Vehicle Use Policy

Title:                           Using Vehicles for College Business Policy
Effective Date:        04/01/2015
Issuing Authority:   Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Contact:                     drivers@stolaf.edu or 507-786-3016
Last Updated:          08/28/2025

Purpose of Policy
This policy has been established to ensure safe and cost-effective methods of vehicle travel while on College business.

Who Needs to Know This Policy
This policy applies to all St. Olaf faculty, staff, and students who drive vehicles while on College business. 

Policy
Anyone using a vehicle while on St. Olaf business must operate the vehicle in a safe and responsible manner, with respect for other drivers and with awareness that they are acting as a representative of the College. The driver and all passengers must wear seat belts. The driver must abstain from using a cell phone for voice or texting while driving. The College has zero tolerance on the use of alcohol and recreational drugs when used in conjunction with the operation of a College vehicle. Smoking is not allowed in College vehicles. The driver is personally responsible for all traffic offense fines, parking violations, etc., incurred. The driver is responsible for compliance with all Minnesota Department of Public Safety child passenger restraint laws when transporting K-12 students. All accidents that occur during travel for College business must be reported to the Office of the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (x3016). If the accident is with a fleet vehicle, the accident must also be reported to the Buntrock Office (x3577). All accidents that occur on campus must be reported to Public Safety (x3666).

St. Olaf College’s insurance provider requires that all St. Olaf employees and students pass the campus driving program prior to driving College owned or leased vehicles. The College has selected the Vector Solutions (previously SafeColleges) web-based training as our driver safety training program. This course is designed to help keep you safe behind the wheel. In order to remain current, the training must be repeated every three years. During this three year period(s), any citation or ticket you receive must be reported to the Office of the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (x3016) and to the Buntrock Office (x3577).

In order to qualify as a St. Olaf College driver, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• you must be at least 18 years of age,
• you are required to have a valid U.S. driver’s license,
• you must have a minimum of one-year auto driving experience,
• you must be an employee of or student at St. Olaf College,
• you must complete the St. Olaf College required driver safety training program,
• you must successfully pass a motor vehicle background check.

Once you have been cleared to drive (allow up to 48 hours after completing the online training program for clearance), you will be added to the list of approved campus drivers for up to a period of three years.

Use of College Vehicles
St. Olaf has a fleet of vehicles which are available for official business of the College. These are available to faculty, staff and recognized student organizations. Vehicles in the fleet include 9 Minivans (7 passengers total)

Anyone driving a College vehicle must be on the approved drivers list and must operate the vehicle as listed in the Policy above.  Vehicles will not be reserved/checked out without a college account number. Reservations must be made by a staff or faculty member in the department requesting the van. To reserve a vehicle, please use 25Live. Instructions on how to use 25Live for vehicle reservations can be found here. Key packets can be picked up at:

• Buntrock Information Desk or Buntrock Office – during the academic year
• Buntrock Information Desk or Buntrock Office – Summer

Key packets must be picked up by the driver of the vehicle unless otherwise approved by the Buntrock Office in advance. Mileage cards are included in the key packets and need to be completed or there will be a charge. Every van packet has a mileage card, key fob, credit card, pen and insurance card in the packet. It is expected that vans are returned with the gas tank full. The credit card in the van packet is to be used for fuel and/or car wash if needed. Please keep all receipts in the key packet. The credit card is not to be used for parking or other expenses. If the gas tank is not at least 3/4 full when returned, there will be a charge. Any and all tolls must be paid by the department or organization.

The driver should perform a pre-trip inspection as well as record starting mileage. Be sure headlights, taillights, and windows are clean before operating the vehicle. A post trip inspection is to be completed upon return; note any damage, needed maintenance, and ending mileage. Vans are located in the Buntrock Parking Lot in the back row. There are signs marking where campus vehicles are supposed to be parked. If the vans are returned to the wrong location or not parked in a proper parking spot indicated by signage, there will be a fee.

