3620     ACQUISITION OF VEHICLES 
(Revised 12/06) 

Purchase of State vehicles will be made by consolidation of agency annual requirements in order to effect savings by volume buying.  See Government Code Section 14615 and Public Contract Code Section 10308.  In addition, Government Code Section 13332.9 provides that:

"No purchase order or other form of documentation for acquisition or replacement of motor vehicles shall be issued against any appropriation until the Department of General Services has investigated and established the necessity therefor.  No surplus mobile equipment may be acquired from any source by any State agency for program support until the Department of General Services has investigated and established the need therefor."

Purchase estimates for all motor vehicle purchase requests shall be sent directly to the Office of Fleet Administration, Department of General Services, to determine whether available surplus vehicles can be utilized in lieu of a new vehicle purchase and to investigate and establish the necessity therefor.  See SAM Sections 4111, 4113.

For an additional vehicle or for replacement of a vehicle not meeting replacement criteria specified in SAM, recommendation of the Office of Fleet Administration Automotive Inspector in the area where the vehicle will be or has been used will be required.  To expedite processing of such purchase estimates, departments are requested to secure a Report of Findings in advance from the area inspector.  A copy of the report should be attached to the estimate.  See SAM Section 4111.

The Office of Fleet Administration will review the estimate and related documents, approve the estimate on behalf of the Director of General Services, and forward the estimate to the Office of Procurement, Department of General Services.

Agencies shall accept delivery of any make automobile regardless of the make specified on the purchase estimate.  All passenger type motor vehicles purchased will be the typical Fleet vehicle, except for those purchased for elected officials and other special uses deemed appropriate by Office of Fleet Administration.

All vehicles shall be inspected for acceptance at the delivering dealer's place of business prior to delivery to the purchasing State agency.  See SAM Section 4112. This inspection determines that all specifications are met and that the dealer has performed properly the predelivery inspection and servicing.  The Department of General Services will provide the services of Inspectors of Automotive Equipment to perform the acceptance inspection prior to delivery for all departments in the Inspection Services Program.  The owning agency, on receipt of vehicle, should check for any damage incurred in transit from dealer to point of delivery. It is the owning agency's responsibility to license the vehicles and put them in service.

Rental of vehicles from non-State sources for over seven (7) days must have prior approval from Office of Fleet Administration.  See SAM Section 4117.2.

3620.1     TYPICAL FLEET VEHICLE 
(REVISED  9/83) 

Typical fleet vehicles are two-door and four-door sedans with interior volume, passenger and luggage area combined, less than 110 cubic feet.  Each agency's annual purchases for basic fleet needs must average at least 23 miles per gallon, Environmental Protection Agency combined city/highway mileage.  The Director of General Services may adjust the average miles per gallon figure upward each year if examination of the mileage performance of vehicles that will meet the State's needs shows there will be at least two competing manufacturers that can meet higher mileage requirements.  Colors will be mixed factory colors.  The Director of General Services may approve requests for special colors as required for law enforcement and other specific use.

3620.2     SPECIAL PASSENGER VEHICLES 
(REVISED  9/85) 

Elective constitutional officers and members of the Governor's Cabinet may be provided with the make and model of vehicle the officer deems necessary, equipped as they desire.

Vehicles other than types listed in SAM Section 3620.1, such as trucks, buses, station wagons, and small equipment, will be authorized as the needs of the operating agency justify.  Such vehicles will be equipped as required at the time of purchase.  No modifications will be made to any vehicle without approval of Office of Fleet Administration, Department of General Services.

3622     SAFETY STANDARDS FOR ALL STATE VEHICLES
(RENUMBERED FROM 4106   5/72) 

The safety standards appearing in the following subsection are to be included in the specifications for all applicable State-owned vehicles.

3622.2     BACK-UP ALARMS 
(REVISED  6/80) 

Back-up alarms are required for every truck that has a body capacity of 2–1/2 cubic yards or more that is used to haul dirt, rock, concrete, or any construction material.  The standard alarm to be used is a mechanical or approved electronic alarm that automatically emits a warning sound when the vehicle is moving in a reverse direction.  Alarms used shall be listed as acceptable by the Department of Industrial Relations.

Such back-up alarms are recommended for use on other vehicles at installations where pedestrians are or may be exposed to the hazard of backing vehicles.

3622.3     TRAILER HITCHES AND COUPLINGS 
(REVISED 1/88) 

All trailer hitches and couplings that are installed on towing vehicles and trailers shall comply with Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) Specification J 684f.  Standard hitches will be Class 2, 3, or Class 4.  The following rules also apply:

3622.4     TRAILER WIRING CONNECTIONS 
(RENUMBERED FROM 4106.3  5/72) 

Trailer lights and connections shall be in accordance with Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) Specification J 560 A.  Connecting cable and conductors shall meet the standard of SAE J 559.

