NASA Official Fleet Management Handbook
Vehicle Acquisition
Acquisition Alternatives
Purchase
Versus Lease
The decision whether to purchase or lease can involve
several factors, but the key things that affect the decision are
expected utilization, and expected retention cycle. If a vehicle has
moderate to high utilization, then a GSA lease with a relatively short
term (3 to 6 years) may be the best approach. If, however, utilization
is fairly low and retention cycles are expected to be longer than GSA
leasing cycles, it may be better to purchase the vehicle because the
acquisition cost is spread over a long period of time. The NASA Agency
Transportation Manager can provide guidance to help perform a detailed
purchase versus lease analysis.
Purchasing New Vehicles
New vehicle requirements shall be coordinated with the
CTO, who can assist with the evaluation of the job to be performed with
the vehicle and the development of appropriate vehicle specifications.
As stated in NPR 6200.1B, the CTO will annually validate the type and
quantity of vehicles for Government-owned, contractor-operated vehicles.
Contractors shall coordinate new vehicle requirements through the CTO.
Purchasing Used Vehicles
Procurement of used vehicles may be appropriate in
cases where expected utilization does not justify the initial cost of a
new vehicle. For example, if a large crane
truck is essential to the Center’s mission but only needed for an hour
each day, and rental units are either unavailable or very inconvenient
to obtain and return, it may be better to purchase a used crane truck
that is in good condition. Purchase of used vehicles will be processed
in the same manner as new vehicle procurement.
GSA
Leasing
The CTO authorizes the use of Government-owned or
leased vehicles to support NASA customers. The most economical and
efficient means of transportation shall be provided in all cases.
Contractor use of GSA vehicles will be addressed in Chapters 9 and 10.
Commercial Leasing
Commercial leases shall only be used when that
approach has been determined to be the most cost-effective alternative
to providing customer support. Otherwise, only NASA-owned and GSA
vehicles will be utilized. Commercial leases should be established when
determined to be cost effective Recurrent use of commercial
rentals/leases (i.e. “back to back”) to bypass standard acquisition
procedures and TV standards is strictly prohibited. The CTO shall be
notified regarding all commercial leases and shall track the types,
quantities, and duration of such leases in order to evaluate the need
for additional vehicle resources for the Center. See paragraph 1.3.6 and
chapter 10 and 11 for more details on vehicle assignment for
contractors.
Rentals
A rental is normally classified as a contractual
arrangement for less than 60 days. Centers may use these arrangements to
meet emergent or peak work-load requirements without regard to
established vehicle allowances. Other customer requirements should also
be met with rentals especially where utilization does not justify a full
time assignment. The CTO shall be notified regarding all vehicle rentals
and shall track the types, quantities, and duration of rentals in order
to evaluate the need for additional vehicle resources for the Center.
Demonstration Equipment
Demonstrations of new types of vehicles by vendors for
the purpose of evaluating their functionality is highly discouraged.
Page: 5.1 Vehicle Acquisition\Acquisition
Alternatives
Last Updated:
08/30/2005 07:44 PM
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