[Date changed–posted 10/31/23 (last revised 1/6/23)]
[PDF Version]

Texas Tech University Double T

Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 80.02: Vehicle Rental Office – Checkout Procedure

DATE: October 31, 2023

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) is to establish guidelines for the rental of vehicles from the Vehicle Rental Office.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed in August of each year by the Associate Vice President for Operations and the Senior Managing Director of Transportation & Parking Services with substantive revisions forwarded to the Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance and Chief Financial Officer.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1. Hours of Operation

a. The Vehicle Rental Office will be open during normal university office hours, Monday through Friday, excluding university holidays.

b. Departments requesting the use of motor vehicles on days the Vehicle Rental Office is closed must arrange to obtain the vehicle after 1:00 p.m. the last workday preceding the first day of use.

c. If a vehicle is returned after hours, it will be parked in the patron parking area west of the Administrative Support Center. The keys and Monthly Use Report (clipboard) will be brought into the office or, after hours, placed in the glove compartment and locked, as the Vehicle Rental Office has a second set of keys to retrieve them.

2. Checkout Procedure

a. Authorization for Vehicle Dispatch

A properly executed Vehicle Reservation Order Form must be completed by the requesting department and submitted to the Vehicle Rental Office for approval.

Information needed to execute the Vehicle Reservation Order Form follows:

(1)    Date – Date of preparation;
(2)    Name of person making reservation – Department contact person;
(3)    Department;
(4)    Department mail stop;
(5)    Department phone number and fax number;
(6)    FOP – Account to be charged for rental and fuel charges;
(7)    Rental date(s);
(8)    Type of vehicle (7 or 12 passenger);
(9) Number of vehicles;
(10) Time of pick up;
(11)    Destination;
(12)    Credit card for fuel (yes or no);
(13)    Purpose of trip – Specific intended use of the vehicle and statement that such use is official university business. Official university business does not include use by student associations/organizations;
(14)    Driver's name and license number – All approved drivers and their driver's license numbers; and
(15)    FOP manager signature – Authorization for FOP to be charged.

b. First-Come, First-Served Operation

The Vehicle Rental Office is a first-come, first-served operation; vehicle reservations should be made as far in advance as feasible. Vehicles may be dispatched for any length of time. When available, the newer vehicles will be issued for trips that exceed 100 miles.

c. Cancellations

If there is a reservation cancellation, it must be made one day in advance or there will be a charge of one-half the daily rate for the period of the original request.

d. Drivers of Rented Vehicles

Escalating insurance costs have necessitated that stricter policies be implemented and enforced by the university Vehicle Rental Office.

(1) Prior to requesting a rental vehicle, all faculty, staff, and student drivers must submit driver approval through the Texas Tech University System Office of Risk Management as described in OP 80.07, Vehicle Fleet Management Program. After approval has been received (24–48 hours) this person(s) will be added to the list of approved operators of university vehicles.

(2) Restrictions – University vehicles are rented to and operated by approved university employees (faculty, staff, and students) only. All approved student drivers must be accompanied by an approved university faculty or staff member at all times while operating a rental vehicle out of town.

(3) The approved driver of a rented vehicle must produce for inspection and verification a valid driver's license for the type of vehicle being rented at the time of vehicle dispatch.

(4) The minimum required driver's license for operating the class of vehicles in the rental fleet is a Class C.

Class C driver's license – Permits a person to drive the following vehicles, except a motorcycle or moped:

(a) A single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 26,001 pounds, or any such vehicle towing either a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating that does not exceed 10,000 pounds, or a farm trailer with a gross vehicle rating that does not exceed 20,000 pounds; and

(b) A bus with a seating capacity of fewer than 24 passengers, including the driver.

(5) State law requires seat belts to be used at all times when a vehicle is operated (see Texas Transportation Code, § 545.413).

3. Vehicle Rental Rates

Rates are established each August for the following fiscal year. They are increased in proportion to known and estimated escalation of fleet maintenance and replacement costs. Replacement costs are based upon an average effective unit life of 75,000 miles and four years, beyond which economical maintenance becomes difficult and long trip (highway) use unreliable. Rates in effect are published prior to August 31 (Attachment A).

