading whether material is received or
rejected.
f. Form CS-4171 is to be included with each delivery as referenced in the
specifications of the contract and PennDOT Publication 408
g. In lieu of providing Form CS-4171 with each delivery, awarded Suppliers must
adhere to the following:
1. The original CS-4171 for deliveries must be kept on file by the awarded Sodium
Chloride Supplier and available to the Commonwealth if requested.
2. A Bill of Lading, (BOL), is furnished with each delivery.
h. If an awarded Supplier decides not to include Form CS-4171 with each delivery,
then each BOL must contain the language required in the specifications of the
contract as listed below:
1. SHIPMENT: Suppliers shall be required to use their own bill of lading, which
contains a statement indicating that "this material has been tested and meets
the required specifications." The form shall also include:
* SAP Purchase Order Number
* Purchase Order Line Item Number
* Plant Supplier Code (Producer, Name and Location)
* Stockpile or Producing Plant Location
* Company Laboratory Report Number
* Consignee, Name and Location
* Lot Number
* Material Type/Class/Number (SAP)
* Date and Time Ticketed
* Unique Truck ID
* Mass (Weight), Gross, Tare, Net
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* Running Daily Total in Tons of material being transported by Purchase
Order Line Item Number
* Name and license number of Licensed Public Weighmaster (signature or
e-signature)
2. INVOICE:
* In addition to the invoice requirements as listed in the specifications
of the contract, the lot number of each respective delivery must be
included if not already included on the BOL.
15. PENNDOT PLANT LOCATIONS: For reference purposes, the PennDOT plant location
listing is attached as Attachment G to these Specifications. These locations are subject
to change and the Commonwealth reserves the right to add, delete and/or alter locations
as necessary. For the purposes of this contract, the quantity delivered on a given day to
a specific stockpile is considered a lot for delivery. A map of the counties and PennDOT
districts is contained forth in Attachment H to these Specifications.
16. EMERGENCY DELIVERY PROVISIONS: In the event of, and for the duration of, any state
of emergency or disaster declared by the Governor, the Supplier for any county in which
the emergency of disaster is officially declared shall attempt to provide continuous twenty-
four hour service as directed by the Commonwealth. For the purpose of maintaining
necessary communications and services, the Supplier shall designate on the Contractor
Point of Contact Form (Attachment F) a primary and, if available, a secondary contact
person or title. The Supplier guarantees that the persons so designated will be available
throughout the emergency.
17. CONTRACTOR POINT OF CONTACT: Each awarded Supplier is required to designate
a point of contact person who is available to answer questions regarding the Supplier's
ability to deliver the product. This person is responsible for monitoring the Supplier's
supply sodium chloride and will notify the Commonwealth of any problems meeting in-
season delivery schedules before they exceed the shipping deadline. Supplier shall
complete the Contractor Point of Contact Form as set forth in Attachment F to these
Specifications.
18. POSTED BRIDGES: Pennsylvania frequently reviews the structural integrity of its bridges
and posts weight limits on bridges that degrade to a point that is hazardous to the traveling
public. The Department shall not be held responsible for any alteration in individual
shipping routes due to the posting of a bridge and the supplier is responsible for all costs
associated with an altered individual shipping route.
19. WEIGHING: On all bulk shipments originating outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
certified weight slips from the Supplier must accompany each truck. Shipments originating
within the Commonwealth are weighed by a licensed Public Weigh Master and accompanied
by a certified weight slip. An electronic digital measuring device is acceptable if a source has
the capability in its scale. The scale used require approval by the department of Agriculture,
Bureau of Rides and Measures Standards, or tested and approved by a scale repair service
with testing capabilities with appropriate weights and procedures as contained in Scale Code
NIST Handbook 44. Electronic signatures certifying the weight slip are acceptable.
The Supplier is responsible for the preparation of accurate weight slips, certification
attesting to the accuracy of the weights recorded, and assuring conformance with
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Department of Transportation Publication 408 or latest version, Section 107.23 (b) Mass
(Weight) Limits and Weighing, including the payment of liquidated damages as specified
herein.
20. INSPECTION: (Includes PennDOT, State Agencies, and COSTARS) Because of the
seasonal nature of the Commonwealth's winter program, materials received in the field
must satisfy the specifications and be ready for immediate use by the Commonwealth.
The use of substandard materials has a direct bearing on winter road maintenance
operations. The using agency/entity will collect samples per the PennDOT Maintenance
Manual, Publication 23, Chapter 4. The samples will be tested to ensure that they meet
specifications. A delivery is defined as the required daily tonnage of material.
