[GSA Audit Actions Concerning Carrier's Shipping Charges]

A carrier requested review of General Services Administration (GSA) audit actions concerning its shipping charges, contending that GSA improperly denied its requests for additional charges for closed van service rather than the lower-rated dromedary service, since it properly annotated on the government bills of lading which equipment it used. GAO held that: (1) higher premium charges were allowed only where they complied substantially with the requirements; (2) the specific tender numbers GSA annotated complied with the dromedary equipment requirements; and (3) since the protester only used the vans because it lacked the smaller dromedary equipment, it was not entitled to the higher premium charges. Accordingly, the GSA audit action was sustained.