Driver Policy | Fleet Services

UConn relies on the operation of University-owned motor vehicles to conduct official University business. As such, the University is committed to minimizing transportation costs, reducing risk, safeguarding personnel, protecting and maintaining property, and clarifying acceptable use. This policy manual was developed to support these commitments.

Scope

The policies and procedures issued herein apply to all operators of University owned or controlled motor vehicles and the individuals who assign or otherwise permit such use. It applies to the UConn Storrs Campus, UConn Regional Campuses, and Professional Schools.

Enforcement

Violations of these motor vehicle policies and procedures may result in appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with local, state, and federal laws, as well as University By-Laws, General Rules of Conduct for All University Employees, University Guide to the State Code of Ethics, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and the UConn Student Code.

Contacts

Transportation Manager: transportation@uconn.edu/860.486.1448

Definitions

Alternative write up:

“Authorized drivers” means only those personnel listed below who are properly licensed and/or certified to operate UConn-owned, leased, and/or rented vehicles when conducting official UConn business:

Faculty and staff employed by UConn;
UConn students as defined under “authorized student drivers”
“Driver for hire” must have a minimum of an ‘A’ Endorsement on their CT driver’s license.
Properly licensed to operate a University-owned, operated, leased or rented vehicle

“Authorized student driver” means a student who is enrolled at UConn (or has a valid non-UConn student authorization on file with Student Employment) who is:

Employed by UConn or;
Serves in a volunteer capacity for a properly recognized student organization, program, or athletic team and;
Properly licensed to operate a University-owned, operated, leased or rented vehicle

“Department” means one of the sections or units of the university dealing with a particular field of knowledge/study and/or the sections or units providing accommodation and activities required by the university, such as maintenance, repair, etc.

“Driver for hire” means any authorized operator that will be compensated for his/her services as a driver and will be driving a motor vehicle with passengers.

“Motor vehicle” means automobiles, trucks, buses and emergency vehicles.

“Off-Campus travel” means outside or away from the main duty station.

“Official business” means being in the performance of one’s UConn duties as a:

Faculty or staff member;
Student employee or student teaching/graduate assistant;
Member of a UConn student organization duly organized by the Department of Student Affairs pursuant to proper and prior written authorization;
Member of a UConn athletic team who has received proper and prior written authorization from the Department of Athletics.

“Official duty station” means the state-owned or leased building or other locations at which an employee regularly reports for duty.

“Operator” means a person who operates a motor vehicle or who steers or directs the course of a motor vehicle being towed by another motor vehicle.

“Pool vehicle” means a UConn-owned motor vehicle assigned to a department for use by two or more employees.

“UConn-owned vehicle” means a motor vehicle that is owned by the University of Connecticut.

“University/UConn employee” means a person who has an approved and active payroll authorization on file in the Payroll Office or is an employee of an institutional activity fund as approved by the Board of Trustees.

“University/UConn Student employee” means a person who is enrolled and/or registered in an academic program or class at UConn and who has an approved and active payroll authorization on file through Student Employment and the Student Payroll Office.

Appropriate Use of UConn-Owned, Leased and Rented Vehicles

Authorized drivers are permitted to use UConn-owned/leased vehicles to conduct official University business. When granted such privilege, the following rules apply:

Operators must possess a valid driver’s license. Any individual whose motor vehicle operator’s license is currently suspended shall not be allowed to operate a UConn owned/leased/rented vehicle, even if the individual has been issued a Special Operator’s

Permit for work under CT General Statute Sec 14-37a.

Operators must comply with all driving and motor vehicle laws;
Personal use for social, recreation, religious, educational or any other such purpose whether on or off duty, is not permitted;
When required, home to work-site travel (when not to/from the employee’s official duty station), is permissible. De minimis use is acceptable (e.g., a stop for lunch in between two business appointments or deliveries);
Smoking is prohibited;
Transportation of passengers, including UConn employees, is not permitted, unless this transportation is necessary to perform official UConn business.
Out of country travel is prohibited;

Please note, UConn-owned vehicles and rental vehicles may not be driven by volunteer workers or individuals contractually employed by UConn.

Purchase or Lease of Motor Vehicles

The Transportation Administrator has executive oversight for all motor vehicles purchased for use by UConn Departments at the Storrs and Regional Campuses, Professional Schools and UConn Health. No UConn department may acquire a motor vehicle from any other source unless approved in writing by the Transportation Administrator. This applies regardless of if the acquisition is the result of a gift, purchase, lease or transfer.

