The DTMO serves to establish direction, set policy and centrally manage the defense departments commercial travel programs.

DTMO is responsible for the DTS online booking tool and monitors the usage, cost and customer satisfaction in order to determine the efficiency and effectiveness. Since the implementation of DTS (Defense Travel System) in 2006 the system now operates over 9,500 sites worldwide and has approximately 75,000 users accessing it on a daily basis.

The positive customer service results and the efficiency of the tool have been hard to ignore.

Per the Transportation Reform Act of 1998 the DOD requires that all travelers are reimbursed with in 30days of submission of their travel claim.  The average time it takes DTS to reimburse the traveler is 7 days.  This has resulted in a cost avoidance of 40% in voucher processing. The 2008 customer service survey revealed 69% of DTS users find the tool easy to use, while maintaining an 85% adoption rate. The combination of both numbers subsequently reduces agency transactions fee costs for the Department of Defense.

The DTS implementation is still not completed.  Phase III completion is scheduled for 2010.

The remaining Phase III sites include US Army Special Operations Command, Army Corps of Engineers, Air Force Reserve and Navy afloat sites. DTMO is always searching for ways to improve the site and is open to customer feedback and suggestions in order to maintain a responsive and valuable tool for its users.

By Maruca Malloy

The Government Rental Car Program creates a competitive environment among the participating rental car companies, which benefits the government.  The program includes significant benefits to the government personnel that are not available to the general public.  Some of the benefits are:  Free collision damage waiver insurance.  Unlimited mileage.  Reduced age restriction to 18 (not 25) for official travel.  No underage driver’s fees.  No fees for additional government drivers.  Quality control of cars and service.  Online booking capabilities in E-Gov Travel Service (ETS) and Defense Travel System (DTS).  Traditional booking capabilities through Travel Management Center (TMC) and Commerical Travel Office (CTO).  Car class upgrade coupons from a variety of vendors.  (Leisure rentals are not part of this government program).

The agreement requires the rental car companies to maintain insurance coverage or a qualified self insurance program which protects the government and its employees from liability for personal injury, death and property damage.   A car rented by other means other than the government travel systems risks not receiving the benefits of the Government Car Rental Agreement.

Renters are advised to contact the car rental company immeditely upon damage or loss of the vehicle.  Any disputes between parties is handled by DTMO .

The government issued charge card is the preferred method of payment to the rental car companies, but the rental car companies are required to accept cash, personal checks or credit cards.  (Where prior arrangements have been made, charges may be put on a centrally billed account).

By: Kathy Runion

The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.

You may be asking what are the benefits of the U.S. Government rental car program?  One of the most notable benefits is that the collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance is included in the negotiated rate. Besides the attractive rates, other benefits include unlimited mileage, adjusted rates according to size of car and much more.

These rental cars can be booked using your E-Gov travel system or using the traditional method by calling your Travel Management Center (TMC).  The rental car reservation is booked and charged to the traveler’s individual Government charge card.   If a traveler does not have a Government charge card, some other sort of an arrangement would need to be made such as a contract agreement directly with the car rental company or by issuing the traveler a cash advance.

One disadvantage of this program is that the rental car cannot be used for leisure travel under the official TDY contract.  If a traveler is combining official with personal travel, the traveler needs a separate contract for the personal portion of their trip.   Some rental car agencies may even request that the traveler return the car and check it out again.

While conducting training on our E-Gov Travel System, we advise our travelers to select any of the rental car companies listed, but the rental car company selected should be comparative with the cheapest rate for the size of car selected.  All of the rental car vendors have met the DTMO qualifications.  If a traveler has any questions concerning any of the vendors, they may call their TMC or the DTMO for further information.

The DTMO offers a website with detailed information concerning the car or truck rental programs.  The website is located athttp://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/index.cfm.

by Pam Morton

The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.

