After a DLA award, the work that decides whether you get paid on time happens in four places: technical data in TDMT, shipping labels and pickups in DLA's Vendor Shipment Module (VSM), packaging and marking exactly as your award specifies, and a WAWF receiving report that matches what you shipped. Get those right and the award turns into revenue. Get one wrong and the shipment can be delayed, rejected, or repackaged at your cost.
This is the part of DIBBS that most guides skip. They explain how to register and quote, then stop at the award. Here's what comes next, and why some first-time vendors keep losing on price even when they quote lowest.
If your item needs drawings or other technical data, you'll get them from TDMT. DLA says its Technical Data Management Transformation (TDMT) system "has replaced cFolders as the repository and access point to technical documents."
To use it, you register in DLA's Account Management and Provisioning System (AMPS), then sign in to TDMT through DLA's Okta multifactor login. DLA points vendors to TDMT from the DIBBS home page or directly at tdmt.dla.mil, and it posts a TDMT Level 1 vendor training guide.
Some technical data is export-controlled. Seeing it also requires Joint Certification Program (JCP) certification, which has its own portal and steps. Start both before you need them, not after an award with a tight delivery date.
For most DLA supply contracts, shipping runs through the Vendor Shipment Module. Under DLA's procurement note C20, VSM gives you shipping addresses, two-dimensional bar coded shipping labels in line with MIL-STD-129, bills of lading, and packing lists.
How you use it depends on your shipping terms:
Two rules catch new vendors. DLA's note says to get labels from VSM no more than two days before shipment. And you need to complete your VSM profile, including business hours and holidays. If a carrier shows up and your material isn't ready or you're closed, the government may ask you to pay for the wasted trip.
For f.o.b. origin shipments where DLA arranges transport, DLA's notes say it can take up to two full business days to schedule the shipment, and pickup should happen within five business days of your notification. Build that into your delivery date.
"DLA says to print VSM shipping labels no more than two days before shipment, and to keep your VSM profile hours current. A wasted carrier trip can come back to you."
Share on 𝕏If VSM feels different from what an older guide describes, it is. DLA's supplier notices list VSM upgrades in June 2025 and October 2025. DLA also says VSM web services moved to a new "WMS-VSM Platform" with new data formats, and that vendors who connect their own systems to VSM had to update them or they "will not be able to execute contract shipments."
DLA's newest notice says registration for the VSM Fiori version is open to all users. If you hit a problem, DLA's procurement note lists the VSM help desk at (800) 456-5507 and delivery@dla.mil.
This is where first awards go wrong most often. Don't decide your packaging from a forum post or from what you did for a commercial customer. Your award tells you what's required.
Here's how to find it:
Marking is usually MIL-STD-129, the military standard for shipment and storage marking. Your VSM labels follow it, but the unit pack, intermediate, and exterior container markings are on you.
"Your DLA award tells you the packaging standard. Commercial packaging under ASTM D3951 applies only when the contract specifies it."
Share on 𝕏Your award says where inspection and acceptance happen. At source, or origin, a government representative inspects before the material ships. At destination, the receiving activity inspects when it arrives.
Either way, you'll submit a receiving report in WAWF. DFARS describes the WAWF receiving report as "the electronic equivalent of the DD Form 250" and says it's now required by most DoD contracts. In WAWF, you mark inspection as origin or destination to match your award.
For f.o.b. destination awards with destination acceptance, DLA's note says to include the transportation control number and carrier tracking information in the receiving report. A receiving report that doesn't match the shipment is one of the easiest ways to delay payment. Our article on DoD invoicing in late 2026 covers the invoicing side.
Many first-time DIBBS vendors quote the lowest price and still lose. DLA's own rules explain most of it.
Price isn't the only factor: DLA's simplified acquisition rules call for a best value trade-off when awarding to other than the lowest price or highest SPRS rating. SPRS, the Supplier Performance Risk System, collects quality and delivery data on past contracts and generates classifications daily. A new vendor has little or no record there.
A very low price draws scrutiny: DLA's rules list risk indicators that can trigger a request for traceability documents. They include a supplier with no past DLA history, a price lower than the approved source or its authorized distributor, and a price out of line with other quotes or past pricing.
Missing paperwork sinks the quote: If you're asked for traceability and don't provide enough information in the time requested, DLA's rule says the contracting officer shall consider the offer technically unacceptable.
Hidden costs aren't hidden from you: A quote that leaves out military packaging, marking, or the cost of a traceable source isn't really low. It just moves the loss to after the award.
So price to win, but price the whole job. Have your traceability documents ready before you quote, and build a delivery record on smaller awards first.
What is TDMT?
TDMT is DLA's Technical Data Management Transformation system. DLA says it replaced cFolders as the place vendors access technical documents. You need an AMPS account to use it.
What is VSM used for?
The Vendor Shipment Module gives DLA vendors shipping addresses, bar coded labels in line with MIL-STD-129, bills of lading, and packing lists. On f.o.b. origin contracts, you also arrange the government-paid shipment through VSM.
Can I use commercial packaging on a DLA award?
Only if your contract specifies it. DLA says ASTM D3951 commercial packaging applies when specified by the contract or purchase order.
Who do I ask about packaging requirements after award?
DLA says to submit a Post Award Request (PAR) in DIBBS if you need help understanding your packaging requirements.
Why did I lose with the lowest quote?
DLA can make a best value trade-off using SPRS ratings, and a price far below other quotes or the approved source can trigger a traceability request. If the documents aren't sufficient, the quote can be found technically unacceptable.
View full FAQ page: https://usfcr.com/resources/faq/
If you're still getting set up, start with our DIBBS guide for contractors.
USFCR has served over 500,000 businesses, and our clients have won over $1.9 billion in contracts. If you want help getting your registrations in order for DLA work, speak to a USFCR Registration & Contracting Specialist at (866) 216-5343.
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