Holiday Hours
The holidays are quickly approaching. To allow more time to spend with family and friends, our hours will be 7:00am- 5:00pm from December 26 to January 17. Normal hours of 7:00am-6:00pm will resume on January 21.
We will be closed on the following days: December 24 and 25, January 1 and 20.
How Do I Get a Fleet Vehicle over the Holidays?
If you need to start your trip over Christmas or New Year's, we have a plan for you! If you need your rental vehicle over the Christmas holiday or you need to leave before 7am on December 26, you can pick up your vehicle between 5pm and 6pm on December 23. If your trip begins over the New Year's holiday or you need to leave before 7am on January 3, you can pick up your vehicle between 4pm and 5pm on Tuesday, December 31.
I-80/I-380 Systems Interchange Project
You may already be aware, but IA DOT has begun a comprehensive redesign of the I-80/I-380 interchange with the goal of making it safer and more efficient. The project will replace the interchange loops with directional ramps and widen both I-380 from I-80 to Forevergreen Rd and US 218/IA27 two miles south of I-80 to six lanes. Interstate 80 will be widened to six lanes with 12-foot shoulders from Ireland Avenue to I-380 and widened to eight lanes from I-380 east to Coral Ridge Avenue. The project’s completion is not expected until sometime in 2021. A full breakdown of the project can be found at https://iowadot.gov/i80-i380/.
The project will undoubtedly make a commute in this area even messier than usual with lane reductions, overnight closures and new traffic patterns. For up to date traffic alerts and notifications, visit 511ia.org.
Drivers Listed on Requisitions
Just a friendly reminder that any driver that will drive during a reservation needs to be added to the requisition for the vehicle. It is important that we have an accurate record of drivers for all our reservations in case some sort of issue arises after the fact. Additional drivers can be added after a requisition is submitted by contacting Fleet Services via email or phone. If only one driver is listed, we expect that person will be the only person to pick up, drive, and return the vehicle.
The Right Way To Remove Snow From Your Vehicle
We hate to even bring up this four-letter word but yes, snow is coming. To remove snow, start at the roof and work your way down. It is important to remove snow from the roof because as your car warms up, that snow will melt. If you stop quickly, that snow will slide off your roof and onto your windshield obscuring your vision. As you are cleaning off your vehicle, don’t forget the headlights, taillights, rear passenger windows, and side-view mirrors. If the wiper blades are frozen to the windshield don’t use the ice scraper to free them, we have had to replace wipers in the past due folks damaging them in this manner. Also note that some vehicles have their washer nozzles on the hood, be careful not to break them off when clearing snow.
The Great Fleet Services--Raccoon Trash battle of 2019
Some of you may have noticed that the door slot on the Fleet Services outdoor trash can by our stairs no longer opens. We tried various solutions and consulted with experts but unfortunately this was the only way for us to thwart those pesky raccoons. To access the bin to discard trash you must lift up the entire hinged lid and yes, it is a bit heavy. We do apologize for this inconvenience.
Honest Mike’s Used Cars
Not much in the pipeline at the moment, but activity will pick up in the spring. We currently have a 2013 Grand Caravan for sale with 61,000 miles. Coming soon will be a 2009 half-ton Silverado and a 2014 Ford Taurus. Please check the GovDeals page periodically to make sure you don’t miss out on any great deals.
Fleet Factoid
Did you know that the I-80, I-380 interchange is one of the busiest in the state? In 2017 it served 90,000 vehicles and 15,000 freight trucks per day! (IA DOT)
Fleet Services Info
Manager: Mike Wilson
Phone: (319) 384-0564
Fax: (319) 335-5865
Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday
Shop Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Shop Phone: (319) 335-5105
Fueling Hours: 24 hours/ 7 days a week
E-mail: Fleet-Services@uiowa.edu
Web Site: Parking and Transportation - Fleet Services
View more newsletters: Fleet Services Newsletters