Fleet management procedure

Audience

Department-wide

Purpose

This procedure provides requirements and processes for the management and use of the Department of Education's (the department) fleet vehicles and car parks.  

Overview

The department’s motor vehicle fleet enables employees to deliver services effectively and efficiently in various locations across Queensland. This procedure ensures the effective, efficient and safe operation of departmental fleet vehicles and managed car parks by setting out consistent requirements and processes. It applies to all registerable fleet vehicles leased and owned by the department across all regions and schools, and also covers parking of private vehicles at departmental locations.

This procedure should be read in conjunction with the Public Service Commission (PSC) policy on the Use of Government Owned Motor Vehicles and Parking of Private Vehicles on Official Premises and the Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service, the department's Finance delegations, HR delegations (DoE employees only) and Domestic travel procedure. The Fleet Management Handbook contains supporting information on the management of departmental fleet vehicles and car parks.

Persons allocated private-plated government vehicles as part of their conditions of employment (i.e. Senior Executive Service or certain employees engaged under s122 of the Public Sector Act 2022 (Qld)) are not subject to the PSC policy or to this procedure (unless otherwise indicated), provided that such vehicles are available at a departmental work location for official use during normal working hours.

Responsibilities

Note: Key responsibilities for roles in this procedure are listed below. Situations where these and other roles have approval authorities are provided in the Summary Approval Matrix within the Fleet Management Handbook.

Queensland government employees and non-government employees

• apply to be an authorised driver using the fleet vehicle authorised driver agreement before driving a departmental fleet vehicle.

Authorised drivers

• meet their obligations for the use of fleet vehicles under the fleet vehicle authorised driver agreement
• maintain currency of driver's licence
• must accept and resolve any infringement notices and fines, including parking fines, incurred during the vehicle booking and report any incidents or infringements to their line manager and local fleet officer

Authorised officers

• approve the fleet vehicle authorised driver agreement requests by non-government employees to drive departmental fleet vehicles
• approve requests to transport students and children in departmental fleet vehicles.

Line managers

• approve requests and retain evidence for their employees to:
  • become an authorised driver
  • transport non-government employees (excluding students or children) in a departmental fleet vehicle
  • short-term home garage a fleet vehicle.

Regional fleet coordinators

• oversee fleet and car park management activities for their region in accordance with the Fleet Management Handbook.
• approve requests for Queensland Government employees to park private vehicles on departmental property.

Local fleet officers

• manage departmental fleet vehicles and visitor car parks for their location in accordance with the Fleet Management Handbook.

Regional Directors

• approve requests for long-term home garaging.

Process

Becoming an authorised driver

Queensland Government employees (including employees of the department) and non-government employees (such as contractors or P&C representatives) may access departmental fleet vehicles where available.

• The Queensland Government employee or non-government employee completes and signs the fleet vehicle authorised driver agreement for approval as follows:
  • if in a position of a Senior Officer, Principal or above, no approval is required
  • Queensland Government employees (excluding Senior Officer, Principal or above) provide it to their line manager
  • non-government employees provide it to the relevant authorised officer (e.g. for schools, the Principal and for regions, a Director in the region).
• The line manager:
  • approves and signs the fleet vehicle authorised driver agreement for Queensland Government employees
  • retains the signed agreement and provides a copy to the Queensland Government employee, now an authorised driver.
• The authorised officer:
  • approves and signs the fleet vehicle authorised driver agreement for non-government employees
  • retains the signed agreement and provides a copy to the non-government employee, now an authorised driver.
• The authorised driver:
  • retains a copy of the signed agreement
  • provides a copy to the local fleet officer at the location they expect to most frequently book a vehicle.

