A-24222, JUN 23, 1971

A-24222, JUN 23, 1971

TRANSPORTATION - MULTIPLE SHIPMENTS - BILL OF LADING DECISION ALLOWING GOODARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, GREENBELT, MD., TO USE SEMIMONTHLY BILL OF LADING PROCEDURE FOR MULTIPLE INBOUND SHIPMENTS OF MAGNETIC TAPE AND PRINTED MATTER SO LONG AS AIRLINE CARRIERS AGREE AND A LIST OF PARTICIPATING CARRIERS IS GIVEN THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL.

TO DR. FLETCHER:

IN A LETTER DATED MARCH 25, 1971, FILE BXC, FROM MR. R. H. CURTIN, DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, ADDRESSED TO MR. THOMAS SULLIVAN, DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION DIVISION, WE WERE REQUESTED TO REVIEW AND APPROVE A PROPOSAL TO DEVIATE FROM PRESCRIBED BILLING PROCEDURES BY PERMITTING THE ISSUANCE OF ONE GOVERNMENT BILL OF LADING SEMIMONTHLY TO COVER CERTAIN MULTIPLE SHIPMENTS RECEIVED ON COMMERCIAL BILLS OF LADING.

THE PROPOSED PROCEDURE IS INTENDED TO COVER SHIPMENTS CONSISTING PRIMARILY OF MAGNETIC TAPES AND PRINTED MATTER DELIVERED BY FIVE MAJOR AIRLINES ON COMMERCIAL INBOUND AIR WAYBILLS CONSIGNED TO THE GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, GREENBELT, MARYLAND, THROUGH FRIENDSHIP INTERNATIONAL, WASHINGTON NATIONAL, AND DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS. AS STATED IN THE LETTER, THE FLIGHT CENTER WOULD ISSUE TO EACH CARRIER, SEMIMONTHLY, A SINGLE GOVERNMENT BILL OF LADING AND A CONTINUATION SHEET LISTING AIR WAYBILL NUMBERS AND CHARGES. THE DELIVERY RECEIPT PORTION OF THE AIR WAYBILL WOULD REMAIN WITH THE FILE COPY AS A PERMANENT RECORD OF THE TRANSACTION. WHEN BILLING ITS CHARGES, THE CARRIER WOULD ATTACH TO THE ORIGINAL BILL OF LADING A CLEAR COPY OF EACH AIR WAYBILL LISTED, ALONG WITH ANY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS, WHICH WOULD BE SUBMITTED FOR PAYMENT ON STANDARD FORM 1113, PUBLIC VOUCHER FOR TRANSPORTATION CHARGES. ALL CHARGES BILLED WOULD BE SHOWN IN U.S. CURRENCY. CERTAIN OTHER STEPS WOULD BE TAKEN TO CARRY OUT INTERNAL ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES.

THE FLIGHT CENTER REPORTS THAT, FOR A 3-MONTH PERIOD IN 1970, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 500 COMMERCIAL BILLS OF LADING COVERING SHIPMENTS OF MAGNETIC TAPES CONVERTED TO GOVERNMENT BILLS OF LADING. ON THIS BASIS IT IS ESTIMATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 2,000 GOVERNMENT BILLS OF LADING WERE ISSUED FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1970. UNDER THE PROPOSAL, THE NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT BILLS OF LADING WOULD BE REDUCED TO 120 PER YEAR. GODDARD HAS PROJECTED AN ESTIMATED SAVINGS OF $28,200 PER CALENDAR YEAR, BASED ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF $15 PER GOVERNMENT BILL OF LADING. WHILE THIS OFFICE HAS NO ACTUAL FIGURES RELATING TO THE OVERALL COST INCURRED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN PROCESSING BILLS OF LADING, WE BELIEVE THIS ESTIMATION TO BE SLIGHTLY EXCESSIVE, SINCE IT IS OUT OF LINE WITH ESTIMATED COSTS REPORTED BY CERTAIN OTHER AGENCIES. HOWEVER, WE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT THE PROPOSAL HAS CONSIDERABLE MERIT AND THAT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PREPARATION AND PROCESSING OF BILLS OF LADING WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASED.

IN VIEW OF THE REPETITIVE NATURE OF THE SHIPMENTS INVOLVED, AND IN CONSIDERATION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS IN THE ISSUANCE OF NUMEROUS GOVERNMENT BILLS OF LADING FOR THIS TRAFFIC, THE ARRANGEMENTS PROPOSED BY THE GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER ARE APPROVED, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:

1. THAT THE AIR CARRIERS INVOLVED ARE AGREEABLE TO THIS PROCEDURAL DEVIATION.

2. THAT GODDARD FURNISH THIS OFFICE WITH NAMES OF THE AIR CARRIERS PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM.