These Vehicle and Travel Services (VTS) guidelines are provided to assist departments when ordering vehicles. In addition to the VTS information, departments may have guidelines on vehicle ordering. To avoid delays and to ensure appropriate vehicles are ordered, it is important for you to discuss your vehicle need(s) with your department vehicle contact. Your department vehicle contact will inform you of your department's approval/signature process as well as answer any other questions you may have regarding vehicle orders. 

Vehicle Order Form
To request a vehicle, complete form DMB-VTS 64, Vehicle Request & Justification.  All requests must include justification, necessary approvals, and review by the department vehicle contact.

Passenger Cars, Vans, and Light Duty Trucks Orders

Replacements:
Each year in late June/early July, VTS sends to each department a list of cars assigned to its employees that are projected to reach 100,000 miles prior to June of the following year. These vehicles are ordered in August with delivery dates that match the projected dates indicated on the spreadsheet. There are occasions when the estimated date for the vehicle to reach 100,000 miles has passed or will pass prior to the vehicle being ordered or delivered. In such cases, vehicles are delivered as soon as the manufacturer builds the car. The projection spreadsheets must be completed and returned to VTS to initiate the order. VTS provides an instruction memo and due date with the projection spreadsheets. Vehicles on this list must be replaced or returned to VTS. All cars will be replaced with a similar size car unless indicated otherwise on the spreadsheet. If a mid size vehicle is to be replaced with a large size vehicle, justification for the change must accompany the request.

New Assignments:
A Vehicle Request & Justification (DMB-VTS 64) is completed for each new assignment and submitted to VTS. Justification must be included in all requests. Vehicles returned to VTS as no longer needed by the assigned department become stock vehicles. New assignment requests for cars are filled with stock vehicles if available. When requesting new assignments, it is important to realize only the request is new, the vehicle may be from stock. Requests for new assignments should be submitted as soon as the agency becomes aware a vehicle is needed. If a vehicle is not available from stock, vehicle delivery takes approximately 12 weeks from the date VTS places the order.

Seasonal Assignments:
A seasonal assignment is made when a department requests a vehicle for longer than one month but less than one year. Seasonal requests are filled with vehicles from stock and are dependent on the types of vehicles in stock. Therefore, requests for seasonal assignments should be submitted as soon as the agency becomes aware a vehicle is needed on a seasonal basis.

Manufacturer Build Out Dates
It is important to submit vehicle requests as soon as possible to ensure a vehicle will be available when needed and to avoid manufacturer build outs. Build outs occur when the manufacturer no longer accepts orders for the current model year. Estimated build out dates are projected by the manufacturer and change without notice to VTS. Therefore, it is extremely important for requests to be submitted as early as possible. Build out dates can occur as early as January. VTS will notify departments of vehicle orders received after the build out dates as well as those returned by the manufacturer as unable to build. Departments can then decide whether to cancel the order or hold and order the next model year.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles
Vehicle Services continues to order alternative fuel vehicles. The State of Michigan must comply with the Energy Policy Act (EPACT) of 1992 requiring 75 percent of vehicles with GVW under 8,500 lbs. be alternative fuel vehicles.