Procedures for Using a MnDOT Vehicle and Taking a MnDOT Vehicle Home

For Policy on Taking a MnDOT Vehicle Home #WF027

Effective Date: December 3, 2021 (implemented January 19, 2022)

Introduction

This document is the technical companion to the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Policy on Taking a MnDOT Vehicle Home. This document provides the procedures and criteria for using a MnDOT vehicle for State business and for taking a MnDOT vehicle home. Authorization to take a MnDOT vehicle home must be pre-approved in writing as specified below.

The personal use of MnDOT vehicles is prohibited except where specifically allowed by Minnesota Statutes §16B.55. The personal use value is reportable as wages on the employee’s W-2 form. The State is required to withhold taxes on the value of such use. Employees are responsible to report personal use of a MnDOT vehicle on their timesheets. MnDOT payroll staff will then enter the value of the personal use in the payroll system. For additional information about the personal use of MnDOT vehicles, see the MnDOT Business Manual.

MnDOT vehicles are the best choice, in most cases, for official in-state travel. For out-of-state travel, rental cars are the preferred option. For additional information on choosing a vehicle, see the State Agency Guide for Determining Appropriate Vehicle Travel Options and consult with a Division Business Manager.

Definitions

Assigned Vehicle

A MnDOT vehicle that is assigned to an individual or group of individuals due to the extensive use of the vehicle by that individual(s). This type of vehicle is not taken home on a regular basis and is normally parked at a MnDOT facility/site overnight.

MnDOT Vehicle

Any vehicle owned, rented, leased by, or loaned to MnDOT.

Motor Pool Vehicle

A MnDOT vehicle that is typically kept at a MnDOT facility and is available to any employee for authorized state business on a day or overnight work trip within the State. This type of vehicle is not taken home on a regular basis.

Take-Home Vehicle

A MnDOT vehicle assigned to a specific individual based on criteria identified in the Procedures for Using a MnDOT Vehicle and Taking a MnDOT Vehicle Home. This type of vehicle is normally taken home every night.

Assigned Vehicle Use

Eligibility Criteria for Use

From a fleet management perspective, vehicle assignments to individual employees should be minimized because:

individual assignment decreases the opportunity for maximizing utilization of individual vehicles;
individual assignment increases pressure to grow the fleet size to accommodate all employee needs for transportation;
fleet size is the number one contributor to overall fleet cost to the department; and
pooling, or open sharing, of the equipment resource assures higher average utilization.

Vehicles may be assigned to an individual employee under the following conditions:

A vehicle is equipped with specialized equipment that is required by an employee to carry out their primary work responsibilities (e.g. Field Mechanic, Construction Project Engineer, etc.)
The Assigned Vehicle will meet a minimum daily business usage need of 150 days per year. For seasonal or temporary assignments, this minimum shall be prorated accordingly. (For example, the vehicle assignment criteria for a particular 6-month construction project would be 75 days.)

This type of vehicle is not frequently taken home.

Approval Process for Use

Managers and supervisors may approve requests for Assigned Vehicles when:

a vehicle is equipped with specialized equipment that is required for an employee to carry out their primary work responsibilities (i.e. field mechanic); or
the Assigned Vehicle will meet a minimum daily business usage need of 150 days per year (as measured by RCA equipment usage reporting). For seasonal or temporary assignments, this minimum should be prorated accordingly (for example: the vehicle assignment criteria for a particular construction project of 6 months duration would be 75 days).

Motor Pool Vehicle Use

Eligibility Criteria for Use

Motor Pool Vehicles may be used by employees for short-term, authorized State business.
Employees must have a valid driver’s license to be eligible to use a motor pool vehicle.
Employees must have an Assigned Driver ID to be able to fuel a vehicle. If the employee does not have an Assigned Driver ID, the employee may obtain one in accordance with the Fuel Card Processes and Procedures.

Approval Process for Vehicle Use

Each office or district must create, maintain, and communicate a process for Motor Pool Vehicle use that includes the procedures for:

Notifying employee’s manager or supervisor of Motor Pool Vehicle use. This procedure may be automated (i.e. email notification by reservation system).
Reserving a vehicle.
Obtaining keys and picking up the vehicle, including before and after hours pick up.
Returning the vehicle and keys, including expectations for the amount of fuel that must be in the tank and before and after hours drop off.
Recording mileage.
Adding mileage to timesheet.
Fueling a MnDOT vehicle (may reference the Fuel Card Processes and Procedures).
Submitting fuel receipts.

