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Introduction to Travel

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The Travel Authorization must include a valid, approved business purpose and a daily itinerary attached, which specifically identifies personal days from business days.

The Travel Authorization must be completed and approved PRIOR to by the Department within Viking Travel before booking any travel arrangements made on behalf of PSU.  If traveling on a grant, the PI and DRA approval also must be submitted within Viking Travel.

Travel on Grants

Travel Authorizations with sponsored project funding will be routed to RSP/DRA for approval to confirm funding is available and allowed. The DRA/RSP must approve the Travel Authorization for all travel proposed on their sponsored project.

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• ATM cash advance transaction fee, up to 2% as charged by US Bank for the Corporate VISA Card.
• Business-related telephone, internet and facsimile charges.
• Postage or express charges.
• One long-distance call to a family member on the first day of travel and alternating days thereafter. Cost and time limits: $8.00 or 15 minutes per personal call. Cost must be shown on the traveler’s hotel bill.
• The cost of buying traveler's checks.
• An emergency purchase of materials and supplies.
• Visa and passport expenses.
• Bridge and toll fares
• Miscellaneous transportation costs such as bridge and turnpike tolls, ferry fares, and parking charges. At Portland airport, traveler will only be reimbursed at the economy parking rate of $12$15/per day.

Expenses Not Reimbursed - Expenses for these items are not reimbursed unless specifically justified and approved by department and CAS. These include:

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• Private vehicle mileage allowance at 5765.5 cents per mile. Common carrier fares i.e.: airfare, train
• Necessary fees for taxis, airport shuttles, and rental vehicles.
• Parking and garage fees
• Bridge tolls and other similar charges

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• Passengers in Private Vehicles - Employees driving vehicles must complete a certification the PSU Driver Authorization form. Drivers must receive certification before passengers may be carried. Reimbursement is for the use of the vehicle regardless of the number of passengers carried. The master file for PSU driver’s registration is maintained at the Travel Desk (travel@pdx.edu).
• Highway and Local Mileage Reimbursement - Mileage using standard mileage guides or the most direct route is used for reimbursement. Substantial deviations from standard distances or usual routes and actual odometer reading should be explained. Travel by indirect routes will be reimbursed using the common or direct route. When a trip starts at the employee's residence, use the shorter of the residence-to-destination or office
  location-to-destination distances. Local travel for official purposes while at overnight destination is allowable, including travel between lodging and restaurants for a traveler's sustenance and health comfort. Travel for personal purposes or entertainment is not reimbursable.
• Private Auto Mileage (personal vehicle only) – must include address of destination for determination of miles traveled. Miles being claimed that do not match the OUS mileage chart will need either a printout of Mapquest or Google maps mileage or a Supplemental mileage log sheet completed. Effective Jan 1, 20202023, mileage rate is 5765.5 6 cents per mile.
• Insurance on Private Vehicles - Employees or others authorized to use their private vehicle on official business must maintain a current valid automobile insurance policy covering the vehicle driven and driver. This insurance with limits conforming to Oregon law is considered primary. The driver's insurance pays first if there's an accident that causes damage or injury to a third party. Under state insurance rules, the state will cover liability claims above the limits of the driver's policy to the limits of state coverage in ORS 30.260-30.300. The state does not provide coverage for physical (collision) damage to the private vehicle nor for uninsured motorist and personal injury protection. Drivers of private vehicles used for official business should verify their automobile insurance coverage with their insurance carrier or agent.

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• Private Use Prohibited - Using a state-owned vehicle for personal or private use or allowing another person to do so is against state law (ORS 283.385) and punishable upon conviction by fine (ORS 283.990). State vehicles may be driven only by university employees, students, or volunteers with a good driving record and with a valid driver's license who have completed the PSU Driver Authorization Form. Employee spouses and other persons whose travel is directly related to the required business travel may be carried as passengers, not as drivers. No other family members are permitted in the vehicle. No children are permitted except as wards of the state. No hitchhikers or pets are allowed in the vehicle.
• Overnight Parking at Employee's Residence - A state vehicle may be kept overnight at a driver's residence when doing so is approved in advance by the driver's department head. Remember: the public is always curious about who's using a state vehicle and why it is being used.
• Driver Safety - Drivers of state vehicles must obey all road and traffic laws and stay with in the posted speed limits. Vehicles are to be driven in a manner conducive to safety, economy, and good public relations. Members of the general public are prone to report speeding and unsafe state vehicles. These reports can form the basis of reprimand or discipline against an errant driver. Please refer to the Driver Authorization page for details.

