1. Who can use a Motor Pool vehicle?
   An employee of the state can use a Motor Pool vehicle. The driver must have a valid driver's license and completed Motor Pool trip ticket with an authorized signature.
2. What happens if I forget my license or it is expired?
   We will not be able to issue you a vehicle until we see your valid driver's license.
3. Where can I park my personal vehicle when I come to the Motor Pool to pick up a vehicle for work?
   Parking is available on the East end of the Motor Pool building. We do not permit any personal vehicles to go beside or behind the Motor Pool building. This is as much for our safety as it is yours. If we permitted vehicles to drive past the building, we may see an accident if a customer were to exit the building the same time a vehicle was driving past it. Please be cautious and aware of the parking area signs.
4. If I drive a Transportation vehicle rented from the Equipment Bureau, can I park the vehicle at the Motor Pool?
   Unfortunately, Motor Pool is limited on space for its customers; therefore, it has to limit its parking area for Motor Pool customers only. Transportation vehicles are not permitted to park at Motor Pool.
5. What do I do if I have an accident with a Motor Pool vehicle during work hours?
   You must contact the Highway Patrol right away. You must then contact the Motor Pool immediately after at 406-444-2705.
6. What do I do if I have an accident after business hours with a Motor Pool vehicle?
   You still need to contact the Highway Patrol first. There are emergency numbers listed in your booklet that you receive at the time you check out the vehicle. You may call any of the listed numbers. Also, in your glove compartment there will be a Risk Management & Tort Defense Division "In case of Accident" pamphlet. Please review the instructions and follow each step listed. This pamphlet will guide you on what to do. If you are unable to contact a Motor Pool staff person after hours, please contact them the next day.
7. Can I return my car after you close at 5 p.m. or on weekends?
   Yes, you can. The gate entrance is unlocked until 8 p.m. during the week. The gate is closed on the weekends, but you always have access to the lot by using the key that is given to you at the time you check out your vehicle. All you need to do is to unlock the padlock on the control box outside the gate. Push the open button and the gate will open up by itself. It will close after one minute and then when you get ready to leave and pull up to the gate and there is a push button on the left side of the fence to push. The gate will open up, drive out and it will close automatically after one minute. If the push button isn't working, there is a set of buttons on the gate motor inside the fence to push the open button to get out.
8. Can I take a family member in the state vehicle?
   The answer is no. Because we are self-insured, we cannot accept liability for a non-state employee being in our state vehicle. However, there are certain circumstances when approval can be granted for non-state employees to be able to accompany a state employee in the vehicle. Please contact Risk Management and Tort Defense for the details.
9. Can I stop by the grocery store with the state car on my way home?
   The answer is no. You may not use the state vehicle for personal reasons. Only if you are in a travel status can you use the state vehicle for reasonable recreation or to go to a restaurant.
10. What can I purchase with the Wright Express (WEX) fuel credit card?
    You can purchase the following:
    
    1. Gas
    2. Oil
    3. Washer fluid
    4. Tire repair (fix a flat)
    5. Tires (upon approval from Motor Pool)
    6. Car washes
    7. Oil changes
    8. Emergency items (ie.: wipers, window scrapers)
11. How do I get reimbursed for fuel that I had to purchase with my own money?
    For MDT employees to get reimbursed for your purchase, you need to code the amount you paid as an expense on your timesheet and attach the receipt. A copy of the receipt and circumstances needs to be forwarded to Walt Kerttula in the MDT Equipment Bureau.
    
    For State Agency employees to get reimbursed for your purchase, you need to code the amount you paid as an expense on your timesheet and attach the receipt. A copy of the receipt and circumstances needs to be forwarded to Mike Solem at the MDT Motor Pool.
12. What happens if I don't turn the vehicle back in to the Motor Pool according to my reservation?
    You need to notify the Motor Pool immediately letting them know the vehicle will not be turned back. This will allow time for the Motor Pool to make adjustments if they had the vehicle reserved for another customer. You will be charged for every day you have the vehicle in your possession.
13. If I pick up the vehicle on Friday but don't use it till Monday, how will I be charged?
    You will be charged from the time you pick up the vehicle. If you pick up the vehicle on Friday, you will be charged 8 hours assigned time for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday... until you return it.
14. Can I specify what brand/model of vehicle I want to use?
    The answer is no. The Motor Pool needs to have the flexibility of assigning the vehicles as they become available. All vehicles are comparable as they are all bid with a standard set of specifications.
15. How come all the cars are not equipped the same?
    As we replace units in the fleet, you will see that the new model vehicles will have different options. As we work towards enhancing the fleet to better serve the users, we still have to maintain our older fleet until it is ready for replacement. All vehicles in the fleet are on a life cycle costing and cannot be replaced until they meet this criterion.
    
    Until the old fleet is completely replaced, you will still see vehicles in the fleet with fewer options than the newer vehicles. Also remember that each year different options become standard with different manufacturers. This will make a difference in how the vehicles are outfitted with their accessories. All vehicles are bid competitively and awarded on low bid only.
16. If I am driving a state vehicle that is not a Motor Pool unit, can I come to the Motor Pool to fuel up anyway?
    The answer is no. The Motor Pool fueling site is not set up to bill other entities. The Motor Pool fueling site is for Motor Pool Units ONLY.
17. Why do I have to print a copy of the reservation and take it to Motor Pool, can’t the reservation be paperless?
    Motor Pool requires you to print out the confirmation and have it signed by an authorized signature for approval before the vehicle is allowed to leave the lot.
18. Why is there a delay for a confirmation to be sent after reservations are made?
    Motor Pool processes reservation in the order they are received. Your reservation may be behind others in the order received and may take a short time to be confirmed. Motor Pool strives to return a confirmation with 30 minutes, however there may be delays if the dispatcher is busy processing previous reservations and dispatching vehicles.
19. When I make a reservation for my Manager, I receive the confirmation and my Manager does not?
    The person who makes the reservation will receive the confirmation. Future enhancement will allow us to enter multiple email addresses.
20. What should I do if I don’t know my R/C (Responsibility Code) or Account?
    Consult with your Manager or financial contact for this information.
21. Why can’t I make changes to my reservation online?
    Once the reservation is submitted and a car is assigned, Motor Pool doesn’t have the capability to allow changes to be made through the online reservation system. Changes must be handled manually and you should contact Motor Pool at 406-444-2705 for changes.
22. Why can't the computer calculate the rates based on my reservation?
    The fleet management system generates the reservation based on the initial information provided such as miles, dates & times. All this information can change frequently and the system isn’t configured to revise the rate calculation.
23. What if I'm having difficulty logging into the MINE Site?
    This could be an access or password issue that your IT staff can assist you with. You can also receive MINE assistance from the Department of Administration by calling 406-444-2000.