Department Vehicle Access and Reservation Policy

Provide 2 weeks advance notice to reserve the department truck and/or boat.

The department maintains the following two vehicles in support of field classes and research:

1999 Dodge Ram 2500 “The Beast”
The department truck is a 3/4 ton, heavy duty 4WD pickup with an extended passenger cab, an 8’ bed with shell and an automatic transmission. The truck is equipped with a roof rack for hauling gear and a 2” tow ball assembly.

1989 17’ Boston Whaler “Guardian”
The Whaler is a deck boat with 360° access around a center console and is powered by a 50hp Johnson motor. Max capacity is 7 persons for transport and 4 for active work. The hull is a low draft, shallow V, that rides waves roughly, but allows access to shallower waters. The Whaler is restricted to use in bays, estuaries, lakes and the delta.

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Vehicle Availability

Both the truck and boat are made available for department field courses and are provided to both faculty and graduate students, on a recharge basis, as an aid to research. Department personnel have use of the vehicles to conduct department business.

These vehicles have a primary mission in support of field courses and use priority is always given to department supported class field trips. Vehicle use requests for Geography Department research is given priority over requests from other departments, providing that the in-house reservation was granted at least 2 weeks prior to the use date. This provides a 2 week safety window for guaranteed vehicle access, barring mechanical difficulties or unsafe weather conditions.

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Eligibility for Use of Department Vehicles

Department vehicles are available only to university employees, faculty and graduate students conducting university business or sponsored research. All users must present a valid driver’s license prior to checkout.

The Truck "The Beast"
Upon the initial use request, all vehicle users are required to:
Review the Vehicle Breakdown/Accident Sheet
Review, complete and sign the Department Truck User’s Agreement (as pdf).
All users are also required to participate in a hands-on review of the department truck prior to their initial checkout. Requestors may also be asked to demonstrate a basic ability to operate the vehicle.

The Boat "Guardian"
Before access to the boat is granted, all users will be required to…

1. earn a California State Boating Certification by satisfactorily completing the California Boating: A Course for Safe Boating final exam. (The study material and exam are available in the department and are reviewed by the California Department of Boating and Waterways on a mail-in basis).
2. participate in a full day of instruction and satisfactorily achieve department certification in both boat operation and trailering.
3. participate in at least 16 hours of small boat operation through other means, such as volunteering on student research trips or through Cal Adventures.
4. review the department’s Boat Operation Checklist.

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Access to Department Vehicles

Contact Dan Plumlee to reserve vehicles or to arrange for training and/or certification:
in person... Room 519, McCone Hall
by phone... 642-4368
by e-mail... dplum@berkeley.edu

If you leave your reservation request as a message, consider the reservation made upon receipt of a confirming return message.

Reserve vehicles at least 2 weeks prior to your forecasted need. Late reservations will be given the lowest priority for use. It is best to reserve field course dates at the beginning of the semester and long-term research use as soon as it is practical to do so. Please record and monitor all long-term reservations and update your reservation as needs change.

All reservations require the completion of a Faculty/Student Vehicle Contract which designates funding sources. This contract must be signed by the vehicle user as well as the person responsible for the funding source.

Training dates must be arranged with Dan Plumlee and will be scheduled at a time that best serves both the trainer and the trainee. Please allow a large window of opportunity for this to happen. There is no rush request. A training day will be recharged at the regular rate.

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Insurance

Geography Insurance Info Sheet