Privately Owned Vehicles (POV)
The most economical means of transportation should be used when traveling on university business. This will be determined by the staff member and the department head based upon the total cost of the travel, efficient use of staff time and convenience to the employee.
Travel expense reimbursement is limited to the lesser of expenses incurred from the departure point or from the "official station". The official station is defined as the location of the permanent office including the entire city or general area in which the 'official station' is located.
If the traveler is departing from some place other than their permanent office, a comparison must be attached to the Form 25, Request for Reimbursement, indicating expenses are the lesser of the two.
Privately Owned Vehicles
Travel in private vehicles is reimbursed as mileage. The amount paid for mileage is intended to compensate the traveler for wear and tear, gas, and insurance coverage on the POV.
Visit Risk Management for information on automobile liability protection when using personal vehicle while on University business travel that has been authorized by Purdue.
Mileage to common destinations has been computed by Disbursements using the shortest route usually traveled (See Mileage Information Guide ). Travelers that travel to several different locations for business, such as Foods & Nutrition staff, should keep a log showing dates, addresses and mileage traveled. This log should be attached to the Form 25.
Reimbursement for miles traveled in excess of 110% of the mileage charges provided in the mileage information guide will not be reimbursed without additional explanation (i.e., addresses visited, detours, etc.).
Mileage reimbursement is limited to travel between official stations and transportation terminal, and/or places of lodging and places of university business.
Mileage for traveling between the place of lodging and the place of dining, entertainment, visiting friends/family, sightseeing, or shopping is NOT reimbursable.
Mileage reimbursement may be limited to less than full reimbursement by deans and/or department heads.
Mileage for travel on-campus or in area of **official station is generally not reimbursable. **Official station includes the entire city or general area in which your business/work is located.
Mileage Rates for Travel On or After January 1, 2013
| All Privately Owned Vehicle Mileage | Mileage Rate |
| No Limit: See Drive Vs Fly Rule | 56.5 ¢ Per Mile |
Per the Use of Vehicles for University Business policy, motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, and similar vehicles may not be used to conduct University business or for any other University purposes.
State Funded Travel Mileage Rates
See State Funded Travel for mileage rates for travel funded by Indiana State Contracts & Grants.
Prior Year Mileage Rates
Mileage rates for travel prior to current year can be found at Prior Mileage Rates.
Mileage to Airport
We pay the mileage for one round trip from official station to the airport, tolls (if applicable) for 1 round trip from official station to airport, and parking at the airport for days of business.
A normal sequence of events would be for the traveler to
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Drive to the airport
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Pay tolls (if applicable)
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Park car for days of business (See Discounts for negotiated rates)
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Drive back from airport
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Pay tolls (if applicable)
Any other arrangements, should be justified based on that criteria. In the event other arrangements must be made, the reimbursement is limited to the total of a. through e. or the actual amount spent whichever is less. We can never pay more expenses than the traveler actually incurs.
Example:
A 5-day business event traveling from West Lafayette campus to the Indianapolis airport. If a traveler made 2 round trips to the airport, the maximum that could be reimbursed is as follows:
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1 R/T mileage to airport using current year mileage rates
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5 days parking using current negotiated rate with Indy Park Ride & Fly or Park Ride & Fly USA
Drive Vs Fly
The amount of mileage reimbursement allowable if a traveler chooses to drive instead of fly to longer distance locations normally accomplished by flying (Rule of Thumb: Greater than 800 miles roundtrip) must be the lesser of the actual mileage expense or the total of:
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Best available airfare (A comparison/quote must be obtained per policy)
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Roundtrip mileage to airport
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Airport Parking (Use base rate of Valet Parking from Indy Park Ride & Fly)
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Shuttle (not rental car) expense to/from airport to business location
Persons who choose to drive rather than fly long distances may be reimbursed subsistence and lodging (if necessary) for a total of two full driving days (1 day before and 1 day after the official business).
When Two or More Staff Travel Together In POV
When two or more staff travel together in a personal vehicle, the mileage reimbursement amount may not exceed the Drive Vs Fly rule and may only be reimbursed to the driver of the personal vehicle.
DRIVE VS FLY RULE: When driving longer distances (Rule of Thumb: Greater than 800 miles roundtrip) that would normally be accomplished by air, the mileage expense must be the lesser of the actual mileage expense or total of best available airfare (see cost comparison policy) for the driver and any passengers traveling to the same location for the same university business reason, roundtrip mileage to the airport, cost of airport parking, and shuttle expense (not rental car) to/from airport to business location.
Each traveler is entitled to the allowable subsistence and lodging per policy.
Example: Employee A is driving to Orlando, Florida for a meeting. Employee B decides to ride with Employee A. Employee A must comply with the drive vs fly rule and provides a comparison as follows:
Employee A would be reimbursed $690.75. Employee B would receive no transportation reimbursement other than allowable subsistence and lodging for the business trip.
When two or more staff members are traveling the same general route in automobiles, the department head, having first-hand knowledge of all pertinent facts, may determine if travel together is appropriate. If employees are approved by the department head to travel separately, each employee is eligible for full mileage reimbursement according to drive vs fly rule.