Travel - Procedure 20335d

Procedure 20335d: Ground Transportation

Contacts and revision dates:

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Mileage for Personal Vehicles
3. Fleet Services Vehicles (Blacksburg Campus)
4. Rental Cars
   1. Rental Car Insurance
   2. Rental Car Allowable/Unallowable Expenses
5. Parking
6. Tolls
7. Gasoline
8. Taxi/Shuttle
9. Train/Rail
10. Bus

Overview

Travel routing, whether by public transportation, privately-owned vehicle, state-owned vehicle or for-hire conveyance, shall be the most direct practicable route.

When in travel status, the use of State-owned vehicles, or state-contract Enterprise vehicles, is generally preferred over the use of personal vehicles.  

When planning and paying for travel using state funds, economy, prudence and necessity are of primary concern.  State funds are not intended to accommodate personal comfort, convenience, and taste.  

Mileage for Personal Vehicles

Commuting mileage, defined as round-trip mileage traveled routinely by the employee between their residence and base point, and other commuting costs incurred on normal workdays are considered a personal expense and are not reimbursable.  Base point is defined as place, office, or building where the traveler performs their duties on a routine basis.  Multiple base points are not allowed.

• Mileage incurred in excess of daily commuting mileage between two or more workplaces for official business outside of the Blacksburg area when not in travel status may be reimbursed (see Commuting Expenses Between Multiple Work Locations Outside of the Blacksburg Area When Not in Travel Status for additional information).
• Mileage incurred when the individual is required to work on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday that is not a scheduled workday may be reimbursed. 
• Mileage incurred for on-campus travel or travel within the Town of Blacksburg (the general area in which the employee’s office/work is located) is not reimbursable.  
• Mileage incurred to a campus location for official university business by a fully remote employee with an approved flexible work agreement may be reimbursed if the remote work location is more than 50 miles from the campus (Procedure 2400a: Expenditures for Remote Work Assignment).

Reimbursement for the use of personal vehicles are made at the following rates which are based on the costs of maintaining fleet services vehicles and the most recent business standard mileage rate as established by the Internal Revenue Service: 

*Fleet Services must provide a certification that no vehicle was available if Blacksburg campus is traveler’s base point.  If a state contract Enterprise vehicle is unavailable in the area of your travel, and you are requesting the higher mileage rate for reimbursement, then documentation of that must be presented with your reimbursement request submission.

** Please note when travel plans require a cost benefit analysis (ex. higher mileage rate is requested when round trip is 200 miles or more and fleet service vehicle, or state enterprise car, is available), this must be completed prior to traveling.  This must be prepared during planning and attached to your travel reimbursement request for reimbursement.  This will help ensure documentation requirements are met and that reimbursements are processed in a timely manner.  Examples of factors that can be considered in the cost benefit analysis are:

• Distance to the nearest car rental location and the hours of operation
• Administrative time required to obtain the rental car 
• The type of vehicle required and the number of travelers

When a traveler elects to use a personal vehicle, the traveler is responsible for all expenses should the vehicle either break down or be involved in an accident while on the business trip.

When a trip requires airline transportation and reasonable public transportation is not available, the traveler may be reimbursed at the private-vehicle mileage rate for a maximum of two round trips between the airport and the lesser of the distance between the base point and the employee’s residence.

When travel is by personal automobile, the total transportation expenses reimbursed, including meals and lodging, should not exceed the cost of the most economical public transportation fare (air, rail, etc.) available. A cost comparison should be completed at the time travel plans are made.

Fleet Services Vehicles (Blacksburg Campus)

Authorized users of Virginia Tech’s Fleet Services (FS) must have a valid U.S. Driver’s License and be an employee (unless specific departmental approval is obtained for other parties).  The Fleet Services website has additional policy details and their online reservation system.

Due to the individual needs of travelers with disabilities, Fleet Services is sometimes unable to provide modified vehicles to meet all requirements.  Therefore, any employee (student, faculty, or staff), who due to their disability must use their own personal vehicle for business travel, can be reimbursed at the higher personal mileage reimbursement rate.  In order to receive the higher personal mileage reimbursement rate, an employee with a disability seeking to use personal vehicle, must contact University ADA & Accessibility Services at 231-9331. In order to receive the higher mileage rate on travel reimbursements due to these circumstances, please indicate travel accommodation in the description field of the expense on any mileage reimbursement requests.  Travel accommodation requests will be verified through University ADA services.

Rental Cars

An employee who finds it necessary to rent a car while traveling on official University business may be reimbursed.  Normally, car rentals are allowed only when employees are on travel status away from their base station, or it’s economically beneficial at their base station. When available, and economically beneficial, the Enterprise state rental contract should be used.  

The Enterprise state contract is available to all parties traveling on official business of the University.  Thus, when economically beneficial, the Enterprise state contract should be used for any university business travel originating in the state of Virginia (excluding Northern Virginia).  The type of car rented (economy, compact, full-size, etc.) and justification for an upgrade should be included in the description field of the travel reimbursement request. Reimbursement will be for actual rental car costs--not at the mileage rate. 

