Driving Instead of Flying to TDY

If you want to drive your own car instead of flying to an Air Force TDY, resolve the transportation decision before departure. The key questions are whether driving is authorized as advantageous to the government, what cost comparison is required, and how much travel time and reimbursement your authorization allows.

Driving by personal preference instead of the authorized transportation mode can limit reimbursement. Having your car at the destination may be useful, but that benefit alone does not establish what the government will pay. JTR paragraphs 020203 and 020210

This guide addresses ordinary TDY travel by privately owned automobile, or POV. The JTR considers all POV use a personal choice; the reimbursement distinction is whether that use is advantageous to the government. A traveler cannot be directed to use a POV or ride in another TDY traveler's POV. JTR paragraph 020210. It does not cover PCS mileage, evacuation exceptions, or substituting a POV for an available government vehicle. That last situation has separate rules in JTR Table 2-9.

Start with the transportation decision

Before comparing costs, read the transportation arrangements in your authorization and ask which of these situations applies:

The approving official considers more than the ticket price. The JTR lists factors including mission requirements, transportation availability, local logistics, additional travel time and overall cost. Personal choice must not be the sole determining factor for authorization. JTR paragraph 020203-A and B

Understand the distance rules before assuming you need a worksheet

For a private automobile or motorcycle, JTR Table 2-10 treats official distances of 400 miles or less one way, or 800 miles or less round trip, as advantageous to the government and states that no cost comparison is required under that rule. The table uses official distance, not simply the route you prefer in a navigation app. Longer travel calls for the applicable case-by-case determination. JTR Table 2-10

This does not mean you can ignore your authorization or local routing process. Ask your travel support team which rule applies to your actual itinerary, particularly if it includes multiple destinations or a different authorized transportation mode.

What a constructed travel worksheet does

A constructed travel worksheet, or CTW, helps compare travel using your proposed method with the authorized or otherwise applicable transportation option. The JTR allows the DTMO worksheet or a similar locally approved form for relevant cost comparisons. JTR paragraph 020203-A3 and paragraph 020210

For a POV used instead of the authorized mode, the comparison is not simply gasoline versus the cheapest airfare found online. It can involve POV mileage and related expenses on one side, and the policy-constructed transportation cost and applicable related costs on the other. The JTR identifies items such as ticket cost, the TMC fee and eligible associated transportation costs; a rental car belongs in the comparison only when authorized and necessary. JTR paragraph 020210 and Table 2-11

Use the current official worksheet instructions and your travel office's guidance. Do not add hypothetical rental cars, parking or other costs just to make driving appear cheaper. Ask which airfare basis and supporting documentation are required rather than substituting a personal booking-site quote.

Reimbursement can be capped when driving is not advantageous

When POV use is not advantageous to the government, the JTR limits reimbursement for official-distance mileage and related travel expenses to the applicable policy-constructed cost of the authorized option. JTR paragraph 020210 and Tables 2-10 and 2-11

For illustration, suppose the applicable comparison produces these amounts:

The $250 difference would not be reimbursed under that comparison. If the eligible POV amount were $350 instead, the comparison would not create an automatic $450 transportation payment; the lower eligible amount would apply.

These figures are invented. They exclude per diem and assume a scenario where the constructed-cost limitation applies. They do not establish the mileage rate or limit for your trip.

Extra driving days are a separate question

Ask about authorized travel time before planning overnight stops. The JTR says that when a traveler elects a transportation mode other than the one authorized, allowable travel time is limited by the authorized mode. Time that is not official travel must be accounted for under the applicable personnel rules. JTR paragraph 020302

For a POV comparison when you use a different mode from the one authorized, the JTR also addresses the per diem the government would have incurred under the authorized transportation mode. Do not assume each additional driving day creates another reimbursable hotel night and full meal allowance. JTR paragraph 020210, cost-comparison provisions

If you want to add leave or make personal stops, resolve those dates and arrangements through your unit before travel. A reasonable personal road-trip schedule and the official reimbursable itinerary are not necessarily identical.

Explain why a vehicle matters at the destination

If having a vehicle supports the mission, describe the actual need. Useful facts might include the locations of lodging and training, the duty schedule, available transportation and required equipment. Those are more informative than simply saying you would rather have your own car.

A factual request could read:

I would like to use my POV for this TDY. Could you confirm whether it would be considered advantageous to the government, whether a cost comparison is needed, and which travel days and reimbursement limits would apply? The transportation needs at the destination are described below.

Then provide the actual circumstances. A school's suggestion to bring a vehicle can be relevant information, but it does not by itself establish the transportation allowance in your authorization.

Gather these items before deciding

• Your official destination or destinations and authorized travel dates.
• The transportation mode currently authorized.
• The official distance used for the travel calculation.
• Current worksheet instructions or the locally approved comparison form, if needed.
• Supporting information for the applicable transportation costs.
• Actual mission-related reasons for having a vehicle.
• Your proposed driving schedule and any requested personal time.
• Written clarification of the approved arrangements and reimbursement limits.

Once the decision is made, confirm that your travel documents reflect it. If reservations already exist, coordinate changes through the proper travel process and retain the confirmations.

Coordinate arrival questions with your class

Members heading to the same course can discuss practical questions before arrival: how they will get from lodging to training, which transportation details the school has provided, and what needs clarification.

TDY Spy is being built to connect Air Force members heading to the same class. The aim is to help classmates discuss how to get from lodging to training and which arrival details still need clarification. Your travel support team and approving official decide the transportation arrangements and reimbursement rules for your trip.

Common questions about driving to TDY

Is reimbursement always limited to the plane ticket price?

No. The applicable rule depends on the scenario, including whether POV travel is advantageous to the government. Where a constructed-cost limit applies, the policy-defined comparison can include eligible related transportation costs, not merely a ticket price.

Does a cheap drive guarantee that it will be approved?

No. Cost is part of the decision, alongside mission requirements, available transportation, productive time and other relevant factors in JTR paragraph 020203.

Do I get mileage and extra travel days automatically?

No. Reimbursement and authorized travel time must be assessed under their respective rules. Confirm both before choosing to drive.