Did you know: That a driver’s license issued to military personnel does not expire as long as the individual remains in military service, as so stated on the license, and such licenses will be accepted regardless of the date of issuance or expiration. Random drivers’ record checks are permissible under the US Government Car Rental Program and are at the expense of the Company.

by Kimberly Hubbard

The rate that is confirmed by the rental car company via DTS or the CTO must be guaranteed, and honored, for 60 days from the time of reservation. This feature allows the service member to do some forward planning without incurring a penalty or adjustments to his budget.  Once the reservation is confirmed, it must be held for a minimum of two normal business hours after the renter’s scheduled flight arrival time.  The vehicle must be available, and the contract ready, when the service member arrives. If the vehicle is not available, the company must make arrangements to provide a vehicle through another location participating in the program.  If the size/class of car reserved is not available, the company must offer an upgrade vehicle at no additional cost, or a smaller car at a reduced rate, with the renter’s consent. Another reservation right the service member has is the need not to present a credit card to make reservations.

The rates that the service member and federal employees receive when procuring a car have a ceiling rate which is approved by the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO). Ceiling rates are not subject to blackout dates.  The rates may go lower at any time, but cannot go higher without prior approval, and the rates cannot have penalty restrictions.  The total rate must reflect all fees except for Government Administrative Rate Supplement (GARS).  The company has the right to itemize state and local government fees, surcharges and taxes that cannot be included in the rate on the rental contract.  All of the rental vehicles must be offered with unlimited mileage, except for one way rentals.  The rental car companies have the option to charge mileage for one way rentals, or drop off charges.

By utilizing the DTS / CTO service members and federal employees have these benefits and more.  The rates and reservations rights are automatic, and have been negotiated for your benefit in advance by the DTMO.

By: G. W. McCurtis

By: Stacey Clark

There are many benefits of the Government Rental Car Program.  One of the most significant benefits to government personnel on official business is the collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance.  This insurance is included at no extra charge.  Besides attractive rates, other benefits include unlimited mileage, age restriction reduced from 25 to 18, and much more.

The government issued charge cards are the preferred method of payment to the rental car company, however, companies will also accept cash, personal checks, or credit cards.  And, where prior arrangements are made, rental car charges may be made to a government issued centrally-billed account.

Rental car companies must maintain insurance coverage which protects the government and its employees from liability for personal injury, death, and property damage.  A car rented by a traveler by means other than the government travel systems risks not receiving the benefits of the Government Car Rental Agreement.

If an accident should occur while using a rental vehicle, the traveler must contact the rental company immediately upon damage or loss of the vehicle.

In conclusion, the Government Car Rental Program is an effective means for government travelers to fulfill mission requirements and save the government money, as well as contribute to the car rental industry.

By:  Crystal Horner

Disclaimer:  The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.

There are many benefits of the Government Rental Car Program.  One of the most significant benefits to government personnel on official business is the collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance.  This insurance is included at no extra charge.  Besides attractive rates, other benefits include unlimited mileage, age restriction reduced from 25 to 18, and much more.

Rental cars can be reserved using the E-Gov Travel System (ETS) or by contacting the Travel Management Center (TMC).  The preferred method of payment is the traveler’s individually billed government charge card (IBA).  If the traveler does not have a government charge card, the car rental company will accept cash, personal check, or a personal credit card belonging to the traveler.

If the traveler is combining personal travel with official government business, the rental car company needs to be notified so the contract can be written accordingly.  The Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) contains guidelines for travelers to follow concerning personal use of a vehicle that was rented for the purpose of conducting official government business.  The FTR gives instructions concerning any additional costs resulting from the unauthorized use of a rental vehicle is the responsibility of the traveler.

Whether renting a car for business or pleasure, the following guidelines should be followed:

1. Always treat a rental car as if it were your personal vehicle.
2. Return the car to the rental company with a full tank of gas.
3. Review the receipt before leaving the drop-off site.  If there are questionable charges on the receipt, it is best to resolve the issue in person rather than trying to deal with it later by telephone.

By: Sue Burton

The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.

