Specialized local freight transport including oversized loads, hazmat, and refrigerated goods. Find active federal and state specialized freight trucking, local contracts — AI-scored against your profile across SAM.gov and 200+ portals.
Annual federal spend under NAICS 484220 is estimated at $500M–$800M, driven primarily by DoD (hazmat and oversized munitions transport), DOE (radioactive materials), and FEMA (disaster relief supplies). Demand is steady but cyclical, spiking during hurricane season and major infrastructure projects. Contracts are typically structured as single-award IDIQs or BPAs with fixed-price task orders. The market is moderately competitive, with about 60% of awards going to small businesses. Barriers include specialized equipment (refrigerated trailers, flatbeds) and hazmat certifications.
These agencies are the largest buyers of specialized freight trucking, local services and products in the federal government. Each awards contracts under NAICS 484220 regularly — build relationships with their small business offices first.
Focus on winning small, regional IDIQs with DoD or GSA rather than large nationwide contracts. The most common set-aside for this code is 8(a) and HUBZone, but SDVOSB also sees preference. The single highest-leverage move: obtain a GSA Schedule 48 (Transportation, Freight, and Logistics) with a specialized scope (hazmat or oversized). This gives you direct access to agency BPAs and avoids competing on open-market RFQs. Also, invest in hazmat certification and FMCSA safety ratings—buyers heavily weight past performance and safety records.
Work is bought via LPTA (lowest price technically acceptable) for standard hauls, but best-value tradeoff for hazmat/oversized. Common vehicles: GSA Schedule 48 (Transportation), DoD's LOGCAP, and FEMA's logistics IDIQs. Evaluation bases: past performance, safety record, and specialized equipment availability. Agency-specific IDIQs are also prevalent, especially for DOE and DLA.
You need a valid USDOT number, active FMCSA authority, and proper hazmat endorsements (HME) on CDLs if carrying hazardous materials. For oversized loads, state permits and pilot car requirements vary. Federal contracts often require ISO 9001 or similar quality certifications, but not always.
Yes, for contracts over $150,000, the Miller Act requires performance and payment bonds. However, many IDIQ and BPA orders are under that threshold. For larger task orders, bonding capacity is a key evaluation factor. Some agencies accept alternative forms like irrevocable letters of credit.
Most awards are task orders between $50,000 and $500,000. Full IDIQ contracts range from $5M to $50M over 5 years. Single-award contracts are rare; most are multiple-award with fair opportunity. The average order is around $150,000 for hazmat and $80,000 for refrigerated goods.
Yes, subcontracting is common. Large primes like logistics integrators often subcontract local specialized moves. Register in SAM and SubNet, and target primes on GSA Schedule 48 or DoD LOGCAP. Small businesses can also team as a subcontractor to meet set-aside goals.
It is less competitive than general freight (484110) because of specialization. About 200–300 small businesses actively bid on federal specialized freight. Barriers include equipment costs and certifications. Success rates are higher for firms with proven hazmat or oversized load experience.