The university has a managed travel program. Travel policy is established to ensure prudent use of university resources while ensuring the safety of travelers and minimizing the administrative burden on travelers and support staff.
Applies to faculty, staff, students, and non-employees traveling on or arranging university-sponsored travel.
The university will pay or reimburse for business use of a vehicle. Employees must be authorized drivers prior to using a vehicle on university business. Vehicle options include using a personal vehicle, renting a vehicle, or utilizing the university’s fleet of vehicles. Travelers are expected to utilize the most cost-effective option when traveling by vehicle.
University employees who operate a vehicle on UW business—whether utilizing a personal vehicle, fleet vehicle, or rental vehicle—must be authorized to drive by UW–Madison Risk Management. Non-authorized drivers will not be reimbursed for vehicle-related expenses. Non-employees are not required to be authorized drivers unless they are:
Personal vehicle mileage is reimbursable at the federal mileage rate:
| Type of Vehicle | Standard Rate (as of 1/1/23) | Standard Rate (as of 01/01/24) |
|---|---|---|
| Automobile | $0.655 | $0.670 |
| Motorcycle | $0.635 | $0.650 |
Mileage reimbursements must be documented by a MapQuest or Google Maps printout or screenshot. A 10% tolerance may be used to account for detours, incidental miles, etc. An explanation must be provided for mileage claims that exceed the direct route by more than 10%. Mileage reimbursement requests for roundtrips of 1,000 miles or greater must be supported by an airfare cost comparison obtained during the trip-planning process. All associated costs must be considered (e.g., additional nights’ lodging, per diem allowance) when determining the final reimbursement amount.
Commute mileage is non-reimbursable. Mileage reimbursements which depart from or return to a traveler’s home may be reduced accordingly. For purposes of this policy, the assigned work location of an employee who telecommutes from home shall be considered the UW–Madison campus on all days when that employee engages in any work activity on the UW–Madison campus.
Business-related mileage is fully reimbursable when traveling from and returning to the assigned headquarters location.
Reimbursement for business-related mileage which starts or ends at the traveler’s home cannot exceed what the mileage reimbursement would have been had the traveler started or ended at their assigned headquarters location. Travelers are reimbursed the lesser of:
Business-related mileage which occurs on a day when the traveler would not have otherwise been expected to be at their assigned headquarters location (e.g. weekends, legal holidays) is fully reimbursable. No reduction is made if the traveler departs from/returns to their home.
Travelers must use either the Big Ten Alliance contract with Enterprise and National Car rental or State of Wisconsin contract with Hertz when renting a vehicle for business use. If these vendors are not available, a non-contract vendor may be used.
Vehicle rentals are limited to mid-size SUV vehicle classes and below unless a documented business need requires a larger class vehicle.
Contract rentals through Enterprise, National, or Hertz may be booked through Concur or directly with the University’s contracted travel agency. If Enterprise, National, or Hertz do not serve a particular location and another vendor must be used, travelers are encouraged—but not required—to use the same methods to reserve a vehicle.
Refer to the UW System personal use contracts page to view available personal use discounts and booking links. Note: insurance is not included, and travelers must pay additional costs for any insurances elected.
The cost of gasoline for a rental vehicle is payable/reimbursable. Travelers are responsible for refueling the rental vehicle prior to returning it. The cost of vendor refueling of rental vehicles or prepay fuel packages will not be paid or reimbursed. Receipts are required for all gasoline reimbursements.
Other equipment and services (e.g., GPS, satellite radio, roadside assistance protection) are not contracted for and will not be paid or reimbursed by the University.
The university’s vehicle rental contracts include collision (CDW) and liability (LDW) insurance coverage for U.S. originating rentals. Other or extra types of insurances are not payable/reimbursable and must be declined.
The Big Ten agreement offers rates and some insurance coverage for international rentals, but travelers are advised that rates and coverages vary by rental location. All insurances made available by the merchant are payable/reimbursable on international vehicle rentals.
Vehicle rental CDW and LDW insurances must be purchased when renting from non-contract suppliers.
Travelers and those that arrange travel for others must review the rental vehicle contracts for rates, surcharges and included coverages prior to renting a vehicle. Employees must verify that the Big Ten or WSCA (State of Wisconsin) contract ID number is referenced on the rental agreement to assure contract coverage appropriate terms, and rates. Drivers who reserve and pay for a non-contract rental vehicle with the university Corporate Travel Card have insurance benefits that will cover this insurance requirement. Refer to your benefits guide that came with your card.
The university has a fleet of vehicles that can be reserved for business use. See Transportation Services’ website for more information.
Regardless of the vehicle option chosen, travelers must report any accidents to:
Failure to comply with UW–Madison travel policy or procedures may result in disciplinary steps, up to and including dismissal.
07-01-2020, 03-03-2022; 07-01-2022, 08-31-2022, 06-27-2023, 10-04-2023, 07-05-2024, 10-01-2024
07/01/2020
