Purchasing

Vehicles

Vehicle Purchasing 

USF has implemented a new Vehicle Purchasing Procedure to guide departments through a structured six-phase process from initial inquiry to final procurement. This procedure ensures you're working with expertise to assess your needs and alleviates administrative work around vehicle purchases. This procedure will additionally drive standardization of our fleet, enhance safety, and align with university standards.

STEP-BY STEP PROCESS

Initial Contact

Vehicle Purchasing Analysis
  • Fleet Services conducts Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) evaluation
  • Includes market research and compliance checks.
  • Completed within 3-5 business days.

Recommendation Development 
  • Fleet Management exists to provide expert guidance and not to deny vehicle requests.
  • For each request, Fleet Services will  present 2-3 vehicle options
  • Includes cost comparison and risk assessments for each recommendation.

Customer Decision
  • Departments are empowered to select the best-fit vehicle from Fleet Services’ recommendations and are expected to review options, obtain internal approvals, and idealy confirm their decision within 5 business days.

Purchase Order Request
  • Fleet Services will submit a requisition request form on behalf of your Department to make the purchase based on your selection with the Chartfield you provided. 

Fulfilment & Procurement Processing
  • Procurement sends the PO to the Supplier. 
  • All vehicles will be delivered to Fleet Services for inspection, registration and titling.
  • Fleet Services will coordinate vehicle delivery to the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee campuses directly with the department requestor. 
  • It is recommended that Departments register a SunPass for vehicles.
  • Departments should commit to a maintenance schedule to keep the vehicle in good working order.

Roles & Responsibility

Requesting Department

 The department initiates the request, provides vehicle specifications, reviews Fleet Services’ recommendations, selects the best-fit vehicle, agrees to properly maintain the vehicle, and registers for a SunPass as needed.  Conducts analysis, develops recommendations, coordinates delivery, maintains vehicle records such as maintenance services, documents, tag & title, and other documentation.

Fleet Services

 Conducts analysis, develops recommendations, coordinates delivery, maintains vehicle records such as maintenance services, tag & title, and other documentations.

Procurement

 Processes requisitions, manages vendors, and executes final purchase transactions 

Additional information

For further informaton please see related pages and for questions please reach out to PPSOneHep.

Flex-Fuel Mandate

Under the EPAct Regulation, all vehicles purchased except police vehicles that run on diesel must be flex-fuel compliant, meaning they can operate on ethanol (E85). Hybrid and electric vehicles are acceptable alternatives to meet this requirement.

Flex Fuel Log

Sourcing: State Contract Purchasing

Vehicles/Vessels should be purchased through State Contracts when available. To get to the “Vehicles, Equipment, and Fleet” section of the state contract website, click the box with the same name under the “Category Name” section, which will open the section for this commodity’s contracts. One of the most used state contracts is “25100000-23-STC” for “Motor Vehicles”, found towards the bottom of the state contract search page. By clicking on the blue underlined text under the “Name” category, you can see the contract details and attachments.