Short-term use of fleet vehicles

• An authorised driver books a fleet vehicle for business purposes:
  • where the round trip is greater than 30km. For round trips of 30km or less to and from locations where there is reasonable availability of taxis or rideshare services (i.e. expected wait time of 10 minutes or less), taxi or rideshare is the preferred mode of transport.
  • through the Utilisation Management System (UMS) (DoE employees only). If the authorised driver is not yet registered in UMS, the authorised driver contacts the local fleet officer.
  • through the local fleet officer for school owned or leased vehicle bookings at schools that do not use UMS.
• All authorised drivers, excluding Senior Officers, Principals or above who do not require approval to book a fleet vehicle, submit a request to their line manager or authorised officer (as outlined in responsibilities) for approval to:
  • book a fleet vehicle as per process above (non-government employees only).
  • confirm that if the requested vehicle is a bus, truck or other vehicle with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) over 4.5 tonnes, they will comply with the additional obligations set out in the Best Practice Guide Heavy Vehicle National Law.
  • short-term home garage a fleet vehicle, where
    • the fleet vehicle will be garaged away from its base location from one night up to two weeks
    • the booking request is for a consecutive period and has a fixed end date
    • the booking request complies with the conditions for garaging of government owned motor vehicles at private residences in paragraphs 5 to 9 of the PSC Use of a Government Owned Motor Vehicle and Parking of Private Vehicle on Official Premises.
  • transport any adult non-government employees
  • transport children or students, attaching:
    • all information around the transport, including names, carer approval, destinations, vehicle and reason for travel
    • details of how they will ensure duty of care considerations are met
    • for excursion travel, all information and approvals required in the School excursions procedure.
• The line manager or authorised officer will consider the request, ensuring the authorised driver has provided all of the required information in their request, and notify via email the authorised driver of their decision to approve or decline the request
• The local fleet officer:
  • allocates a fleet vehicle for the booking
  • if there are no departmental fleet vehicles available, endeavours to arrange vehicle hire for the booking
  • sends an email to the authorised driver confirming the vehicle booking and advising of the vehicle allocation.
• At the allocated booking time, the authorised driver:
  • collects the vehicle pack from the local fleet officer
  • visually inspects the vehicle and makes note of any damage to report back to the local fleet officer
  • notes the odometer reading for entry into the vehicle logbook or driver usage Sheet
• At the end of the booking, the authorised driver:
  • returns the vehicle to its allocated car parking bay
  • for a petrol or diesel vehicle, ensures the fuel tank is at least half full (if refuelling is required during the journey, utilise the fuel card by following the instructions in the vehicle pack, including ensuring the correct odometer reading is entered)
  • for electric vehicles, connects the vehicle to a charging point
  • removes all personal and departmental items and secures the vehicle
  • completes the logbook or driver usage sheet located in the vehicle pack
  • returns the vehicle pack to the local fleet officer
  • reports any damage or incidents that have occurred (including traffic offences and infringements) to their line manager and the local fleet officer. Note this is in addition to the immediate actions taken as per the section below on Accident or incident reporting and management.
• In addition to the above processes for all authorised drivers, Senior Executive Service (SES) and Senior Officer (SO) levels:
  • must ensure there is no exclusive use or near exclusive use of a single fleet vehicle
  • who receive the Executive Vehicle Allowance (EVA) may still book a fleet vehicle for official purposes only where there is a clear trip purpose
  • who are provided with a government supplied motor vehicle (private plated) may be provided with a fleet vehicle if that privately plated vehicle is temporarily unavailable due to mechanical service or repair requirements.

Long-term use of fleet vehicles

An authorised driver in a field-based role may be eligible for long-term home garaging of a fleet vehicle as listed in the Fleet Management Handbook.

• The authorised driver:
  • develops a business case using the Application for long-term home garaging form demonstrating an operational need by the authorised driver for regular use of a departmental fleet vehicle requiring:
    • business use outside normal working hours at least twice weekly on average over a three-month period;
    • first location and/or last location of the workday at a site other than designated office for three or more days per week (excluding instances where the employee is working from a home office) over a three-month period; or
    • carrying of essential equipment necessary to fulfil the employee's regular tasks (e.g. large equipment).
  • complies with the conditions for garaging of government owned motor vehicles at private residences in paragraphs 5 to 9 of the PSC Use of a Government Owned Motor Vehicle and Parking of Private Vehicle on Official Premises.
  • submits the completed application form to the regional fleet coordinator (for corporate) or the local fleet officer (for schools). The maximum period permissible for a long-term home garaging approval is 12 months. If home garaging extends past this time, the authorised driver submits a new application for each subsequent 12-month period.
• The regional fleet coordinator (for corporate) or the local fleet officer (for schools) advises the relevant Regional Directors on a regular basis of the long-term home garaging applications received, and the availability of fleet vehicles for potential long-term home garaging use.
• The Regional Director approves applications for long-term home garaging based on the business case and availability of suitable departmental fleet vehicles, and returns the application to the regional fleet coordinator (for corporate) or the local fleet officer (for schools).
• The regional fleet coordinator (for corporate) or the local fleet officer (for schools) allocates vehicles to approved applications, advises the authorised driver, and records the endorsement in Content Manager (220/10/5).

