Frequently Asked Questions about Providing Transport Services

Find answers to common questions about the onboarding process, FEMA Tender of Service (STOS) program, and Logistics Supply Chain Management System (LSCMS-C).

Onboarding

STOS Program

Insurance Requirements

FEMA only onboards carriers within the identified onboarding period, no exceptions. The strict onboarding period enables FEMA to focus on disaster response operations during high-risk periods.

A Transportation Service Provider (TSP) may only onboard under one (1) SCAC code. You may not register multiple entities to increase probability of receiving FEMA moves.

Each TSP applicant must have a unique SCAC code, UEI, and physical US address to be eligible to apply. If any of these components match between multiple applicants, they can only choose one to move forward with onboarding.

The amount of time required for a TSP to fully complete STOS onboarding can vary depending on multiple factors. We encourage all who wish to apply to read through the onboarding process on our webpage and within our program documents to adequately prepare ahead of time. This is especially true for registering with the SAM (Step 2 of the onboarding process).

FEMA does not manage the SAM and cannot influence how fast registrations are processed. You can register under the SAM for free today. We only accept onboarding documents during the open onboarding period.

Registration with the STOS Program does not guarantee that you will be offered transportation business with FEMA. FEMA’s transportation needs are highly dependent on disaster response requirements.

The FEMA Tender of Service Program fulfills transportation needs for disaster incidents that are impactful enough to require a national-level response. There may be times when FEMA has very few transportation requirements as well as times when FEMA has an urgent need for a great deal of transportation support.

You can only provide us with a single point of contact (email and phone number) that we recommend is monitored 24 hours per day. We recommend your bid contact email and phone number are accessible by multiple staff members so that the single bid email and number reaches multiple people at your company as appropriate.

Please remember that FEMA does not have a load board. Loads are either awarded based on rates that are submitted during the annual Rate Filing Cycle or by Spot Bid. All air, maritime, and rail moves are Spot Bid.

All FEMA-Approved Transportation Service Providers are eligible for spot bid opportunities, but not all will be contacted for every Spot Bid. Instead, FEMA reaches out to approved Transportation Service Providers on a rotating basis.

To learn more about how FEMA awards transportation opportunities to approved carriers, please review the FEMA Standard Tender of Service (FEMA STOS), Section 3: FEMA Tender of Service Award Process.

Yes. Any TSP applying for our program, regardless of whether they are asset-based, a broker, or both, MUST meet the insurance requirements with a cargo policy that meets the minimum required amount ($300k) and covers any mode of transportation that they are applying to provide FEMA. Both contingent cargo or cargo liability polices are acceptable.

No. Any TSP applicant must have a valid insurance policy that meets the insurance requirements during their application period and they must maintain that policy throughout the program year to maintain eligibility for FEMA loads.

FEMA cannot recommend specific insurance providers.

Yes! Please note, however, that FEMA will only accept a single ACORD form to verify your insurance. Therefore, if your policies are from different providers, one of your providers must be willing to compile all of your insurance information onto a single ACORD form and submit it to FEMA following the instructions outlined in the onboarding materials.