ABS Compliance Tool

UPDATED Request for Information (RFI): Market Research / Expression of Interest Issued by: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. Department of Transportation Website: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov Disclaimer This is a Request for Information (RFI) for planning purposes ONLY and does not constitute a solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e) responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot form a binding Contractor commitment by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), or the United States Government to take procurement action in this matter. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain market information on capable sources of supply, industry practices, and input specific to the information, scope, and questions provided herein. The Government is not responsible for any cost incurred by industry in furnishing this information. A response to this RFI is necessary in order to assist FMCSA in determining the potential levels of interest, adequate competition, and technical capability within the large and small business communities to provide the required services. In addition, this information will also be used to assist FMCSA in establishing a basis for developing any subsequent potential small business participation plan and/or small business goal percentages. However, notwithstanding contract vehicle selection or a Contractor's standing, firms not responding to the RFI are not precluded from participating in any future solicitation. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is an Operating Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) with a mission to reduce commercial motor vehicle-related crashes and fatalities. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Technology division is responsible for the identification and testing of technologies that improve commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety and enforcement effectiveness. Technologies designed for authorized safety inspectors to simplify and streamline their processes support the Agency in carrying out its safety mission and in better utilizing its resources. The technology outlined in this request for information (RFI) aims to target a technological solution that can improve systematic and effective enforcement of malfunctioning Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulations. Ensuring ABS is maintained and operational by fleets is of prime importance to the FMCSA since newer onboard safety systems such as electronic stability control and collision imminent braking are built upon ABS and will not function as expected if ABS is not operational. Background In Calendar Year (CY) 2011, there were approximately 3.6 million roadside inspections carried out by 12,000 authorized safety inspectors, reaching 1.8 million unique drivers operating 3 million unique powered trucks and tractors hauling 2.2 million unique trailers[1]. More than 85% of all powered units were model year 1998 and later and the majority was heavier tractors and trucks. In CY 2011, less than 2% of all inspections were coded with a violation associated with an ABS malfunction. Further, the violation rates varied significantly across States. A focused FMCSA study on in-service CMVs, however, found that ABS failures may be more common than violation statistics indicate. The study discussed that ABS malfunction bulbs are frequently found inoperable. Bulb-based checks indicated 4% tractor and 8% trailer ABS malfunction. The study also mentioned that nonfunctioning bulbs may be masking higher ABS malfunction rates which may run up to 16% for powered units (trucks, tractors) and 37% for towed units (trailers). Since the ABS malfunction detection and violation rates across certain States run closer to numbers indicated by the independent focused study, FMCSA is interested in investigating in the development of simple enforcement tools that can aid inspectors to more systematically identify ABS issues and enforce their proper maintenance. ABS malfunction enforcement could require a convoluted process which includes assessment of ABS malfunction status, ABS mandate applicability determination by manufacture dates as well as ABS malfunction indicator bulb operational status determination (Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) data analysis). Diagnostic tools currently in the market place are intended for mechanics and have more complex functionalities than a roadside inspector needs and packs capabilities that would be undesirable (such as ability to clear faults) as an enforcement tool. Further, they do not truly assess compliance due to lack of integration with a rule-set that would assess the ABS mandate's applicability for the given vehicle(s). These factors drive tool cost; training needs and make off the shelf diagnostic tools inappropriate as a compliance tool. As a result, the roadside inspectors have to rely on personal experience, and manual processes to diagnose whether the ABS is in-compliance on the inspected vehicles. Agency Interest The agency is looking to have a simple and cost effective diagnostic tool designed for enforcement personnel to diagnose and enforce proper operation of the ABS. The ultimate intent is to cover all large vehicle variations greater than 10,000lbs, but FMCSA's analysis of roadside inspection data suggests that focusing on large trucks and buses which feature a J1939 and/or J1708 databus should provide sufficient coverage in the near term. Expansion to cover trailer unit malfunctions and lighter class powered units which may feature proprietary databuses rather than standardized J1939/J1708 