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41 C.F.R. § 102-118.35   What definitions apply to this part?

Title 41 - Public Contracts and Property Management

Title 41: Public Contracts and Property Management
PART 102–118—TRANSPORTATION PAYMENT AND AUDIT
Subpart A—General
Definitions

§ 102-118.35   What definitions apply to this part?

The following definitions apply to this part:

Agency, as used in this part, means a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government.

Agency claim means any demand by an agency upon a TSP for the payment of overcharges, ordinary debts, fines, penalties, administrative fees, special charges, and interest.

Bill of lading, sometimes referred to as a commercial bill of lading (but includes GBLs), is the document used as a receipt of goods, and documentary evidence of title. It is also a contract of carriage when movement is under 49 U.S.C. 10721 and 49 U.S.C. 13712.

Cash means cash, personal checks, personal charge cards, and travelers checks. Cash may only be used to pay for transportation expenses in extremely limited cases where government payment mechanisms are not available or acceptable.

Document reference number means the unique number on a bill of lading, Government Bill of Lading, Government Transportation Request, or transportation ticket, used to track the movement of shipments and individuals.

EDI signature means a discrete authentication code which serves in place of a paper signature and binds parties to the terms and conditions of a contract in electronic communication.

Electronic commerce means electronic techniques for performing business transactions (ordering, billing, and paying for goods and services), including electronic mail or messaging, Internet technology, electronic bulletin boards, charge cards, electronic funds transfers, and electronic data interchange.

Electronic data interchange means electronic techniques for carrying out transportation transactions using electronic transmissions of the information between computers instead of paper documents. These electronic transmissions must use established and published formats and codes as authorized by the applicable Federal Information Processing Standards.

Electronic funds transfer means any transfer of funds, other than transactions initiated by cash, check, or similar paper instrument, that is initiated through an electronic terminal, telephone, computer, or magnetic tape, for the purpose of ordering, instructing, or authorizing a financial institution to debit or credit an account. The term includes Automated Clearinghouse transfers, Fed Wire transfers, and transfers made at automatic teller machines and point of sale terminals.

Government Bill of Lading (GBL) means Optional Forms 1103 and 1203, the transportation documents issued by GSA and used as a receipt of goods, evidence of title, and generally a contract of carriage.

Government contractor-issued charge card means both an individually billed travel card, which the individual is required to pay, and a centrally billed account for paying travel expenses, which the agency is required to pay.

Government Transportation Request (GTR) means Optional Form 1169, the Government document used to buy transportation services. The document normally obligates the Government to pay for the transportation services provided.

Offset means agency use of money owed by the agency to a transportation service provider (TSP) to cover a previous debt incurred to the agency by the TSP.

Ordinary debt means an amount that a TSP owes an agency other than for the repayment of an overcharge. Ordinary debts include, but are not limited to, payments for transportation services ordered and not provided (including unused transportation tickets), duplicate payments, and amounts for which a TSP is liable because of loss and/or damage to property it transported.

Overcharge means those charges for transportation and travel services that exceed those applicable under the contract for carriage. This also includes charges more than those applicable under rates, fares and charges established pursuant to section 13712 and 10721 of the Revised Interstate Commerce Act, as amended (49 U.S.C. 13712 and 10721), or other equivalent contract, arrangement or exemption from regulation.

Postpayment audit means an audit of transportation billing documents after payment to decide their validity, propriety, and conformity with tariffs, quotations, agreements, or tenders. This process may also include subsequent adjustments and collections actions taken against a TSP by the Government.

Prepayment audit means an audit of transportation billing documents before payment to determine their validity, propriety, and conformity with tariffs, quotations, agreements, or tenders.

Privately Owned Personal Property Government Bill of Lading, Optional Form 1203, means the agency transportation document used as a receipt of goods, evidence of title, and generally a contract of carriage. It is only available for the transportation of household goods. Use of this form is mandatory for Department of Defense, but optional for other agencies.

Rate authority means the document that establishes the legal charges for a transportation shipment. Charges included in a rate authority are those rates, fares, and charges for transportation and related services contained in tariffs, tenders, and other equivalent documents.

Released value is stated in dollars and is considered the assigned value of the cargo for reimbursement purposes, not necessarily the actual value of the cargo. Released value may be more or less than the actual value of the cargo. The released value is the maximum amount that could be recovered by the agency in the event of loss or damage for the shipments of freight and household goods. In return, when negotiating for rates and the released value is proposed to be less than the actual value of the cargo, the TSP should offer a rate lower than other rates for shipping cargo at full value. The statement of released value may be shown on any applicable tariff, tender, contract, transportation document or other documents covering the shipment.

Reparation means the payment involving a TSP to or from an agency of an improper transportation billing as determined by a postpayment audit. Improper routing, overcharges, or duplicate payments may cause such improper billing. This is different from payments to settle a claim for loss and damage to items shipped under those rates.

Standard carrier alpha code (SCAC) means an unique four-letter code assigned to each TSP by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc.

Statement of difference means a statement issued by an agency or its designated audit contractor during a prepayment audit when they determine that a TSP has billed the agency for more than the proper amount for the services. This statement tells the TSP on the invoice, the amount allowed and the basis for the proper charges. The statement also cites the applicable rate references and other data relied on for support. The agency issues a separate statement of difference for each transportation transaction.

Statement of difference rebuttal means a document used by the agency to respond to a TSP's claim about an improper reduction made against the TSP's original bill by the paying agency.

Supplemental bill means a bill for services that the TSP submits to the agency for additional payment after reimbursement for the original bill. The need to submit a supplemental bill may occur due to an incorrect first bill or due to charges which were not included on the original bill.

Taxpayer identification number (TIN) means the number required by the Internal Revenue Service to be used by the TSP in reporting income tax or other returns. For a TSP, the TIN is an employer identification number.

Transportation document (TD) means any executed agreement for transportation service, such as a bill of lading (including a Government Bill of Lading), a Government Transportation Request, or transportation ticket.

Transportation service means service involved in the physical movement (from one location to another) of products, people, household goods, and any other objects by a TSP for an agency as well as activities directly relating to or supporting that movement. Examples of this are storage, crating, or connecting appliances.

Transportation service provider (TSP) means any party, person, agent, or carrier that provides freight or passenger transportation and related services to an agency. For a freight shipment this would include packers, truckers, and storers. For passenger transportation this would include airlines, travel agents and travel management centers.

Transportation service provider claim means any demand by the TSP for amounts not included in the original bill that the TSP believes an agency owes them. This includes amounts deducted or offset by an agency; amounts previously refunded by the TSP, which they now believe they are owed; and any subsequent bills from the TSP resulting from a transaction that was pre- or postpayment audited by the GSA Audit Division.

Virtual GBL (VGBL) means the use of a unique GBL number on a commercial document, which binds the TSP to the terms and conditions of a GBL.

Note to §102–118.35: 49 U.S.C. 13102, et seq., defines additional transportation terms not listed in this section.

[65 FR 24569, Apr. 26, 2000, as amended at 69 FR 57618, Sept. 24, 2004]