4. Additional Charges

a. Each vehicle will be inspected upon return. Any damage or abuse, except normal wear and tear, will be repaired and/or replaced at the expense of the department responsible.

b. If a vehicle is involved in an accident, and the driver is found to be grossly negligent, the renting department will be charged for the full cost of the loss.

5. Fuel

a. Vehicles will be serviced and fueled prior to dispatch and upon return.

b. The Vehicle Rental Office will issue one major oil company credit card to the customer department upon request. Each credit card will be number-coded specifically to the vehicle being dispatched and will be used to purchase fuel while on the road. The department head or authorized delegate will be responsible for their proper use and disposition until they are returned. Lost or stolen cards will be reported immediately by phone to the Vehicle Rental Office, 806.742.3810.

c. All purchases of fuel using university credit cards will show the current date as well as the quantity of gasoline and oil purchased. The customer copy of the credit card receipt will be placed in the folder provided by the Vehicle Rental Office and returned with the vehicle.

d. All fuel expenses (credit card charges and end of trip refuel) will be charged to the customer department.

6. Emergency Repairs

a. It may be necessary to have emergency repairs to university vehicles while operating away from Lubbock. For assistance, the driver of the vehicle should contact one of the departments listed in Section 6.b.

b. All emergency repairs must have prior authorization. The authorization and an emergency purchase order number may be obtained from either:

Vehicle Rental 806.742.3810 – During Office Hours
806.742.6277 – After Office Hours

Vehicle Maintenance 806.742.3332 – During Office Hours
806.742.6277 – After Office Hours

c. Repairs should be accomplished by an authorized dealer under existing warranty, where applicable. New vehicle warranties are kept in the glove pocket of the vehicle concerned. When required repairs are not covered by warranty, an itemized invoice listing parts and labor charges must be signed by both the agency performing the work and the vehicle driver for reimbursement.

d. Upon receipt of an emergency purchase order number issued for a specific amount, have the work accomplished. Return the itemized invoice listing the parts and labor charges, signed by both the agency doing the work and the vehicle driver, to the Vehicle Rental Office.

e. Customers are encouraged to report, orally at the time a vehicle is returned or by note in the clipboard, any minor problems observed (noises, maladjustment, etc.). Such reporting will facilitate vehicle servicing.

7. Monthly Use Reports

a. Texas Tech University OP 80.07, Vehicle Fleet Management Program, provides that a person who uses a state-owned vehicle shall make a written report of such use. This report shall be recorded appropriately on the Monthly Use Report (Attachment B). The completed report will show the purpose for the vehicle's use, the mileage traveled, the amount of fuel purchased and total fuel cost, quantity of oil purchased and total oil cost, maintenance repairs and costs, passengers carried, drivers, and any other information that may be necessary to provide a proper record of the use of the vehicle.

Specific instructions for maintaining the Monthly Use Report are as follows:

(1) The Monthly Use Report (clipboard) must be kept in the vehicle at all times.

(2) Each person using the vehicle is required to make daily entries as follows:

(a) Odometer Reading – Record daily the ending odometer reading on the corresponding date line; do not report reading with tenths; always include previous month's ending odometer reading in the top section.

(b) Fuel Consumption – Record the gallons and cost of fuel purchased on the corresponding date line; record the gallons of fuel purchased, including tenths; record the total gallons and cost of fuel purchased column in the designated area.

(c) Maintenance/Other Expense – Record any maintenance and/or other expense, providing the required information as reflected on the maintenance form; all entries should be recorded with the appropriate maintenance codes as designed in the clipboard.

b. This report is an official record of the state and is subject to inspection by any state official authorized to audit or inspect claims, accounts, or records of any state agency.

Attachment A: Vehicle Rental Rates

Attachment B: Monthly Use Report

Operating Policies & Procedures

Address

Texas Tech Downtown Center Room 218
Email
officialpublications@ttu.edu

Operating Policies & Procedures

Operating Policy and Procedure

OP Categories

Contact TTU

News

Events

Operating Policies & Procedures

Address

Email