would be desirable but could be considered as a subsequent effort as a modular expansion. The high level requirements and objectives are the following: An enforcement tool that can: Interface with vehicle's databus and identify whether the ABS is functioning or not functioning; Acquire and/or identify vehicle's model year/build year (preferably automatically) and identify whether a non-functioning ABS indicates an ABS violation; Work with all makes and versions of ABS systems offered on large trucks and buses -at a minimum- that feature J1939 and/or J1708; Include non-repudiation measures and methods (for example, the tool must not have any "write" capability on the databuses; Beyond this clear requirement, FMCSA believes additional measures will likely be needed, but approaches may be flexible at this time. For instance, does the tool need to capture any image or video and document (VIN plate, odometer, engine hours, date, time, GPS locations?) Are there other options appropriate to consider?); Allow future expansions and upgrades - o To include other electronic system checks such as Electronic Stability Control; - o To include towed units; - o To include lower weight class units with proprietary databuses. Be self-explanatory requiring minimal training; and Be compact, lightweight and low cost. Offerors responding to this RFI must be able to develop a prototype to be tested on all commercial motor vehicles featuring a J1939 and/or J1708 databus. Offerors must demonstrate their ability to develop this device for the use of enforcement personnel, address their capabilities and qualifications as the manufacturer of the tool. The request for information is intended for technology suppliers of the commercial motor vehicle industry and similar entities that have the capacity to develop ABS compliance tools. Respondent Instructions Section 1 - All responders (large and small businesses) are permitted an Executive and General Summary of no more than 5 pages explaining history and background of the firm and relevance to the work. This section should also include a general discussion of the value of services offered (e.g. operational model, facilities, backup and restoration support; and types of best practices that can be used (e.g. risk management, coordination with application team, etc.; and an understanding of issues in doing business with the Government in the Federal market. It is most helpful to FMCSA if responses show: How Offeror's history and background are aligned to the objectives outlined in the summary above; How best practices in security and knowledge of security threats and trends are coordinated (e.g. security protocols) Note: please do not include electronic files containing company information, hardcopy information, brochures or other company items. However, respondents may include a link to its company's web-site. Section 2 - All businesses are asked to provide a statement of capabilities and experience (no more than 2 pages). This information will only be used in helping FMCSA determine the extent to which requirements may or may not be reflected in a solicitation. Interested parties shall describe their technical capabilities and how experience is best demonstrated (e.g., as a prime or as a sub-Contractor) within areas of facilities and operations, integration, accreditation, product evaluations, and technical support during functional enhancements of applications or databases. In addition, please describe challenges experienced with similar contracts. Respondents to this section shall also include the following information: Business size DUNS number CAGE Code North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) Section 3 - All responders are requested to provide succinct but detailed responses to the specific questions posed below. Please limit responses to no more than average of 1 page for each question. QUESTIONS What information would Industry require from FMCSA in terms of accurately sizing/estimating the work load and its effect on period of performance? Is there an existing product and/or technology that meet this requirement? If there are no existing product and/or technology, what contractual vehicle or arrangement would best suit the Research & Development (R&D) for the designed tool? For example, Fixed Price, Cost Sharing, Cost Reimbursement, etc. Suggest Industry terms and conditions and rights. Please reply by e-mail (with attached response) to both of the following: Ms. Adina Felton, Contract Specialist Office of Acquisitions Management, FMCSA Phone: 202-366-9194 Email: adina.felton@dot.gov Please include the following information specific to your company within your response: Company Name Address Annual Revenues Presence in Washington, D.C. Metro Area Federal Government Contracting Vehicles and Related Schedules accessible to the Department of Transportation ___________________________________________________________________________ Primary Contact Name Phone Additional Contact Name Phone ___________________________________________________________________________ Responses should be submitted no later than 12pm EDT on Tuesday, May 28, 2013. All responses should be limited to no more than 10 pages. Responses should be created in Microsoft Word with one-inch margins, single-spaced, and font size 12 Times New Roman. Updated: Responses should be submitted no later than 12pm EDT on Tuesday, June 11, 2013. All responses should be limited to no more than 10 pages. Responses should be created in Microsoft Word with one-inch margins, single-spaced, and font size 12 Times New Roman. [1] http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/report/TRB-2013-Hatipoglu-Roadside-Inspections-508.pdf