If you are planning an official government trip and need to rent a vehicle, then according to Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 301-2.5, you are required to have specific authorization or prior approval before you travel. This is because your government agency must decide if the rental of a commercial vehicle is advantageous to the government (FTR 301-10.450).
If your trip is CONUS, then you must rent the vehicle from a vendor that participates in the Defense Travel Management Office’s (DTMO) U. S. Government Car Rental Agreement. This is because DTMO has negotiated rental car agreements with certain vendors that include benefits such as unlimited mileage, free collision damage insurance, no fee for additional drivers or underage drivers, fixed rates, a variety of vehicles, and liability coverage for personal injury, wrongful death and property damage.
Federal employees can get the negotiated rates under the agreement by making their reservations through an approved booking channel such as the E-Gov Travel System, Commercial Travel Office, Defense Travel System or Travel Management Center. A government issued credit card or official travel orders may be required by the rental company to complete the reservation. No advance reservations are required and the vehicle contracts are at the rental agency.
The rental car program provides rentals through 17 companies at over 10,000 rental locations. In addition to agreeing to the negotiated rental car agreement, the rental companies are also selected for their convenient location and easy access. If the size or class of the vehicle reserved is not available, then the rental company will offer the added benefit of an upgraded vehicle at the same cost.
Some of the participating rental car companies also offer discounted rates for federal government employees and military personnel when they are on leisure travel or traveling without official travel orders. Of course, the rental companies will not offer the benefits received under the government’s rental car agreements when on leisure travel.
By Dean Cox
“The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.”