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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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:08/19/2005 04:27 PM