Employees are prohibited from all personal use of College vehicles, including commuting, with the following exceptions:

• utility repair vehicles that are considered qualified non-personal use vehicles per IRC section 274(i) are allowed to be used for commuting to the employee’s home if the employee is on-call, and
• approved cases where mileage is tracked and personal use is recorded as income to the employee.

All accidents involving College vehicles must be reported to the Office of the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (x3016) and to the Buntrock Office (x3577). Accidents occurring on campus must be reported to Public Safety (x3666). The Office of the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Public Safety, and the Buntrock Office reserve the right to cancel van reservations due to cases of severe weather.

Travel groups of 15 or more are encouraged to utilize a chartered bus if the distance is greater than 50 miles one way. The College currently has contracts with Northfield Lines and Richfield Bus Company. For Northfield Lines, you can click here to request a free quote or contact them at 651-203-8888. For Richfield Bus Company, you can click here to request a free quote or contact them at 952-881-1111.

Due to concerns regarding safety, availability of fleet vehicles for others to use, and challenges if issues arise with the vehicles while far from campus, the following limitations apply to fleet vehicle usage:

• Each group may only reserve up to three (3) vans per trip. Larger groups should consider utilizing a bus.
• Fleet vehicle check outs are limited to three (3) days, to allow availability for other groups. For longer reservations, please consider using a car rental company.
• Fleet vehicles are limited to no more than 400 miles one way per trip (800 miles total). For longer trips, please consider flying or utilizing a bus.
• Students will be allowed to drive no more than 200 miles and faculty/staff no more than 400 miles on any day. For longer trips, please utilize multiple authorized drivers or consider flying.

Please contact the Buntrock Office if there are extenuating circumstances that will be assessed by the Director of Auxiliary Operations and/or AVP for Budget and Auxiliary Operations, in consultation with the applicable Vice President, when deemed appropriate.

Charges

There is a minimum charge of $30 per vehicle per day rental or $15 per vehicle per half day as well as a $50 cancellation fee if you fail to cancel the van and not pick up your keys. If traveling greater than 30 miles, the total is either $30 per day or $0.50 per mile, whichever is greater.

Use of a Rented or Leased Vehicle for College Business
If it is necessary to rent or lease a vehicle, departments are encouraged to arrange car rental with our preferred rental car vendors, Enterprise Rent-a-Car or their sister company, National Car Rental. The College disallows the rentals of 12+ passenger vans through any car rental company. Drivers must be on the current approved driver list in order to rent a vehicle for College business.  Contact the Office of the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (x3016) to obtain a proof of insurance card prior to travel. Please use your St. Olaf Visa purchase card to pay for the car rental. Other online booking can be used if the rates are more cost-effective than the College’s contracted rates with Enterprise and National.

To receive special Enterprise and National rates, please book through one of the following:

• www.enterprise.com or www.nationalcar.com, or call Enterprise at 855-266-9289 and National at 844-382-6875.
• For regular rental car users, please sign up for an Emerald Account, which will provide for benefits such as skipping the counter, upgrades, free rentals, and provide reporting by user.
• If renting a vehicle locally, the following are the closest locations to Northfield.  Depending on availability, they may be able to deliver and collect the vehicle for a fee (typically $50 to deliver and $50 to collect).
  • Owatonna 507-455-1023, located at 1176 E. Frontage Rd, Owatonna, MN 55060.  
  • Apple Valley 952-891-3200, located at 15136 Galaxie Ave, Apple Valley, MN 55124.
  • Burnsville 952-892-7500, located at 400 County Road 42 W, Burnsville, MN 55337.

St. Olaf has the below contracts with Enterprise and National:  

• The E&I Program nationwide business rental ID number is xz78979.  Driver minimum age is 18 (renters between the ages of 18 and 20 years of age are restricted to the following vehicle classes:  Economy, Compact, Midsize/Intermediate/Standard, Full size vehicles and Minivans) and the contracted rate includes $1M in liability coverage. Employees can register for the Emerald Club Loyalty Program through National and Enterprise for easier bookings attached to St. Olaf’s account and perks such as free rentals.  

