When you are needing to reserve a vehicle, check for department vehicles first. If you find the vehicle open, just email you would like to reserve the vehicle, provide the date and if applicable, the driver’s name. If you need to make a reservation with the motor pool, complete the vehicle request form, which is found on the intranet and email as an attachment to Peggy, Cara and me. Please give as much notice as possible so that we can assist you in getting the needed vehicle. Keep in mind there is no one in accounting to make reservations after 4 pm. Send your requests early in the day.
If you send a request, please watch your email. If there is a problem, or if we need information corrected, or the information is missing, you will need to respond before we can move forward with your request.
Make sure you send your request to Peggy, Cara and me, so you have better odds of getting a request responded to quickly. Do not send them to the idbaccountspayable@blind.state.ia.us email, as we are not in that the entire day like we are in our personal accounts.
Make sure your dates are correct. We can’t accept a form that shows the return date is prior to the date you want to pick it up.
Make sure you indicate if you are calling on Pre-Ets or VR clients or a combination.
If you use a driver, please include the driver’s first and last name. As our list grows, we may have more than 1 John or Fred, etc.
Vehicles from the motor pool can be picked up as early as 6:30 am on Monday only. The rest of the week 7:00 am is the earliest pick up time.
If your trip is cancelled, notify accounting right away. If we do not cancel a motor pool reservation, there is a $50 penalty fee. If you find you can’t be back by the time you indicated, that too is a $50 penalty. You can call DAS Fleet direct and let them know if you will be late at 515-281-5123. They may or may not be able to extend your return time, depending on whether or not someone else has that vehicle reserved. Clean up the vehicle when you are done, if not it is subject to a penalty/cleaning fee of up to $145.00.
If you need a tow truck after hours, you can contact Perry’s at 515-243-9273 or Hanifen’s at 515-243-3205.
In addition to fuel, the WEX cards may also be used for car washes, wiper fluid, scrapers, wiper blades, etc. It CANNOT be used for repairs.
Recommended vehicle size:
1-3 people – Compact sedan
3-5 people – mid-size sedan
4-5 people – full-size sedan
5-7 people – minivan
Remember vehicles are to be refueled before turning them back in. This includes our department vehicles as well.
The state uses SEMA (State Employees Roadside Mobile Assistance). It is a convenient resource you can check either by desktop or mobile device at https://das-serma.iowa.gov
It provides guidance for various things like accidents, tire replacement/repair, E85 fuel stations, etc.
If road conditions are too bad, DAS will not let vehicles be picked up. This does not happen often, but be advised, it can and does happen.