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September 20, 2000 10:14 AM, EDT

The Defense Department will soon award a contract to see if it can save taxpayer dollars by using third-party logistics firms to orchestrate the movement of its massive quantities of materiel.

This fall or by early winter, the department will select a commercial 3PL to handle DOD freight movement in Alabama, Florida and Georgia as part of a one-year pilot program. The bidding process closed Aug. 15, and proposals are being reviewed by the Military Traffic Management Command in Alexandria, Va.

Currently, such movements are organized by MTMC, in conjunction with the Defense Logistics Agency, which handles procurement and warehousing for the department. Together, the two agencies have acted as the Pentagon’s 3PL.

Frank Galluzzo, a MTMC civilian employee and one of the program’s two directors, said the department wants to see if the private sector can move freight more efficiently.

For the full story, see the Sept. 18 print edition of Transport Topics. .