Registration of Motor Vehicles

UConn Fleet Services is responsible for the registration of UConn-owned vehicles. No other department is authorized to apply directly to the Department of Motor Vehicles for registration plates.

Transfer of Motor Vehicles

UConn-owned or rental vehicles may not be lent, leased or rented to any person, organization, or business except when approved by the Transportation Administrator or designee.

Vehicle Branding and Identification

All UConn-owned motor vehicles shall be identified in a manner prescribed by University Communications. No equipment, decorations or advertisements shall be affixed to a UConn-owned vehicle without prior approval.

Removal of any prescribed markings, including license plates and UConn-issued stickers, and any other attempt to obscure that the vehicle is owned by UConn is prohibited.

Requesting Vehicle Assignments

All UConn vehicles, by statute, fall under the responsibility of the UConn Fleet Services. All requests for vehicles must be reviewed by Transportation Services.

Transportation Services provides purchasing, lease, and rental programs of vehicles.

University Pool Vehicles must travel a minimum of 3000 miles per year to justify departmental assignment.

Requests for vehicle assignment must be made in writing on the Departmental Vehicle Request Form established by UConn Transportation Services, and submitted to the University Transportation Administrator.

A detailed justification for the need for a UConn vehicle, including intended usage, estimate mileage, and garaging location must be included in the request.

Pool Vehicles Being Assigned to Departments

UConn Pool vehicles to departments generally are assigned in the following circumstances:

For use by university employees/students for Official Business;
When the University Transportation Administrator determines that it will be less costly to use a UConn-owned vehicle than it would be to reimburse the UConn official or employee for mileage traveled in his or her personal vehicle;
If the department can demonstrate that specialized circumstances (such as particular equipment needs or risk management concerns) dictate the acquisition of a UConn vehicle; or
If the department in its daily activities requires a vehicle to move to a variety of sites and locations.
Vehicles are generally not to be assigned for the exclusive use of an individual employee, except as described below. *

Assignment of a Vehicle to an Individual Employee or Official on a Long-Term Basis

In some situations, it may be most economical for a vehicle to be assigned to an individual on a long term basis. In determining whether to grant approval of assignment of a vehicle to an individual on a long term basis, the University Transportation Administrator will assess each situation on its own merits; however, the following guidelines generally apply:

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* When a UConn employee commutes in or uses a UConn-owned vehicle for personal business, certain tax consequences result. The IRS views the personal use as a taxable benefit to the employee and has established guidelines on how to determine how much the dollar value of that benefit would be.

The intended operator has 24/7 on call responsibilities and responds frequently to assess emergency situations;
The intended operator has daily responsibilities at more than one campus;
The vehicle is traveled, at minimum, an average of 700 miles per month.

If an individual employee requires the exclusive use of a motor vehicle in order to perform his or her job duties, the department head shall submit a request for a vehicle assignment and send the form to the Transportation Administrator. See Fleet.uconn.edu for related forms.

Approval to assign a vehicle to an individual on a long term basis may not be granted if the driver assigned to the vehicle:

Fails to maintain a valid driver’s license
Has been the subject of two or more valid complaints involving the use of a UConn-owned vehicle within a six month period; or
Has been convicted of or has made payment for two or more motor vehicle violations while driving a UConn owned vehicle in a six-month period.

Use of a vehicle by volunteers or contract employees may be granted by the Transportation Administrator, on an individual basis. If a volunteer or contract employee requires the use of a motor vehicle, the department head shall submit a request for approval and send the form to the Transportation Administrator. See Fleet.uconn.edu related forms.

Usage

Departments or their assigned Transportation Coordinator shall keep track of vehicles and usage logs for each UConn-pool vehicle assigned to them.

Parking

In most cases, UConn owned/leased vehicles must be parked overnight at a UConn-owned or leased facility. Such vehicles shall not be parked overnight on any street, highway or in commuter lots, except under emergency conditions. Arrangements for overnight storage of vehicles should be requested through the Transportation Manager.

Exceptions

When an employee is required to begin work prior to 7:00 a.m. or end work after 6:30 p.m. away from his or her official duty station, the Department Head may approve the at-home garaging of a UConn-owned/leased vehicle. The Department Head shall grant this privilege on a case by case basis for a specific night and shall not issue open-ended or blanket authorizations for at-home garaging. The Department Head shall notify the Transportation Manager of any such privileges granted.

To request at-home garaging on a continual basis, departments must obtain written approval from the Transportation Manager. The Transportation Manager will consider the merits of each request on a case-by-case basis. However, in general, permission is likely to be limited to the following situations:

Employees who are subject to 24 hour calls;
Field personnel who carry UConn-owned equipment in a vehicle that cannot be garaged in a secure area.

