The University’s system that doled out vehicles on a rental basis to student groups and club sports teams, known as the “motor pool,” closed its doors in the spring, leaving a void that is now being filled by Oregon State University’s motor pool.
The ASUO Motor Pool service provider changed this year after state budget cuts, and Oregon State University is now providing the same service for those seeking to borrow a vehicle.
The motor pool system allows student groups, departments on campus and club sports to borrow vehicles for retreats, conferences, tournaments and other events.
“It doesn’t matter what color you wear; we can compete in football, but we don’t have to compete over cars,” said OSU motor pool manager Justin Fleming.
Discussion of the partnership has been going on since the spring, when the University heard of the motor pool’s possible closure and began exploring different options to meet students’ needs.
“It went from being a hypothetical to being something very real,” Fleming said.
OSU’s motor pool, located on the site of the previous motor pool on Franklin Boulevard right before entering Springfield, offers better service to students than that of the state, Fleming said.
“We have a higher level of service through online tools, better vehicle availability, (we) are bigger in size, we are specialized at meeting University travel needs,” Fleming said.
The OSU motor pool began more than fifty years ago as the transportation support for the University’s field research. The program conducted a summer research program for approximately 170 students as the state’s Land Grant University.
Switching from state-owned vehicles to OSU-owned vehicles carries other perks with it as well.
“One of the coolest things about the system is that they come with their own trip kits,” said ASUO Accountant Lynn Giordano.
The trip kits include a variety of emergency supplies including flashers, water supply and first aid, which the ASUO previously had to supply.
Shawn Rubino, office manager of Club Sports, deals with the motor pool on close to a daily basis and has no complaints about the changes in the process.
“They have nice features, even 24-hour roadside assistance,” she said.
Rubino adds that they helped teams out before school started and were accommodating in last-minute situations. With 14 vehicles on the road last weekend and 26 scheduled for this weekend, Club Sports acts as one of the largest users of the service.
“There are more trucks and more options, especially for the teams that have to tow like crew and sailing,” she said.
Both entities are adjusting to the change with the University getting the procedures in place and OSU motor pool, never having set up a new motor pool site, experiencing the normal challenges of expansions to a new location, Fleming said.
“We’re over the bumps. We’re adding drivers, changing the look and feel of the Web site so that U of O students don’t feel out of place,” he said.
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