3624     STANDARD EQUIPMENT 
(REVISED  9/91) 

The typical vehicle is equipped with automatic transmission.  The following items of equipment, optional or standard for the model under contract, are provided:

3626     AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT, SPARE PARTS AND REPLACEMENT ITEMS 
(Revised 12/06) 

Whenever feasible, agencies should avoid maintaining a stock of repair parts, tires, tubes, batteries, and spark plugs.  These items and other common automotive supplies should generally be obtained at the time of need from the State garages in Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, or from contract vendors.  Tires and batteries are available at San Bernardino State Garage (pool office).  Stocking of parts by agencies may result in increased costs due to the parts becoming obsolete, being of the wrong size or design, loss, or having unnecessary surplus supplies accumulate in agency stockrooms.

3626.1     ANTIFREEZE 
(Revised 12/06) 

All agencies will make the necessary arrangements early in the Fall to protect State equipment which will be operated in freezing weather.  Antifreeze may be purchased from the State garages in Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Sacramento where it will be installed for a fee.  This is billed to the agency by the garage.  State departments with automotive fleets may purchase and install supplies of antifreeze in assigned vehicles.  The purchases may be made either through the Office of Procurement or via a department's delegated purchase authority.   In an emergency, officers and employees may purchase antifreeze for their vehicles.  See SAM Section 3629.

3626.2     AUTOMOBILE BATTERIES
(Revised 12/06) 

Automobile batteries are to be secured through the State contract or, in an emergency, may be secured by a credit card purchase.  See SAM Section 3629.  Officers and employees who purchase batteries other than as authorized will be required to personally pay the difference between the State contract price and the price billed to the State by the vendor from whom the battery was obtained.  No trade-in allowance is made for batteries.

Where feasible, agencies should accumulate junk batteries and sell them to recognized junk dealers by the bid process.  Agencies with offices in the vicinity of Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Sacramento, may turn old batteries in at State garages for sale by the Department of General Services.

3626.3     OIL FILTER ELEMENTS
(Revised 12/06) 

Oil filter elements (not the complete filter) may be purchased on the credit card of the contracting company; however, when convenient, the State garages in Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Sacramento should be called upon for this service.

State agencies are encouraged to use re-refined oil when replacing the oil for vehicle maintenance.

3626.6     SPARK PLUGS
(RENUMBERED FROM 3623– 5/72) 

Spark plugs will be ordered by model number if known, or the make, year, and model number of the equipment requiring the spark plugs. Emergency purchases of complete sets will be authorized only if request for payment is on an automotive repair shop (not a service station) invoice for engine repair or tuneup. Emergency replacement of single spark plugs is authorized and may be charged on a credit card.

3626.7     TIRES AND TUBES
(Revised 12/06) 

A new tube should be installed in a new tire only when the condition of the old tube is such that it is no longer usable. If the old tube is blown out, has been patched a number of times, has grown in size (a good indication of this is chafing where the tube meets the rim), or has some other fault, it should not be used in a new tire. No trade-in allowance is made for old tires. In an emergency, tires or tubes may be purchased on a credit card providing SAM Section 3629 is followed.

Where feasible, agencies should accumulate old tires and tubes and sell them to recognized junk dealers by the bid process.  Agencies with offices in the vicinity of Sacramento and Los Angeles may turn old tires or tubes in at state garages for sale by the Department of General Services.

Purchase of any special noncontract tires and tubes (such as puncture-proof tubes) must be approved by the Office of Fleet Administration, Department of General Services, and will be requested on regular purchase estimates. Bias-ply belted tires, nylon or polyglass are recommended as replacement except when replacing radial tires.  Radial tires should be replaced with comparable grade radial tires.  White sidewall tires may be accepted on the State Tire Contract in the event black wall tires are not available from the contractor.  However, any white wall tires furnished must be mounted with the white wall turned in so it is not visible.  White wall tires may be installed on vehicles with undercover plates.

Vehicles delivered with white sidewall tires by the vendor should not have the tires changed.  When radial tires must be replaced and the worn tires being replaced were mounted with white walls outside, they may be replaced with white walls mounted outside provided there is no added cost to the State.

3629     EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT
(Revised 12/06) 

It is permissible to charge against credit cards items which are needed for real emergencies, such as damaged individual spark plugs (not sets), automatic transmission oil, light bulbs, fan belts, windshield wiper blades, cable for battery terminals, gasoline tank caps, tire or tube valve core, etc.

Purchases of antifreeze may be made on credit cards only in an emergency when the vehicle has lost its coolant due to a water hose or pump failure or is subjected to unseasonable freezing temperatures.  This provision does not relieve agency officials of the responsibility for anticipating antifreeze requirements and ordering sufficient supplies in accordance with SAM Section 3626.1.

Purchase of tires, tubes or batteries may be made on credit cards under the following conditions:

When a bona fide emergency requires the user of a General Services pool car to pay cash for repairs or for items included in the pool car rental charges, he/she may be reimbursed.  See SAM Section 0758.

The usual product guarantees apply to these items. Trade-in allowance is applicable under certain conditions; if service station allows credit for old battery or tire, apply it toward purchase of new battery or tire.

It is the responsibility of the employee to justify the appropriateness of all emergency purchases as soon as possible.  The Department of General Services will review the purchases when billed, and those not justified will be sent to the employee's agency for remittance from the employee.  See SAM Section 4109 for auditing of charges.

SEAT COVERS (SEE SAM SECTION  4167)