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Rental Cars/Personal Cars

Rental Cars/Personal Cars

Aug 30, 2022

 

Rental Cars for Domestic Trips

If you’re renting domestically within the US, you MUST use one of the below approved vendors.

Domestic Rentals - Approved Vendors

Domestic Rentals - Reserving Your Rental Car

  • You MUST use one of the above approved vendors.

  • You must use the UT Discount Numbers when booking your rental.

    • UT Discount Numbers can be used only for business travel purposes: “Corporate identifier numbers are limited to use for UT employee business travel and should not be shared outside of the UT community. Doing so is a violation of contract terms and may result in contract termination and/or employee disciplinary action.” –per UT Travel Management

  • You may reserve by calling the reservations numbers above, or via the company websites. In either case, make sure you use the Corporate ID Discount number in the chart above

  • Most locations of the above approved vendors will include CDW/LDW car insurance in the UT corporate rate. In these cases, if you are offered CDW/LDW separately you must decline it. If you accept/pay for it when making the reservation, you will not get reimbursed for the duplicate insurance.

    • However, there are a few locations which are "non-participating locations." These locations do not include the CDW/LDW insurance in the package rate. At these locations, you must add CDW/LDW insurance, and you can claim reimbursement for it. To check the list of non-participating locations, see the links below from UT Travel Management Services:

      • Check under the heading "Non-participating locations":

      • Enterprise / National - insurance is always included

Exceptions

Exceptions for renting from vendors aside from those listed above are granted on a case-by-case only for the following reasons:

  1. none of the approved vendors operate in the area you are traveling to, or 

  2. they are sold out on your travel dates. 

You must submit documentation of this in order to get permission from UT Travel Management ahead of time, and you must purchase the CDW/LDW insurance waivers from the vendor you use. Rentals through non-approved vendors may not be eligible for reimbursement in certain circumstances.

Rental Cars for International Trips

If you’re renting a car for international travel, you are encouraged to use one of the five companies listed above in the chart on Domestic Rentals - Approved Vendors; however, UT contracts/discounts do not extend to international branches.

In the case that you would like to use a different international car rental company, you may do so. However, you MUST purchase the CDW/LDW insurance with your rental. This is a reimbursable expense.

Rental Car Reimbursements

Combining Personal & Business Use

When an employee uses a rented vehicle for both personal business and state business, only the portion attributable to state business may be reimbursed.

Rental expenses may not be reimbursed if the rental was necessary only because the employee combined personal and state business.

Gasoline for Rental Cars

Gasoline for your rental car is a reimbursable expense, but you must have a receipt.

Make sure to keep your receipts and include them with your reimbursement request after your trip is over.

Sharing a Rental Car with Another UT Employee

Who should pay/get reimbursed?

If sharing a rental car with another UT employee, one person should pay for the entire rental and get reimbursed. Only the employee who paid the cost of renting the vehicle may be reimbursed. The other employees may not be reimbursed for any costs associated with renting the vehicle.

Note that this is the opposite of other travel expenses such as hotel/lodging wherein you must split the payment.

Additional Driver Fees

The charge for an additional driver is reimbursable only if the additional driver is another UT employee.

Insurance Fees

Charges for liability insurance supplements, personal accident insurance, safe trip insurance, and personal effects insurance are not reimbursable.

A collision damage waiver or a loss damage waiver is not reimbursable unless the rental location does not include it in the UT contracted rental rate.

 

Personal Car Used for Business Purposes

You are allowed to use your personal car for transportation to business destinations, with the following caveats.

Liability

Per UT Travel Management, if you drive a personal vehicle, the vehicle owner - NOT THE UNIVERSITY - is liable for any injury or damage to your person, car, and any injury or damage to other vehicles, property, or persons outside your vehicle which may occur as a result of an accident.

Reimbursements

Mileage, NOT Gasoline

If you are using a personal car to travel for business, you may claim mileage reimbursement on your reimbursement request form after your trip is over. This is a flat rate per mile which takes into account gasoline, wear & tear, etc.

Parking

Parking fees are also reimbursable. Please retain any receipts associated to these costs to submit as documentation.

No other reimbursements allowed

Mileage & parking are the only allowable reimbursements for personal car use; UT will not reimburse any other car-related expenses.

 

Please note: The information here is summarized for your convenience. Though we attempt to keep it updated, University policies are complex and ever-changing. We must defer to current policies if they differ from what is written in this guide. There may also be other requirements for various processes not listed here.