Rental Vehicles are Now Available!
As of June 15th, the University has amended it's travel policies and has begun allowing domestic trips once again. The good news is Fleet Services has also been given the green light to start up our daily rental program in accordance with that decision. To ensure we open up as safely as possible, we have adopted a number of new practices that reflect guidance from the CDC and the University’s Administration. View the full details of our car cleaning process, vehicle pickup, and customer distancing procedures.
Vehicle Maintenance Drop Off / Pick-up Procedure
Our number one goal is to ensure the safety of our customers and staff, that being said, we have switched up our procedures to provide contactless pick up and drop off for vehicles receiving scheduled maintenance or repairs. Please park your vehicle in the service area west of the building along the fence (by the river) and give us a call (335-5102) to let us know the vehicle is here. There is no need to enter the building, interact with staff or leave keys. We will contact you once the service or repairs are complete and your vehicle will be parked in the same area where you dropped it off. If a customer does leave keys when a vehicle is dropped off, we will place them in a key cabinet located on the west side of the building near the access door to recover along with the vehicle.
FY 21 Rates Are Posted
The FY 21 vehicle rental and class-based lease rates are posted on our website. We have also sent out our Annual Rate Notification and Contact Update Forms to Admin contacts via email. These are due back Friday, June 19th.
Vehicles Sitting Idle; a Perspective from Buddha
The Buddha once said, “to be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life.” At Fleet Services, we like to apply that same wisdom to our vehicles. With most University operations reduced, many vehicles are sitting idle throughout campus. A vehicle sitting for too long can develop a number of issues, luckily there is an easy solution to this problem. We recommend driving a low-usage vehicle every two to three weeks to help avoid a dead battery, flat-spotted tires, rusty brakes, or other issues that can be caused by letting a car sit parked for weeks. Starting and running the car for 10 minutes is not really enough to make a difference, you should drive the car for several miles to ensure the vehicle gets to proper operating temperature, and to exercise the transmission, brakes, suspension, power steering, climate systems, all the fluids, seals, and gaskets. Also, keep an eye out for rodents that may have decided to quarantine under the hood or around the vehicle. When they get hungry, they have been known to make a meal out of wiring and any other materials they can chew through to the tune of some hefty repair bills.
Driver’s License Renewal in COVID-19 Times
Just a friendly reminder that a valid (non-expired) driver’s license is expected to be presented to Fleet Services by the driver before a vehicle can be checked out. On March 18th the state declared a Public Health Emergency, closed DOT offices and moved to online/appointment only options for license renewals. When this happened the state extended the grace period for expired licenses through the end of the declared emergency, currently scheduled to end on June 25. If you have an upcoming vehicle reservation and your license is expired, contact us immediately. If DOT offices are still closed and there is no quick way to renew your license, we will work with you to make sure your trip proceeds as planned.
Fleet Factoid
According to Arity, a mobility data analytics company founded by Allstate, compared to a similar period in 2019, the number of cars on the road countrywide and their average distance traveled is down nearly 20% since stay at home orders have been put in place.
Honest Mike’s Used Cars
Like many things in the world right now vehicles sales are on a temporary hold. When we get the go-ahead, we will have a variety of quality vehicles and at the honest prices you have come to expect.
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