OP 80.02: Vehicle Rental Office – Checkout Procedure

[Major revision–posted 9/21/26 (replaces 10/31/23 edition)]

Texas Tech University Double T

Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 80.02: Vehicle Rental Office – Checkout Procedure

DATE: September 21, 2026

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 Senior Associate Vice President for Facilities & Campus Services and the Managing Director of Transportation & Parking 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. When a vehicle is returned, it will be parked in the vehicle rental parking area north of the Physical Plant on Hartford Ave. The keys and Monthly Use Report (clipboard) will be brought into the Physical Plant, Room 108 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) Requestor Information

(a) First Name

(b) Last Name

(d) Phone Number

(2) Department Information

(a) Department Name

(b) Director/Manager Name

(3) Driver Information

(a) Name

(b) Driver’s License Number

(4) Vehicle Information

(a) Vehicle Type/Size (7- or 12-passenger)

(b) Number of Vehicles Needed

(5) Travel Information

(a) Number of Passengers (Including Driver)

(b) Destination City

(6) Pick-Up and Return Information

(a) Pick-Up Date/Time

(b) Return Date/Time

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.

c. Cancellations

If there is a reservation cancellation, it must be made one full business day in advance, or the departmental FOP will be charged one day rental fee per vehicle reserved.

d. Drivers of Rented Vehicles

(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 15 or fewer 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

Vehicle rental 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.

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.

c. If a vehicle uses toll roads, the renting department will be responsible for the associated toll fees. It might take up to 60 days after the vehicle was rented before the toll fees are charged to the department’s FOP.

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 Voyager credit card to the customer. Each Voyager 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 its proper use and security until it is returned. Lost or stolen cards will be reported immediately by phone to the Vehicle Rental Office, 806.742.4OPS(4677).

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

d. All fuel expenses (Voyager 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 the Vehicle Rental Office or Vehicle Maintenance at 806.742.4OPS (4677).

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 service.

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. The completed report will show the date of travel, the mileage traveled, the location of fuel purchased, the quantity of fuel purchased and total fuel cost, maintenance repairs and costs, 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 location of fuel purchased, fuel quantity, and total cost of fuel purchased on the corresponding date line; record the gallons of fuel in tenths 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.

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.

The Monthly Use Report, Vehicle Reservation Order Form, and vehicle rental rates are available on the Rental Fleet webpage.

Address

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

OP 80.02: Vehicle Rental Office – Checkout Procedure

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