In many cases, it is preferable to rent a car at our discounted Enterprise and National rate over driving a personal vehicle. The rental fee and gas may amount to less than a mileage reimbursement. This Trip Mileage Calculator  is customized for St. Olaf and will help you determine travel costs.

Please keep in mind when renting a vehicle:

• A credit card in the renter’s name is required to rent a vehicle. If renting a vehicle for St. Olaf business, a purchase card in the renter’s name should be requested from Accounts Payable before travel. Student Organizations and Intramurals must contact the Student Activities Office to coordinate vehicle rentals.
• The College recommends that travelers use economy or compact models when rental cars are necessary.
• For domestic travel, do not accept the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Personal Accident insurance (PAI), since the College provides adequate insurance, except for the coverage that is already included through Enterprise and National when using the College’s E&I account number. Please be sure to use the College account number when making your reservation with Enterprise or National to ensure that any damages will be paid by Enterprise or National under the College’s contract. Lastly, Visa provides limited coverage if the rental is done on the College Visa purchase card. The College will NOT reimburse additional insurance coverage. Contact the Office of the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (x3016) to obtain a proof of insurance card prior to travel.
• When renting a vehicle for international travel, insurance coverage MUST ALWAYS BE PURCHASED from the rental company to comply with individual country’s legal requirements.
• Attach a copy of the rental agreement as well as the receipt to your purchase card statement or travel expense report.
• Before leaving the rental lot, the traveler should inspect the vehicle for pre-existing damage to avoid unwarranted additional charges when the vehicle is returned.
• Return the rental car to the agency (same location) with a full tank of gas to avoid additional charges.
• The Office of the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (x3016) must be contacted immediately upon return should an accident occur while driving a rental car. 

Use of Personal Vehicle for College Business
The College strongly discourages employees and students from using personal vehicles for College business (including transporting students) because employees and students assume liability in their own personal vehicle. Employees and students using their own cars for college business are obligated for damage to their car and liability for injury/damage sustained by third parties. The College’s insurance is secondary to the vehicle owner’s insurance.

• The College is not responsible for any physical damage to an employee’s or student’s vehicle.
• The driver/vehicle’s personal auto insurance provides primary insurance with minimum liability coverage of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per incident.
• Employees/students should have their own collision and comprehensive physical damage coverage.
• The employee/student bears the expense of any personal auto policy deductibles.
• A College accident report must be filed if there are personal injuries to anyone involved in an accident or if non-College property is damaged, other than the driver’s vehicle.
• The College does not reimburse employees or students for insurance or auto club memberships.
• Accident deductibles, tickets, violations, etc. incurred by faculty, staff or students while using a personal vehicle for College business are the responsibility of the driver.

Mileage Calculations:  The College reimburses mileage at the IRS approved rate, becoming effective January 1, subject to the approval of the College’s Chief Financial Officer. Receipts for actual fuel charges will not be accepted unless the expense was for a College vehicle or if it is documented that the amount for fuel would be less than the mileage calculation reimbursement. Direct trips between the employee’s residence and the College at any time are considered commuting miles and are not reimbursable. Mileage reimbursement is meant to cover only those miles incurred above and beyond the employee’s normal commute to the College. For example, if the normal commuting round trip is 40 miles, and the employee goes on a business trip leaving directly from home that covers 75 miles, then only the incremental 35 miles are reimbursable. Mileage Reimbursement For Commuters Form

Use of a Rented or Leased Vehicle for Personal Business
Enterprise and National offer a discount for personal rentals. For all personal use or leisure rentals you may use discount code XZ78990. The discount code for personal use does not include the insurance coverage that is included on the College business account.