F.A.Q.

Riding in a vanpool will save you 40-75% of the cost of driving your own car. You will also shorten your commute time by traveling in an HOV lane, reduce stress, and make your commuting time productive by reading, working, or simply relaxing. Federal government employees (including DoD civilian and military) receive a subsidy of $125 per month to further lower the cost of vanpooling. Many contractors and private employers also provide a subsidy to their employees. Additionally, individual vanpool riders are eligible for significant tax savings. IRS Code §132(f) allows employers to provide a pre-tax transit benefit to their employees up to $125 per month from the employees paycheck toward the cost of vanpooling. This lowers the employee’s taxable income and their share of payroll taxes (FICA).

CXI is a full service vanpool company. Our monthly price includes a late model vehicle (usually an E350 15-passenger Ford van) all repairs and preventive maintenance and cleaning of the vehicle, and all fuel and parking costs. CXI will pick up the van to perform the maintenance and cleaning and provide the vanpool with a backup van to use while their van is being serviced.

No, as an individual rider (or as a group collectively) you are simply leasing your seat on the van on a monthly basis. Your monthly fare price is fixed and will not fluctuate if and when ridership fluctuates on your vanpool.

Our vanpools are set up on a simple month-to-month basis. If you decide at any point that you would like to discontinue the service, simply contact the office and we will refund the unused pro-rated portion of your payment calculated from the date your contact our office or the date you wish to stop riding, whichever is later.

Your monthly fare is paid by mailing a check payable to Commuter Express Inc. at P.O. Box 5429, Fredericksburg VA, 22403. If you are a federal employee, we accept transit benefit payments from the Smart Benefits Direct Deposit program and the TRANServe Debit Card program. For riders who receive the TRANServe Debit Card, you may pay your transit benefit portion by clicking this link. If you have any questions about the payment process, you may call our office at (540) 656-2770.

The vanpool group meets each day at a predetermined point that is central to the rider’s homes. This is usually a commuter lot, store or church where the riders can leave their cars for the day. Each evening, the van will be left at this location over night and on weekends.

The drivers on the van are members of the vanpool that have volunteered to assist with the driving. Usually, we have one or two primary drivers and several back-up drivers to help on the days that the primary drivers are absent. The drivers receive a credit towards their fare payment for each day they drive. Members of the vanpool are not required to be a driver, but each vanpool needs a sufficient number of drivers in order to operate.

CXI takes care of all repairs and cleaning of the van, including all scheduled preventive maintenance. Usually, the maintenance is completed on a weekday so CXI provides a back-up van to be used by the vanpool for that day.

We have a 24/7 emergency phone number you can always call for assistance in the unlikely event you have a mechanical problem.

CXI has comprehensive insurance coverage that includes Auto Liability, Comp/Collision, and Uninsured Motorist. If an accident occurs, our 24/7 emergency service will arrive to assist you.

CXI provides the vanpool a credit card to be used for purchasing fuel. Usually, the drivers take turns fueling the van once every three to four days as needed.

The van may only be used for the commute to and from work. It may not be used for personal use at any time during the day, evenings or weekends. The insurance policy we carry is specifically designed for vanpool companies and strictly limits how the vans may be used and when the policy applies. If the van were in an accident while being used at a time or location not related to the normal vanpool operation, it would be outside the scope of our insurance policy and the driver and CXI would be uninsured for that accident. Riders and drivers are not authorized to drive the van other than the one trip to and from work and to put fuel in the van.

The vanpool will run its normal schedule unless all of the riders agree to change the schedule on a particular day, which often happens around the holidays when many riders are absent. However, if you have to leave work early for an emergency or work late, you can use the FREE Guaranteed Ride Home Program (otherwise known as GRH). This program provides commuters who regularly (twice a week) carpool, vanpool, bike, walk or take transit to work with a FREE and reliable ride home when one of life’s unexpected emergencies arise. Commuters may take advantage of GRH up to four times per year to get home for unexpected emergencies such as a personal illness or a sick child. GRH can also be used for unscheduled overtime when your employer mandates that you must stay late. GRH is designed to rescue commuters who are worried about how they’ll get home when an emergency arises. Knowing there’s a guaranteed ride home allows one to use commuting options like vanpools with peace of mind and confidence. Best of all, the GRH service is FREE! Make sure you register for this program as soon as you join the vanpool so it is available when you need it. To register, call 1-800-745-RIDE (7433).

To join a van or take a free trial ride, call our office at 540-656-2770.

If you have 7 or 8 additional people that are willing to join you in the vanpool, we can usually get it on the road within 10 days.