Caking: sufficient non-caking additive must be incorporated in the delivered material in
order to prevent caking under normal storage conditions
Salt protection: All trucks and stockpiles other than mine locations must be adequately
covered to assure the sodium chloride will be delivered in free flowing, usable condition.
Moisture content shall not exceed 2.0% by weight for stockpile delivery as determined by
drying at 230+- 9 degrees F to constant weight. All material shall be covered in transit by
using waterproof covering.
Material That Does Not Appear To Meet Specifications: Upon inspection of delivered salt,
the material shall be uniform in appearance, free flowing and free from visual evidence of
foreign matter including but not limited to dirt, stone, chips, trash, or any other material that
could reasonably be expected to interfere with the use, handling, and storage of the salt.
Salt shall be received in a free-flowing and usable condition.
Materials that do not appear to meet specifications at the time of delivery the using
agency/entity may reject and turn away. Samples will be taken from deliveries that do not
appear to meet specification, and these samples will be forwarded to the PennDOT
laboratory for testing to determine whether, in fact, the material did or did not meet
specifications.
If the using agency/entity accepts and uses these materials and testing later determines
that the material did not meet specifications, the procedures established under the Testing
paragraph of these Contract Specifications will apply. If the accepted materials are found
to have met specifications, no actions are taken against the awarded Supplier.
If the using agency/entity rejects delivery of materials that do not appear to meet
specifications and testing later determines that the materials in fact did not meet
specifications, the awarded Supplier is deemed to have failed to make a delivery and this
addressed under the Liquidated Damages provision of this contract. If, however, testing
later determines that the materials did meet specifications, DGS will take no action against
the awarded Supplier.
21. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES: (Includes PennDOT, State Agencies, and COSTARS) During
the period of November 1st through April 30th deliveries that do not meet the daily delivery
tonnage requirements and/or the established order completions period as stated in the
Contract, shall be considered cause for interruption of the proper implementation of the
Commonwealth's winter roadway safety program. The Commonwealth and the awarded
Supplier, therefore, presume that in the event of any such delay, the amount of damage
which will be sustained from a delay daily delivery tonnage requirements and/or the
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established order completions period specified will be $100.00 per business day per
delivery. A delivery is defined as the required daily tonnage of material. The
Commonwealth and the awarded Supplier further agree that in the event of any such
delay, the awarded Supplier shall pay such amount as liquidated damages not as a
penalty. The Commonwealth shall be held responsible for roadways that are officially
closed, obstructed, or impassable due to winter weather conditions and is required to
releases the Supplier from the liquidated damages for the day(s) of obstruction to traffic.
The Commonwealth has the following option for deducting amounts due to the
Commonwealth as liquidated damages:
* May deduct such from any money payable to the awarded Supplier or
* May bill the awarded Supplier as a separate item.
It is the responsibility of DGS to investigate instances of late or incomplete deliveries by
gathering information from the using agency/entity and the contractor. DGS will determine
whether liquidated damages are an appropriate remedy in each instance. The
Commonwealth shall notify the awarded Supplier in writing of any claims for liquidated
damages pursuant to this paragraph before the date the Commonwealth deducts such
sums from the money payable to the awarded Supplier.
22. SUPPLIER STOCKPILE PICKUP & PRICING:
a. This price per ton will provide the price per ton for pick-up from a Supplier stockpile
location. Suppliers are to list all stockpiles and the price per ton for pick-up during
the Winter Fill period. All stockpiles the supplier lists must have unrestricted
access.
b. The PennDOT County Maintenance Manager / end user or their designee must
contact the awarded Supplier at least 48 hours prior to day of pick-up
c. Picked up materials are to be loaded in official Department trucks served on a first
come, first serve basis.
d. The minimum order quantity for any one F.O.B. source pick-up Purchase Order is
22 tons.
e. All PennDOT F.O.B. pick-ups must have PennDOT Bureau of Maintenance
Operations salt manager's approval.
f. Stockpile pick up pricing will remain firm for the initial term of the contract and will
not be subject to price adjustments as outlined in section 22. Stockpile pick up
pricing may be renegotiated as part of future renewals.
23. SUPPLIER INVENTORY REQUIREMENTS: By December 1st, Suppliers are required to
have at least 50% of the undelivered balance of the cumulative total tonnage estimated to
service their awarded County(s) reserved and stockpiled for readily available delivery to
the Commonwealth.
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By January 1st, Suppliers are required to have at least 75% of the undelivered balance of
the cumulative total tonnage estimated to service their awarded County(s) reserved and
stockpiled for readily available delivery to the Commonwealth.
