The director, subject to the State Civil Service Act, shall appoint such personnel as is necessary to perform the following duties:

(a) Watch the movements of all state freight.

(b) Audit all freight and other transportation bills involving state shipments in order to determine the most advantageous and economical shipping rates which can be secured via carrier or carriers whose drivers and supporting personnel are operating under current collective-bargaining agreements or who are maintaining the prevailing wages, standards and conditions of employment for its driver and supporting personnel employees and to determine what refunds may be due the state on completed shipments.

(c) Furnish upon request from any state source the proper routing and tariff description of a given shipment in order to assure the state of the lowest applicable freight charge commensurate with the provisions of Section 14920.

(d) Establish and maintain such files as may be necessary to expedite shipments, secure special movements, trace and recover strayed and delayed shipments, and divert and reconsign shipments.

(e) Perform such other duties as may be necessary to the efficient discharge of the rate control function.

The amendments to this section during the 1975–76 Regular Session, shall not apply to any contract, including those that may be renewed periodically, which affects the wage rates of supporting personnel until the end of the renewal period or the end of the contract, whichever first occurs.

(Amended by Stats. 1975, Ch. 1174.)