Publicly owned equipment should not normally compete with privately owned equipment on a project to be let to contract. There may be exceptional cases, however, in which the use of equipment of the State or local public agency for highway construction purposes may be warranted or justified. A proposal by any STD for the use of publicly owned equipment on such a project must be supported by a showing that it would clearly be cost effective to do so under the conditions peculiar to the individual project or locality.

Where publicly owned equipment is to be made available in connection with construction work to be let to contract, Federal funds may participate in the cost of such work provided the following conditions are met:

The proposed use of such equipment is clearly set forth in the Plans, Specifications and Estimate (PS&E) submitted to the Division Administrator for approval.

The advertised specifications specify the items of publicly owned equipment available for use by the successful bidder, the rates to be charged, and the points of availability or delivery of the equipment; and

The advertised specifications include a notification that the successful bidder has the option either of renting part or all of such equipment from the State or local public agency or otherwise providing the equipment necessary for the performance of the contract work.

In the rental of publicly owned equipment to contractors, the State or local public agency shall not profit at the expense of Federal funds.

Unforeseeable conditions may make it necessary to provide publicly owned equipment to the contractor at rental rates agreed to between the contractor and the State or local public agency after the work has started. Any such arrangement shall not form the basis for any increase in the cost of the project on which Federal funds are to participate.

When publicly owned equipment is used on projects constructed on a force account basis, costs may be determined by agreed unit prices or on an actual cost basis. When agreed unit prices are applied the equipment need not be itemized nor rental rates shown in the estimate. However, if such work is to be performed on an actual cost basis, the STD shall submit to the Division Administrator for approval the scheduie of rates proposed to be charged, exclusive of profit, for the publicly owned equipment made available for use.