Maintenance

Fleet Services shall notify the departments when service, maintenance and repair of all UConn-owned vehicles is required, unless it authorizes another agency to perform some or all of these duties. Fleet.uconn.edu

Fuel

Except in the limited circumstances described below, drivers of UConn-owned vehicles shall obtain fuel and replacement oil at the UConn Fleet Services.

A UConn employee may purchase gasoline and/or oil from a commercial station only when he or she is operating the UConn owned/leased vehicle outside of normal work hours, out of state, or in an emergency.

Emergencies

In the event of an accident or emergency, please contact:

Transportation Manager, mailto:transportation@uconn.edu/(860)486-1448
Contract Specialist, Insurance and Risk Management, Melissa Frank: Melissa.Frank@uconn.edu/(860)486-0621

If the party above is not immediately available, the emergency responder should contact FM Global, the University’s insurance agency, directly.

If during business hours:

FM Global Insurance

Gregory Twomey, Branch Claims Manager

Desk: (860) 486-486-0621

Tel: (203) 845-5677

Brittani Acampora, Adjuster

Tel: (203) 845-7604

If after hours (Including Weekends/Holidays):

FM Global Insurance

Tel: (877) 639-5677

FM Global personnel may follow-up directly with the emergency responder who provided notification of the incident.

In the event of an emergency breakdown of a UConn-owned vehicle outside of UConn Fleet Services Operations’ normal work hours or on weekends, the driver should call UConn Transportation Dispatch at (860) 486-6924. If Transportation Dispatch is unavailable, call T&B Motors directly at (860) 423-1187.

Insurance and Liability Coverage

For insurance and liability coverage go to travel.uconn.edu

All UConn employees who are authorized to use their own motor vehicles in the performance of their duties, should review insurance requirements and the proper procedure for reporting an accident at http://insurance.uconn.edu/

Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibilities of Department Heads

Department Heads are responsible for:

Overseeing and enforcing UConn Driver and Motor Vehicle Policies and Procedures by faculty, staff, student, and volunteers, and non-student authorized drivers;
Ensuring the efficient and cost-effective use of UConn-owned and rented vehicles consistent with their department’s mission;
Reviewing and evaluating the department’s vehicle needs and submitting requests for UConn-owned vehicles to the Transportation Administrator;
Deciding whether the employee has a justifiable need to park a UConn-owned or rental vehicle at his or her home in accordance with this manual;
Taking appropriate disciplinary action in consultation with the Transportation Administrator and representatives from Labor Relations
Deciding whether a contract employee or volunteer has a justifiable need to drive a UConn vehicle, and if so, requesting permission from the Transportation Administrator;
Obtaining any necessary permits or permissions for any equipment added to a UConn vehicle, in writing, from the Fleet Services Supervisor
Ensuring that each department employee who operates a motor vehicle on UConn business is aware of this policy and had the ability, knowledge, skill, experience and appropriate license to operate the type of vehicle assigned;
Ensuring vehicles taken out of state for an extended period has the approval of and are inspected by the Fleet Services prior to travel;
Appointing a departmental transportation coordinator for all assigned needs to Fleet Services;

Responsibilities of the Departmental Transportation Coordinator

Departmental Transportation Coordinators are responsible for:

Maintaining mileage records;
Submitting authorized driver request forms to Transportation Services verifying that the driver has the appropriate license to operate the type of vehicle(s) assigned;
Updating forms when license are renewed or changed in any way;
Establishing a key sign-in/out system for all UConn-owned vehicles assigned to the department. This system must include:
- Driver’s Name
- Date and Time In and Out
- Mileage when checked out and returned
- Comment section for any discrepancies or damage noted by the driver

Responsibilities of the Transportation Manager

Transportation Managers are responsible for:

