supportingstatement0560-0235

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Farm Service Agency

Kansas City Commodity Office

Supporting Statement

Rate Quotation for Transportation Services

49 USC 13712

OMB No. 0560-0235

The purpose of this revision and extension request is to obtain approval for the information collection activities necessary to allow participating Motor Carriers and Intermodal Marketing Companies to quote freight rates to haul agricultural products for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

1. Circumstances making collection of information necessary:

The 49 U.S.C. 13712, authorizes the International Procurement Division (IPD), to receive freight rate quotes from approved Motor Carriers and Intermodal Marketing Companies that are compliant with KCCO requirements to haul agricultural products for the USDA.

2. How, by whom, and for what purpose is information used:

The information is collected usually by fax, and is used by KCCO to establish the lowest cost of movement via Motor Carriers or Intermodal Marketing Companies, to meet the transportation needs of USDA, FSA, and KCCO for transportation of its commodities, and ensure that Motor Carriers and Intermodal Marketing Companies, providing transportation services have both the willingness and the capability to meet these needs.

3. Use of information technology:

This Rate Quotation for Transportation Services is e-mailed with each solicitation to participating Motor Carriers and Intermodal Marketing Companies. They complete the form, and a duly authorized agent or official of the company submitting the rate request signs it. This form is available at: http://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/eforsm/default1.l. Customers who have established electronic access credentials with USDA may electronically transmit this form to the USDA servicing office, provided that (1) the customer submitting the form is the only person required to sign the transaction, or (2) the customer has an approved Power of Attorney (Form FSA-211) on file with UDSA to sign for the program and type of transaction represented by this form.

4. Efforts to identify duplication:

To the best of our knowledge, similar information is not collected by any other government office. The information required is available only from participants, and is not accessible by KCCO unless provided by participants from their private records.

5. Methods to minimize burden on small business or entities:

Since the information requested is readily available from participants’ records, these collections do not impose a special burden on small businesses or entities.

6. Consequences if information collection were less frequent:

Information collection is required to enable transport of KCCO agricultural commodities. This is done on an as needed basis, initially when the carrier is contracted, and subsequently when changes are made. Without this information, KCCO could not meet program requirements.

7. Special circumstances:

There are no special circumstances that require information to be collected more often than as needed.

8. Federal Register Notice, summarization of comments and consultation with persons outside the agency:

The collection of comments is consistent with guidelines contained in 5 CFR 1320.8 (d). A Federal Register notice, with a 60-day comment period regarding this information collection was published on August 9, 2006, Vol 71, Number 153, Page 45516. No comments were received.

We consulted with the three carriers listed below, and they indicated that the estimate of public burden outlined in the notice is accurate. No suggestions were made for the revision of collection methods, previously considered.

1) Matson Intermodal 2) The Kids Trucking 3) L Milkowski & Sons Inc

6811 W. 63^rd ST 110 Mt. Vernon Blvd. PO Box 670

Suite 215 PO Box 143 Suttons Bay MI. 49682

Shaw Msn, KS 66202 Mt. Vernon, MO 65712

9. Decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents:

No gifts or payments are provided to respondents.

10. Confidentiality provided to respondents:

No personal data is collected. However, confidential business-related information is collected. All data collected is handled according to KCCO procedures in accordance with the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

11. Questions of a sensitive nature:

No sensitive information is collected.

12. Estimates of Burden:

See attached FSA-85-1. The data is summarized as follows: Reporting Burden: The total reporting burden is 1681 hours. The estimated cost to the public is: $50,177.85.

This figure represents 164 respondents completing a total of 41 pages annually, for a total of 6,724 responses annually. The total cost to the public is $50,177.85. (burden hours 1681 x $29.85 per hour).

13. Total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers:

There are no capital/startup costs associated with this information collection.

14. Estimates of annualized cost to the federal government:

The estimated annual cost to the Federal Government is $2,563.48.

Development and Support staff: $2,092.80 (80 staff hours x $26.16)

Production: $ 470.68 (1 Page @ $.07 x 6724 responses)

Total: $2,563.48

15. Reasons for changes in burden:

The burden increased by 328 hours (last years burden hours were 1353 and this years burden hours are 1681). This is due to an increased number of Motor Companies and Intermodal Marketing Companies that contracted with KCCO. This number will fluctuate, depending on the economy.

16. Tabulation, analysis, and publication plans:

There are no plans to publish any information obtained from this information collection.

17. Reasons display of expiration date of OMB approval is inappropriate:

The agency is seeking approval to not display the OMB expiration date on this information

collection. To destroy copies of this agreement for the purpose of renewing the expiration date of the information collection package would be a waste of Government resources. Coordination of the rate quotation with the need to reprint and redistribute the page of this agreement may not always be possible.

Forms management practices issued by FSA, and followed by International Procurement Division, require form stocks to be controlled by the version or edition date on the form. This date determines whether the form is current or obsolete for the purposes of the program requirement it is fulfilling. Offices are notified on the status of program forms and are instructed to use forms based on the version or edition date.

18. Exceptions to 83-1 certification statement:

The agency is able to certify compliance with all provisions under Item 19 of OMB

Form 83-1.

19. How is this information collection related to the Customer Service Center? Will this information be part of their one stop shopping?

This information collection is not related to USDA Customer Service Centers. Motor Carriers and Intermodal Marketing Companies have direct contact with KCCO/IPD-PSB.