DGS reserves the right to request documentation from the Supplier to provide proof of
adherence to the above requirements. Additionally, PennDOT reserves the right to
physically inspect any Supplier stockpile location for purposes of inventory evaluation.
Furthermore, pursuant to Section 25 (Non-Contract Purchase), DGS may issue an
emergency purchase requisition to remediate inventory shortfalls resulting from the
Supplier's failure to maintain established requirements. Any tonnage procured through
such emergency actions shall be credited toward the Commonwealth's minimum purchase
obligation for the originally awarded Supplier.
24. FUEL PRICE ADJUSTMENT: The Supplier's initial bid price will remain firm through
November 30, 2026. From that point forward, contract prices will be adjusted (up or down)
on the first business day in December of each year to offset the volatility of the fuel costs
associated with the contract. The adjustment in fuel cost is calculated by comparing the
diesel price derived from the weekly OIL PRICE INFORMATION SERVICE (OPIS), PADD
1 REPORT with the established contract base diesel price.
The base diesel price and the monthly diesel price are derived from the OIL PRICE
INFORMATION SERVICE (OPIS), PADD 1 REPORT published weekly except last week
in June and December by United Communications Group, Bethesda, MD. Telephone
(301) 816-8950.
The Base Price Calculation is as follows:
Base Price (cts/gal ULS-No2) = (Harrisburg Avg + Philadelphia Avg + Pittsburgh Avg)/3
The scheduled contract diesel price adjustments will use the same formula but will be
calculated using OPIS data that was in effect on the last Monday prior to the scheduled
adjustment date.
The adjustment shall equal the difference between the most current weekly OPIS index
diesel price and the base index price and shall be applied on a per-ton basis. If the current
weekly index price is greater than the established contract base price, an upward price
adjustment will be issued. If the current weekly index price is less than the established
contract base price, a downward price adjustment will be issued.
A Change Notice to the contract will be posted to incorporate the price change and adjust
all contract awarded prices for deliveries on or after the effective date of the price change.
If an order is placed and a price adjustment occurs prior to delivery, the order shall be
billed at the price that was in effect at the time the order was placed.
The base price for ULS-No2 diesel under this contract is $4.1044, which is calculated
using the OPIS PADD 1 report data effective Monday, May 11, 2026.
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(Reference: OPIS PADD 1 Report, dated 05/11/2026 ULS B2 Bio-Diesel Fuel Price)
Harrisburg - $4.0715
Philadelphia - $3.9372
Pittsburgh - $4.3046
Avg. of the 3 cities: $4.1044
It is the intent of the Commonwealth to have price adjustments become effective on the
first business day of the scheduled month. This date may vary slightly due to unforeseen
circumstances. The official effective date will be listed on the change notice.
Notes: DGS reserves the right to execute additional price adjustments if the OPIS diesel
price increases or decreases 10% or more from the time of the December adjustment. In
any case, no adjustments will take place after April 30th.
Additionally, should the Contract be renewed, the base ULS-No2 diesel price will be
recalculated at time of renewal and used moving forward for any adjustments made to the
contract during the renewal period.
25. NON-CONTRACT PURCHASE: The Commonwealth reserves the right to purchase
Sodium Chloride from alternate suppliers in the event the awarded contract supplier has
failed to meet the delivery requirements established in this Contract and that failure
interferes with the Commonwealths' operational needs. Departments may process an
emergency purchase requisition upon receipt of facsimile/email approval from DGS.
26. WEEKLY & MONTHLY REPORTS: The awarded supplier is required to send a weekly
report to the DGS Commodity Specialist listed in the contract and Department of
Transportation designee. A sample report can be found as Attachment E to these
Specifications.
Suppliers shall furnish weekly reports during the period of November 1st to April 30th. Each
weekly report shall be in Excel format and include four tabs. The tabs are to be
COSTARS, DOT and State Agencies, Open Orders, and Shipment Details.
Each report shall include the following data (see sample report attached as Attachment E
for a sample reference)
Tab 1 COSTARS and Tab 2 DOT and State Agencies
These tabs should provide a year-to-date status for all of the Supplier's customers.
* Supplier Name
* Contract number
* Report Date
* COSTARS/Agency Name
* County
* Awarded Tons
* Tons Shipped to Date
* Tons on Open Order(s)
* % of Awarded Tons Shipped + Tons Ordered to Date
* % Over/Under Maximum (140% COSTARS, 130% DOT and Agencies)
* Tons Remaining to Reach 75% Minimum
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