Ensuring the efficient, cost-effective, and orderly use of motor vehicles used for UConn business;
Monitoring compliance and ensuring that complaints concerning UConn vehicles, drivers, and authorized passengers are investigated and appropriate action is taken;
Establishing procedures and standards regarding the acquisition, use, maintenance and garaging of passenger cars and light duty trucks;
Requiring and coordinating drivers to participate in designated driver education programs when appropriate;
Collecting all vehicle accident reports from all departments involving UConn vehicles, including regional campuses;
Updating forms and policies posted to the Transportation Services website;
Verifying that each driver has the appropriate license for the vehicle they will be operating;
In cooperation with individual UConn departments, ensuring that operators of UConn vehicles, are aware of this policy and have the ability, knowledge, skill, experience and appropriate license to operate the type of vehicle assigned;
Checking licenses for proper endorsements and expiration dates;
Notifying the department when an employee/student is or is not authorized to drive a vehicle;
Monitor, file, archive:
- Fuel economy by make, model, year and area of assignment
- Vehicle usage by department
Developing and updating the policies and procedures impacting UConn’s motor vehicle fleet and authorized drivers;
Reviewing the use of motor vehicles for UConn business to ensure full compliance with policy and procedures;
Reviewing requests from departments seeking permission to allow volunteer workers and individuals contractually employed by UConn to drive UConn-owned/leased vehicles;
Establishing policies and procedures regarding inter-departmental/regional campus car pools
In collaboration with Procurement Services, adhering to mandated procurement processes for the purchase of motor vehicles for use by UConn departments and individuals

Responsibilities of the Fleet Services Supervisor

The Fleet Services Supervisor is responsible for:

Revoking operating permissions and vehicles in light of violations
Maintaining all vehicles owned by UConn;
Allocating safe and well maintained UConn-owned vehicles to departments;
Obtaining any necessary licensing, permits or permission for any equipment added to a UConn vehicle;
Ensuring that UConn owned vehicles are brought in for emissions tests before the expiration date;
Securing all maintenance, title and licensing records as mandated and required by statute and regulation.

Responsibilities of Transportation Administrator

Additionally, the Transportation Administrator is responsible for:

Reviewing and approving any additions to the UConn fleet;
In emergencies, collaborating with UConn Public Safety to suspend temporarily all or part of these policies and procedures in the event of a riot, natural disaster, employee strike or job action or other emergency situation;
Determining UConn’s vehicle needs;
Evaluating the need for an employee to park a UConn-owned vehicle at their home on a continuous or occasional basis in accordance with the criteria set forth in this manual;
Overseeing the enforcement of this manual for all UConn departments;
Interacting with Department Heads and the Transportation Manager to ensure that complaints concerning UConn vehicles, drivers, and passengers are investigated and appropriate action is taken.
Revoking operating permissions and vehicles in light of violations

Responsibilities of Drivers

Each driver is responsible for:

Having a Driver Consent Form on file with the Departmental Transportation Coordinator; I
Being knowledgeable and compliant with all the policies, procedures and rules outlined in this policy and Connecticut driver and motor vehicle laws;
Ensuring that his or her motor vehicle licenses are kept active, unrestricted and up-to-date;
Immediately notifying his or her Departmental Transportation Coordinator if his or her motor vehicle license is suspended, revoked, or expired;
Ensuring that UConn owned vehicles’ interiors are kept clean. As a reminder, smoking is prohibited;
Complying with all UConn accident procedures issued by UConn Insurance and Risk Management http://insurance.uconn.edu/;
Completing and submitting required reports within established timelines (ask your Transportation Departmental Coordinator for guidance);
Paying parking fines and other liability charges incurred while operating UConn motor vehicles. Such fines are the personal liability of the driver.

Violations

In addition to the enforcement measures described on page three of this manual, violation of any policy, rule or regulation governing the use of a UConn-owned vehicle or any state motor vehicle law or regulation may result in the immediate recall of the vehicle by the University Transportation Manager.

The willful neglect or misuse of any UConn-owned or rented vehicle is cause for disciplinary action under the provisions of state statutes or applicable collective bargaining contracts, and such misuse or false statement about the use of said vehicles may subject the employee to civil action. (See Connecticut General Statutes 4-165: http://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_053.htm#sec_4-165).

If an employee or driver is involved in an accident as a result of his/her own willful or wanton misconduct while in the operations of a UConn-owned or rental motor vehicle, the Transportation Administrator may assess the responsible party for damage to state property.

Related Policies, Procedures, Laws and Guidelines

This manual references numerous related requirements, resources, and guidance that is summarized below.

Valid Driver’s License required http://www.ct.gov/dmv/site/default.asp
Accident Reporting Procedure http://insurance.uconn.edu/
Accident Reporting Form http://transpo.uconn.edu/pdf/AccidentReport.pdf
Insurance and Risk Management http://insurance.uconn.edu/
Connecticut Safe Driving Laws http://www.ct.gov/dmv/lib/dmv/20/29/r12eng.pdf
UConn Fleet Services, Procurement, Maintenance logistics.uconn.edu
Connecticut Distracted Driving Laws http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

Travel/Mileage Reimbursement Policy http://travel.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/481/2015/06/Travel-Policy.FY16.pdf