It is the traveler’s responsibility to refuel a rental car prior to returning it to the agency. Rental agencies charge excessive amounts to refuel a vehicle, and travelers will not be reimbursed for amounts paid to rental agencies for this service. The "up-front fuel option charge" where rental companies charge for a full tank of gasoline at a lower rate should also be declined because the traveler, by definition, cannot return a car “empty.” 

The Controller's Office may grant exceptions to allow employees to rent cars while at their base station for unusual circumstances and where the cost of other forms of transportation are greater. Prior approval is necessary and should be directed to the Travel Supervisor. Prior approval from the Travel Supervisor is not necessary when the Fleet Services statement that no vehicle was available is attached to the expense report, or the vehicle is needed at an off-campus location where Fleet Services is not available on a daily basis. 

When car rental fees are claimed, the final detailed receipt (not rental agreement) must be attached to the reimbursement request and a statement explaining the necessity for such rental fees should be listed on the expense report. Rental car companies may offer the ability to obtain a copy of the final detailed receipt. Please visit the rental car company website for additional information. 

Rental Car Insurance

The option to purchase insurance offered by rental car contractors depends upon several circumstances.

• University Employee - If the traveler is a university employee, the traveler should decline the rental car insurance when traveling inside the territorial United States, in Canada, or in Puerto Rico because the university provides a self-insured automobile plan for employees.
• Non-University Employee – If the traveler is not a university or state employee, the traveler should accept the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) insurance and Liability Damage Waiver (LDW) Insurance offered by rental car agencies. The university will reimburse these insurance expenses when the automobile rental expense is a reimbursable business expense for non-employees.
• Travel Outside the United States – If the individual is traveling outside the territorial United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico, the individual is required to purchase and will be reimbursed for CDW and LDW insurance.

Other types of insurance offered such as trip cancellation, personal health, or life insurance are not reimbursable.

Rental Car Allowable/Unallowable Expenses:

Parking

Parking expenses for official business may be claimed for reimbursement. The name of the facility should be listed on the reimbursement request, and receipts attached in order to be reimbursed for any expenses greater than $75.

• Parking expenses associated to daily commuting expenses are a personal expense and not reimbursable. 
• Parking expenses in excess of daily commuting expenses not covered by a campus parking pass for official business may be reimbursed. 
• Employees who do not have a campus parking pass for their campus base point will not be reimbursed for parking expenses at their campus base point. 

Tolls

Toll expenses for official business may be claimed for reimbursement.  The name of the toll road should be listed on the reimbursement request, and receipts attached in order to be reimbursed for any expenses greater than $75. 

• Toll expenses associated to daily commuting expenses are a personal expense and not reimbursable. 
• Toll expenses in excess of daily commuting expenses for official business may be reimbursed.

Gasoline

Gasoline expenses incurred for official business may be reimbursed. A receipt is required for all gasoline purchases. 

• Mileage and gasoline can’t be requested for use of a personal vehicle. We will reimburse for one or the other but not both.
• Gasoline for rental cars may be reimbursed with a receipt. The upfront fuel purchase option or refueling option for a rental car is not reimbursable.
• Gasoline purchased for a fleet services (state) vehicle with personal funds should be submitted to Fleet Services for reimbursement.

Taxi/Shuttle

Taxi/Shuttle expenses include Taxi, Lyft, Uber, etc. and can be reimbursed for official business. The business purpose and name of provider should be included in the description field in Chrome River (example: taxi from airport to hotel). Tips for taxi/shuttle is restricted to 20% of the base fare and can be reimbursed as a transportation expense. Tips exceeding 20% will not be reimbursable on state funds. Receipts are required if the taxi/shuttle expense is greater than $75.

• Taxi/shuttle expenses between lodging and restaurants for personal meals is not reimbursable. The incidental portion of meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) is intended to cover this expense. 
• Taxi/Shuttle expenses associated to daily commuting expenses are a personal expense and not reimbursable.
• Taxi/Shuttle  expenses in excess of daily commuting expenses for official business may be reimbursed.

Train/Rail

Train/Rail expenses for official business may be claimed for reimbursement.  The business purpose and name of provider should be included in the description field in Chrome River. Receipts are required for any expenses greater than $75.

• Train/Rail expenses associated to daily commuting expenses are a personal expense and not reimbursable.
• Train/Rail expenses in excess of daily commuting expenses for official business may be reimbursed.

Business class for rail travel may be granted under the following circumstances:

• Cost is less than or equal to the lowest available tourist/coach fare (comparison must be attached to the travel reimbursement request).
• Reserved coach seats are not offered on the route (documentation must be attached to the travel reimbursement request)
• Traveler pays the difference

Bus

Bus expenses for official business may be claimed for reimbursement.  The business purpose and name of provider should be included in the description field in Chrome River. Receipts are required for any expenses greater than $75.

• Bus expenses associated to daily commuting expenses are a personal expense and not reimbursable. 
• Bus expenses in excess of daily commuting expenses for official business may be reimbursed.  

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