Become a Participating Carrier

To be considered for the DoD Bus Program, a carrier must:

• Have graduated from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) New Entrant Safety Assurance Program. New motor coach companies are required to register with FMCSA to ensure compliance with motor carrier safety. There is no cost to apply. Carriers that existed before the Program are grandfathered (see Title 49 CFR, Part 385).
• Have a satisfactory FMCSA Carrier Safety Rating.
• Have a Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) assigned by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). A carrier can obtain a SCAC by contacting the NMFTA [nmfta.org]. The SCAC must be renewed annually to remain compliant. There is an annual fee associated with obtaining a SCAC.
• Operate across state lines. Participating carriers must have an “Active” and “Authorized for Passengers” interstate operating authority registration. Carriers that operate solely within one state are unable to participate.

Carriers seeking DoD Approval must certify access to two Government systems:

USG’s System for Award Management (SAM)

To be paid, carriers must register to do business with the U.S. Government through SAM. Annual verification is required. Registration is free.

USTRANSCOM’s Group Operational Passenger System (GOPAX)

GOPAX is a web-based system supporting the request and procurement of full-charter transportation of military personnel traveling in groups. Carriers must access GOPAX to receive Requests for Service and submit Rate and Service Proposals for DoD movements once they receive notice from DTMO. To register for GOPAX, carriers must obtain an External Certification Authority (ECA); there is an annual fee to obtain certifications.

Carriers should provide an inventory of all equipment [XLSX, 3 pages] to be used when transporting government personnel. Equipment must not be older than 20 years. Any changes to this inventory should be submitted to DTMO on a monthly basis and updated by October 1 of each subsequent year. Carriers must also complete the signature page [PDF, 1 page] of the DoD Bus Agreement.

If your application is approved, you will be notified by email of your DoD-Approved Carrier status. As an approved carrier, you must:

• Have a written security and emergency plan and make it available to DTMO upon request (See DoD Bus Agreement #5, Part III, 24 [PDF, 36 pages]).
• Submit monthly reports on all DoD movements performed during the prior month using the Carrier Movement Reporting (CMR) Tool [login required]. The report must be in the format outlined in Appendix 4 of the DoD Bus Agreement #5.