Office of the Staff Judge Advocate Site

What You Need To Know About Renting A Vehicle While On Temporary Duty

Government travelers on temporary duty (TDY) are often authorized rental vehicles to perform their official travel. To limit personal and governmental liability, government travelers should only rent a vehicle from a rental company that has signed a U.S. Government Car Rental Agreement with the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) and are covered under the U.S. Government Rental Car Program.

The rental companies that have signed this agreement have contracted to bare the entire risk of damage or loss to a rental vehicle used for official business by government travelers so long as the damage occurred while the employee was acting within the scope of his or her employment, although a few exceptions apply.

To ensure you are covered by this agreement, make sure that you are booking a government rate and confirm the Government Administrative Rate Supplement (GARS) appears in the rental contract. This will automatically be done if booked through the Defense Travel Management System (DTS), Commercial Travel Office, Travel Management Center, or through the E-Gov Travel Service. For more information on rental vehicle assistance, please visit: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/rental.cfm.

If you did not book the rental under the U.S. Government Rental Car Program, you may still be eligible for coverage if you used your Government Travel Charge Card to book the vehicle. To determine if the Visa Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver Program applies call 1-800-VISA-911.

Note: The coverage is excluded if the traveler misuses the vehicle (e.g., racing, driving while intoxicated) or if the individual operates the vehicle in locations not covered (e.g., off paved roads or across international boundaries).

STEPS TO TAKE IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE TO A TDY RENTAL:

Step 1: Call the local police and obtain an accident report. If not available, make sure to record all the information you receive from the parties involved in the accident/incident.

Step 2: Notify the rental company and complete an accident report. Also, make sure to request a replacement vehicle and seek instructions for the disposition of the disabled vehicle. Keep a record of who assists you at the rental company and make note of the advice that they give.

Step 3: Report the incident to your supervisor to establish that the use of the rental vehicle was within the scope of duties/employment. When completing an SF-91, the supervisor must sign at the appropriate location and write whether or not the driver was operating within the scope of his/her employment.

Step 4: Visit www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/rentalCar.cfm and utilize the Rental Vehicle Assistance Tool.

Step 5: If you failed to rent the vehicle under the U.S. Government Rental Car Program, but did rent the vehicle with your Government Travel Charge Card, call 1-800-VISA-911 to make a report to the Visa Benefits Department. You must make this report within 45 days from the date of the incident to maintain coverage.

For further information on this subject or for any questions regarding claims contact the Fort Benning Claims Office at 706-545-3711