Volunteer Drivers Toolkit

Glossary

What Definitions Are Used?



In addition to the definitions listed below, there are many standard terms and acronyms used in the public transportation industry. National RTAP’s Transit Manager’s Toolkit and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Toolkit include glossaries with carefully compiled lists of those terms and acronyms. To clarify information in this Toolkit, the following definitions were used for specific terms:

Agent: A person authorized by an organization to represent or act for the organization.

Legally Constituted Organization (Sponsoring Organization): Organization that is responsible for all aspects of a volunteer program. Could be public, private, non-profit, or private-for- profit.

Volunteer Drivers: Those who volunteer to drive their own cars or organization owned vehicles.

Volunteer Auto Transportation (Volunteer Escort, Personally Owned Vehicles (POV)): Transportation provided by volunteers who drive their own vehicles. The volunteers may be reimbursed expenses by a Sponsoring Organization. This mode of transportation may be used as an alternative to regular specialized transportation or to supplement paid services.

Manager: The term “manager” is used throughout the Toolkit to designate the person who is ultimately in charge of the day-to-day operations of the volunteer transportation program.

Updated October 25, 2025