During the long-term home garaging approved period, the primary authorised driver contacts the local fleet officer to schedule and arrange vehicle servicing according to the manufacturer’s recommended service requirements and intervals.

Long-term home garaging may incur FBT, depending on the portion of private use of the vehicle – refer to business versus private travel (DoE employees only).

Authorised drivers of long-term home garaging approved vehicles are required to maintain electronic or manual logbooks, diaries and/or meeting agendas as instructed by the local fleet officer to substantiate the approved business case and as evidence of business use for FBT reporting purposes.

Accident or incident reporting and management

Immediately following an accident or incident where the authorised driver is unharmed, the authorised driver:

• refers to any instructions provided in the vehicle pack, along with insurance and contact information
• provides their name, address and vehicle particulars to any person involved in the accident, or any person having reasonable grounds for requiring such information
• does not admit liability for an accident or make statements concerning the accident, except to police
• where an accident or breakdown results in the need for a fleet vehicle to be towed, secures the vehicle and, where possible, removes any personal and departmental items of value, e.g. vehicle pack, records or files, laptop computers, etc.

Within 24 hours of the accident or incident, the authorised driver (or the line manager if the authorised driver has been injured and not capable of completing the task):

• contacts the local fleet officer for assistance with information and insurance claims
• completes the incident report form inside the vehicle pack
• returns the vehicle pack to the local fleet officer
• completes any required forms for an insurance claim for the accident or incident and provides them to the local fleet officer.

Allocation of extended car parks for private vehicles on departmental premises (excluding schools)

Queensland Government employees who meet the eligibility and priority criteria outlined in the Fleet Management Handbook, may request an allocated car park to park their private vehicle on the department's premises:

• The Queensland Government employee completes and submits the Application for Central/Regional Office Car Park form to the relevant local fleet officer.
• The relevant local fleet officer will send the request to the authorised officer for approval.
• The authorised officer will approve the request according to the eligibility and priority criteria outlined in the Fleet Management Handbook, and emails the requestor the outcome.

Authorised officers will conduct annual (or by exception) reviews of all car parks to assess utilisation and demand based on the order of priority outlined in the Fleet Management Handbook.

Visitor Parking (including departmental employees)

Visitors (including departmental employees) on official business attending departmental premises may be able to access a dedicated visitor car park, where available, for use during the period of their official business.

• Visitors on official business to:
  • Central Office departmental premises with parking facilities apply for a car park bay by completing the Visitor Parking Booking Form (DoE employees only) and forwarding it to the email address outlined on the booking form for processing. Departmental employees are required to submit the form on behalf of visitors who are not employees of the department.
  • regional departmental premises with parking facilities apply for a car park bay by following the process advised by the local fleet officer. Departmental employees are required to apply on behalf of visitors who are not employees of the department.
• The local fleet officer will send the outcome of the request via email to the applicant, including the allocated bay number and the period the car parking bay has been allocated.

Definitions

Legislation

• Commission Chief Executive Directive: Senior Officers – Employment conditions (Directive 02/21)
• Commission Chief Executive Directive: Senior Executive Service - Employment conditions (Directive 03/21)
• Commission Chief Executive Directive: Executive Remuneration Package – Motor Vehicles and Allowances (Directive 13/13)
• Fringe Benefit Tax Assessment Act 1986 (Cwlth)
• Heavy Vehicle National Law Act 2012 (Qld)
• Motor Vehicle Allowances (Directive 20/16)
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Public Sector Act 2022 (Qld)

Delegations/Authorisations

• Financial Delegations (DoE employees only)
• HR Delegations (DoE employees only)

Other resources

• Visitor parking booking form (DoE employees only)
• Australian Taxation Office – Fringe benefit tax – a guide for employers
• Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service
• Department of Transport and Main Roads’ Vehicle Standards
• Domestic travel procedure
• Driver Safety Guide
• Driver safety training and resources
• Expenditure policy
• Employ officers under a Section 122 contract
• Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) – for reportable fleet vehicles (DoE employees only)
• National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
• QFleet – Government motor vehicle lease provider
• QFleet driving a vehicle for work induction
• School excursions procedure
• Queensland Government - Electric vehicles zero emissions
• Use of Government Owned Motor Vehicles and parking of Private Vehicles on Official Premises

Superseded versions

Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.

1.0 Fleet management procedure