Rented Vehicles

Rental costs of vehicles (cars, trucks, boats or aircraft) may be reimbursed or direct billed. Rental should be considered only when regular means of transportation are unavailable or inappropriate for the particular use intended. Rental cars may be used in conjunction with travel by common carrier when use is reasonable and authorized in advance. Example: Flying to a city and renting a car to visit recruits and their families would be allowable. Renting a vehicle when staying at a conference site hotel is not permitted as these hotels often offer free or nominal charge for transportation to and from the conference.

• Size of Vehicles - Rental cars should be economy or compact size. Larger vehicles are justified for groups of three or more. In accordance with PSU's Safe Driving GuidelinesProgram, the rental of 15-passenger vans is prohibited. The If there is a need for a larger vehicle that does not fall under this exception must be justified and approved in advance, all drivers must complete a separate Driver Authorization Form  for High Occupancy Vehicles, as well as a separate driver safety training for High Occupancy Vehicles.. The cost of upgrades to large or luxury vehicles or to accommodate family members is a personal expense, not reimbursable from PSU funds. Athletics, because of the size of personnel and recruits, is allowed to rent mid-size cars as their nominal vehicle.
• PSU Contracted Rental Car Companies - Rental rates vary between rental car companies and by city. Call several to obtain the best rates for the particular destination. PSU has a contract with Enterprise Rent-A-Car /National Car Rental, ZipCar and Hertz, which is centrally billed through PSU using your index number. These contracts covers CDW coverage; therefore, when renting through Enterprise or Hertz, do not buy extra insurance. In accordance with PSU's Safe Driving GuidelinesProgram, the rental of 15-passenger vans is prohibitedand use of High Occupancy Vehicles is limited to 12 passengers. All drivers must complete the High Occupancy Vehicle training and authorized driver form before a rental. The University prohibits staff from transporting more than 12 passengers in a single vehicle. Please provide the corporate account number, index number(authorization code for Hertz) and contact information when making reservations if rental is approved and with a valid business purpose. If the traveler uses his or her their Corporate VISA Card for payment of the rental contract, liability or collision damage will be covered through VISA. Only employees, who have been authorized to rent vehicles, are allowed to drive; family members are not permitted due to liability reasons. For detailed instructions to book through rental agencies, go to Direct Billing Instructions.
• Insurance on Non-Contracted Rental Car Companies - If rented for official business and renting a vehicle that is not one of PSU’s contracted companies mentioned above, you are encouraged to purchase the Limited Damage Waiver (LDW) or Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). If the LDW or CDW is available and not purchased by the agency at the time of rental, the department’s current deductible amount will be doubled in the event of a loss. 
  
  When renting from a non-contracted company, travelers should rent vehicles using their US Bank Corporate VISA cards because the CDW is primary when renting with this card. The traveler whose rental car is involved in an accident must report the accident (this is potential liability to the state) to the Risk Management Office, 5- 5340, immediately; and if you are using your US Bank Corporate Visa Card, the accident report must be filed with US Bank within 20 days.
   
• Fuel - The cost of fuel for rental vehicles is reimbursed at the actual cost. Original itemized receipt of fuel cost is required, in addition to proof of car rental. No additional personal items purchased at fuel station will be reimbursed.

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Travel Advance Processing – Travel advances are to MUST be requested approved at least 2 weeks prior to the trip and done as a part of the Travel Authorization request. In most cases, only one advance can be outstanding at a time. A new advance request cannot be submitted until the outstanding advance has been cleared. Travel advance requests will be paid to employees no longer than 2 weeks prior to the trip. Faculty/Staff and Non-Employee advances can be paid up to 100% of trip costs. If the trip is funded by Athletics, the Athletics Compliance Officer will need to approve the request prior to it routing to Campus Accounting Services. If the trip is grant funded, the DRA/RSP will need to approve the request prior to it routing to CAS.

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