41 C.F.R. Subpart B—Policies and Procedures Relating to Transportation
Title 41 - Public Contracts and Property Management
You must: (a) Limit authorization and payment of transportation expenses to those expenses that result in the greatest advantage to the Government; (b) Ensure that travel is by the most expeditious means practicable. In selecting a particular method of transportation you must consider: (a) The total cost to the Government, including per diem, overtime, lost worktime, actual transportation cost, total distance of travel, number of points visited, the number of travelers and energy conservation. As stated in 5 U.S.C. 5733, “travel of an employee shall be by the most expeditious means of transportation practicable and shall be commensurate with the nature and purpose of the duties of the employee requiring such travel.” (b) Travel by common carrier (air, rail, bus) is considered the most advantageous method to perform official travel. Other methods of transportation may be authorized as advantageous only when the use of common carrier transportation would interfere with the performance of official business or impose an undue hardship upon the traveler, or when the total cost by common carrier exceeds the cost by another method of transportation. A determination that another method of transportation is more advantageous to the Government than common carrier will not be made on the basis of personal preference or inconvenience to the traveler. You must establish policies and procedures governing: (a) Who will determine what method of transportation is more advantageous to the Government; (b) Who will approve any of the following: (1) Use of business-class service for airlines under §301–10.124 and first-class service for air, rail, and ship under §§301–10.123, 301–10.162, and 301–10.183 of this chapter; (2) Use of a special-reduced fare or reduced group or charter fare; (3) Use of an extra-fare train service under §301–10.164; (4) Use of ship service; (5) Use of a foreign ship; (6) Use of a foreign air carrier; (c) When you will: (1) Require the use of a Government vehicle; (2) Allow the use of a Government vehicle; and (3) Prohibit the use of a Government vehicle; (d) When you will consider use of a POV advantageous to the Government, such as travel to/from common carrier terminals, or transportation to a TDY location; (e) Procedures for claiming POV reimbursement; (f) When you will allow use of a special conveyance (e.g. commercially rented vehicles); (g) What procedures an employee must follow when he/she travels by an indirect route or interrupts travel by a direct route; and (h) For local transportation whether to reimburse the full amount of transportation costs or only the amount by which transportation costs exceed the employee's normal costs for transportation between: (1) Office or duty point and another place of business; (2) Places of business; or (3) Residence and place of business other than office or duty point. [FTR Amdt. 70, 63 FR 15971, Apr. 1, 1998, as amended by FTR Amdt. 2005–03, 70 FR 28460, May 18, 2005] Travel by ship is not generally regarded as advantageous. You must determine that the advantages accruing from the use of ocean transportation offset the higher costs associated with ship travel, i.e., per diem, transportation, and lost worktime. You should consider: (a) The advantages of using a Government automobile. Such advantages may include, but are not limited to: (1) Full utilization or availability of fleet vehicles; (2) Lower cost; (3) Official presence. (b) The type of travel the employee performs. You should require such a commitment when an employee or group of employees requires the use of an automobile for official travel on a frequent or repetitive basis. No, but if the employee elects to use a POV instead of an alternative form of transportation you authorize, you must: (a) Limit reimbursement to the constructive cost of the authorized method of transportation, which is the sum of per diem and transportation expenses the employee would reasonably have incurred when traveling by the authorized method of transportation; and (b) Charge leave for any duty hours that are missed as a result of travel by POV.
Title 41: Public Contracts and Property Management
PART 301–70—INTERNAL POLICY AND PROCEDURE REQUIREMENTS
Subpart B—Policies and Procedures Relating to Transportation
§ 301-70.100 How must we administer the authorization and payment of transportation expenses?
§ 301-70.101 What factors must we consider in determining which method of transportation results in the greatest advantage to the Government?
§ 301-70.102 What governing policies must we establish for authorization and payment of transportation expenses?
§ 301-70.103 In what circumstance may we authorize use of ship service?
§ 301-70.104 What factors should we consider in determining whether to require an employee to commit to the use of a Government automobile?
§ 301-70.105 May we prohibit an employee from using a POV on official travel?