Taking Home Assigned or Motor Pool Vehicles

Eligibility Criteria to Take an Assigned or Motor Pool Vehicle Home

Efficiency and Cost Savings (see MN Statutes §16B.55)

If an employee has been authorized to use an Assigned or Motor Pool Vehicle for State business away from the work station to which the employee is permanently assigned and the number of miles traveled or the time needed to conduct business will be minimized if the employee uses the State vehicle to travel to the employee’s residence before or after traveling to the place of State business, an employee may be eligible to take a vehicle home.

For example, if an employee who lives in a northern suburb of the Twin Cities but works in the Central Office in St. Paul has an early morning meeting at a northern location (e.g. St. Cloud) that employee may be authorized to take home a vehicle the previous day. Such authorization shall be allowed only if taking the vehicle home the night before would not add appreciable miles to the State work trip and would save the employee's productive time by not having to drive to the Central Office to pick up the MnDOT vehicle.

Please note that the eligibility to take a vehicle home is prescribed by Minn. Stat. §16B.55 and is limited to only those situations.

Approval Process to Take an Assigned or Motor Pool Vehicle Home

Employee must complete the Authorization to Take a MnDOT Vehicle Home Form and submit it to their manager or supervisor for approval.
Manager or supervisor reviews and approves request for employee who meets the eligibility requirements to take a Motor Pool or Assigned Vehicle home.
Employee must follow the Office or District procedures to reserve, pick up, and return the Motor Pool or Assigned Vehicle.
Office or District must retain the Authorization to Take a MnDOT Vehicle Home Form for one year after the vehicle is returned in accordance with the Records Retention Schedule (see MnDOT equipment/property records line).

Take-Home Vehicles

Eligibility Criteria

Individual employees may be authorized for a Take-Home Vehicle under the following conditions (see MN Statutes §16B.55):

Work-Related Emergency

If it may be necessary for an employee to respond to a work-related emergency during hours when the employee is not normally working, the employee may take home a MnDOT vehicle. If the emergency responsibility is part of the position description, then a Take-Home Vehicle may be assigned on an extended basis.

Work-related emergencies are incidents that have the potential to impact the safety of the motoring public. They carry a high risk of injury, damage to vehicles and property, or severe congestion causing millions of dollars of delay and potential secondary incidents. Examples of emergencies include:

Assisting the State Patrol
Roadway shutdowns
Serious incidents/fatalities on the freeway system
Spills/hazardous materials leaks
Pavement blowups
Snow and ice storms/tornadoes
Flooding on the roadway
Emergency signing
Bridge hits (with or without structural damage)
Guardrail and crash attenuator hits
Fires along or on the roadway
Incidents in work zones (Maintenance responds most quickly)
Building/facility alarms and security
Check security of critical structures (code orange)

Temporary Work Location

If an employee is temporarily assigned to report to a work location other than a normal permanent location, the employee may be eligible for a Take-Home Vehicle. Use of the Take-Home Vehicle must not exceed the duration of the temporary assignment (e.g. the duration of a construction project or mobility assignment).

Ride-Share

The ride-share program is handled by Metro Transit. See their website for additional information.

Approval Process

Office Directors and District Engineers may approve requests for Take-Home Vehicles when the employee meets the eligibility criteria listed above.

Employee must complete the Take-Home Vehicle Authorization Form and submit it to their manager or supervisor for review.
Manager or supervisor reviews and recommends approval of requests for Take-Home Vehicles to the Office Director or District Engineer. If the employee lives out of State, consult with the appropriate Division Business Manager prior to recommending approval.
Office Director or District Engineer approves or denies requests for Take-Home Vehicles. If approved, a copy of the approval form must be forwarded to the Office of Maintenance – Fleet Manager.
Non-District Fleet Manager (from the Office of Maintenance, Fleet Section) or District Fleet Manager will enter information into M5. The form must be retained by the owning vehicle office/district for one year after the vehicle is returned in accordance with the Records Retention Schedule (see MnDOT equipment/property records line).
Employee must follow the Office or District procedures to reserve, pick up, and return the Take-Home Vehicle.