A strong travel policy provides travelers with clear expectations while giving organizations the structure needed to manage costs, enhance safety, and improve compliance. In a rapidly changing mobility environment, policy language must evolve beyond traditional definitions of taxi, rental car, and mileage reimbursement.
This article provides initial steps for approaching the policy changes, as well as provides sample policy language for your consideration and implementation.
General Category Oversight:
Where to Book Ground Transportation: Make certain your policy clearly outlines your guidelines or requirements for the preferred booking methods:
1. Primary Channel:
Enforce the use of Corporate online booking tools or offline travel consultant support to ensure the corporate rental car program is being utilized. The benefits include policy compliance, budget control, accident insurance is applied, duty of care/safety monitoring, and frictionless expense management.
2. Preferred Vendor Websites/Applications (Rental and Rideshare):
- Rental Cars: Allow booking directly on preferred vendor websites only if the corporate loyalty profile is linked to the company’s discount code and Corporate ID.
- Rideshares: It is strongly recommended that each company has a corporate rideshare agreement – whether it is with Uber for Business or Lyft Business. Require your travelers to download and set up their corporate profile, linked to their corporate email. This links rideshare activity directly to corporate policies, payment methods and automated receipt flows.
Helping Travelers Make the Right Choice:
Today’s travelers have more transportation options than ever before. Your travel policy should provide guidance so travelers can make consistent, cost-conscious decisions.
- Recommend rideshare for shorter trips when it’s the most practical and economical option. This includes taking into consideration parking fees.
- Encourages rental cars for multi-day trips or when they offer a lower total cost than multiple rideshare bookings.
- Allow personal vehicle use while maintaining strict governance relating to mileage limitations.
Vehicle Class & Ancillary Policy Guardrails:
While most companies have a firm program around rental cars, the following items are best practices for each of the three categories.
1. Rental Car Program:
- Standard Class Capping of Intermediate/Midsize for solo travelers and full-size/SUV only for teams of 3+ traveling together.
- Refueling guidelines.
- Include clear communications relating to the insurance and damage waivers based upon your corporate agreement.
2. Rideshare:
- Allowed and Restricted Tiers:
- Allowed: Limit default rideshare bookings to standard tiers (UberX/Lyft Standard) or eco-friendly options (Uber Green).
- Prohibit premium categories (Uber Black, Lyft Lux, SUV) unless approved for client entertainment, executive travel or group transport.
- Airport and Public Transit Alternatives:
- Encourage public transit or airport shuttles for high-density metropolitan routes where costs are significantly lower and transit times are equivalent.
3. Personal Car Use:
- Cost Threshold Comparisons: Mandate using a rental car if total personal vehicle mileage exceeds a specific threshold (ex: 80 miles round-trip).
- Travelers must maintain minimum state/local statutory liability coverage on their personal vehicles.
Sample Policy Language
To support you in drafting policy changes, we have attached the Ground Transportation Policy Language Samples for your convenience and consideration.
Read Here
The Bottom Line
As ground transportation becomes more complex, travel policies must evolve to keep pace. Clear, well-defined policy language helps organizations improve visibility, strengthen duty of care, manage costs, and provide travelers with consistent guidance when choosing appropriate ground transportation options.
Please contact your Travel Incorporated Client Success Manager for further information, recommendations and assistance with curating your ground transportation policy.