Summary of Actions Taken To Implement the Recommendations of the Joint Agency Transportation Study

The Joint Agency Transportation Study was undertaken to alleviate long-standing complaints by common carriers regarding unwarranted delays in payment by the Government for transportation services. The study made 58 recommendations for improving the procedures and documents used in conducting the Government's transportation business.

With few exceptions, actions to implement these recommendations have been completed, producing annual savings at over $8 million for the Government and resulting in other benefits for the Government and commercial carriers from whom transportation services are procured. Recommendations directed at improved payment practices involved civilian agency billing locations, central payment facilities, automatic payment of freight charges, automatic payment of airline ticket charges, and a modified bank payment concept. Recommendations for improving freight practices concerned Government bills of lading, expanded use of cash and commercial forms and procedures, elimination of obsolete forms, and changes in loss and damage claims procedures. Recommendations for improving passenger transportation practices covered Government transportation requests, expanded use of cash for domestic passenger transportation, credit cards, and excess baggage authorization. Other recommendations involved improvements needed in the audit of rates and fares billed by commercial carriers.