The agreement lowers the cost of rental cars, offering exclusive special benefits to its employees. The government also has access to the vehicles being offered, rates, and rental vendors as they are listed under the Defense Travel Management Office website.

Renting a car can be very expensive while causing a burden. Many rental car companies require further identification and documentation just to rent a car for hours or days, with many restrictions.

My experience with rental car companies has not been very pleasant.  One major factor contributor to this unpleasant experience is the required deposit, which is extremely high. While traveling on a business trip to Los Angeles last year, I was asked to put down a $250.00 deposit.  This became a burden as I was unprepared for this cost, or if I should say “hold “on my card for this amount.  At the time, I didn’t have the money available, this was extremely inconvenient.  I was in a situation with limited options; however, I had to get a taxi to the hotel and rent a car from the hotel’s rental car agency – which only required a credit card hold for $75.00. Employees should not be responsible for this fee (credit card hold) as this, after all, is a business trip. Not worrying about having the extra funds to rent a car is an enormous surplus for government employees.

Another requirement I’ve experienced in the past for car rental is extra verification documents. While traveling on another business trip I was asked for a utility bill. I had never been asked for this type of document and was uncertain if this was legal. Of course, I did not have a utility bill with me as I don’t travel with it.  I could not understand why this was being asked, and the complications for car rental entailed. This put me in a very awkward and inconvenient situation. I did not rent a car, instead, I had to use taxis for transportation. This cost my company hundreds and hundreds of dollars, and I was questioned why I couldn’t have rented a car. This was definitely another matter I had to deal with.

What has this come down to? Why the unnecessary requirements for non-government employees?

As we are moving ahead with technology today, most or all rental car companies have websites. Therefore, one can certainly rent a car online, but this is not to say, when arriving to the rental location we’ll get what we purchased. Indeed, this is another one of my experiences. I have booked rental cars online and when arriving for pick-up they don’t have the model /size I chose.  The company also fails to at least offer a discount to compensate for their error.

In my opinion, rental car companies can take some advantage of the customer due to the fact they know the customer is eager to get to a destination and many times is running late and doesn’t have the time to search for other rental car companies.  I wouldn’t say all rental car companies have these unnecessary requirements, but I haven’t had many pleasant experiences.

This extra restrictions and charges are implemented when a non-government employee rents a car. I believe one of the major reasons is due to car theft.  When one commits a crime the rest of us have to pay the consequences.

As the rental car industry is $16 billion in the United States, there’s enormous competition among rental car companies.  Even though discounts and incentives are offered, they can easily be tampered with when upgrading to a different model car.

Under this agreement, the government is able to provide great benefits to its employees, while saving money and preventing inconveniences to the employees.  Some of the great benefits include: upgrade coupons, no extra fees for additional government agencies, and unlimited mileage, to name a few.  The employees have options and should take advantage of the many benefits being offered under the rental car agreement.

The government has been able to institute this type of agreement with rental car companies as they compose a good percentage of the rental car’s profit industry.  The government traveler can rent a vehicle comfortably without worrying of the restrictions a non- government employee encounters. This is not to say, their experiences are always 100% pleasant, but certainly they alleviate a lot of hassles.

by Ana Ferrara

Most of the Central Travel Office (CTO)’s have provided good customer service, the challenge has been getting the same standard for all CTO’s. Some of the anomalies that existed were the variances across a broad spectrum.  Problem area of customer service included: the number of times the phone would ring before it was answered; how long a caller would be on hold; how long after a agent said they would call back until the traveler actually received the call back, and how many agents per number of travelers, or volume of business that had to be attached to each CTO.

The General Services Administration 599-2, Travel Agent Services/Travel Management Center Services Statement of Work does not specifically address customer service issues.  Consequently, the service member who experiences poor customer service is the one that suffers.

This year the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) has selected eight vendors for World Wide CTO contracts, and seven task orders have been issued to date. The task orders do address customer service concerns.

By: G. W. McCurtis