Claim for Costs Incurred by Use of Privately Owned Vehicle

An employee of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), who used his privately owned vehicle in lieu of a common carrier, was denied reimbursement for mileage based on a DLA regional policy that stated that the use of a privately owned vehicle was incompatible with the performance of the mission for reasons of energy conservation. DLA filed an appeal of the earlier decision which allowed reimbursement for the travel, offering evidence that the DLA regional policy was a valid basis for denying the claim. However, the evidence stated that conservation could not be the sole determinant in disallowing expenses incurred by the use of privately owned vehicles. Accordingly, the employee was entitled to reimbursement for the expenses claimed, and the Claim's Group decision was sustained.