Depots, yard places and transfers with checks
Each depot keeps its own yard: on hire, inspection, turnaround, out of service, in transit and own use. Cars move between those places by themselves as they go out, come back and are checked. You move cars between depots with a check at both ends.
PLANSEvery plan
The problem it solves
- The yard says a car is ready, but it came back an hour ago and nobody has looked at it.
- A car is driven to another branch and no one records the fuel or the scratches on the way.
- You cannot say how many cars are actually in each depot this morning.
- Cars taken for staff use or waiting for parts still show as free to book.
How it works
- Make each depot under Rental > Configuration > Places and Items > Branches with its code, Branch Manager, opening hours and address.
- Choose the depot's Warehouse on the Yard tab. The six yard places are made under it by themselves (or press Make Yard Locations).
- A car going out moves to On Hire, and one coming back to Inspection. A signed return check sends it to Turnaround, or to Out of Service when a point failed. Press Ready after cleaning and it is back in the yard and bookable.
- To move a car, open Rental > Vehicles > Availability > Depot Transfers > New: item, From, To, Reason, Planned For and Driver.
- Dispatch it. Where you have a Transfer check template, the dispatch check opens and the car is In Transit once it is signed. At the other depot press Receive: the receipt check, then the car is in that depot's yard.
Everything it does
Depots
- Name, Code (shown on orders and the board, used once per Entity), Branch Manager, Opening Hours, Address, phone, email
- Branch Manager gets the depot's to-dos, such as papers about to expire
- Items tab with the depot's cars and machines
Yard places
- In the Yard, On Hire, Inspection, Turnaround, Out of Service, In Transit and Own Use
- Only cars In the Yard are ready to book
- With a warehouse and a serial, every move is also a stock move of that serial, so stock shows where each car is
Out of service and own use
- Out of Service / Own Use on the item: reasons Breakdown, Damage, Service Due, Statutory Check / Papers, Waiting for Parts, Written Off, Other
- Expected Back makes a block, so no booking takes the car until then
- Refused while the car is on hire: bring it back or swap it first
- Back in Service opens the Return to Service check when you have a template. The car is back in the yard once it is signed with nothing failed
- Back from Own Use sends the car to Turnaround
Blocks
- Times an item cannot be hired: Maintenance, Out of Service, Own Use, Held for a Customer, Other
- A block that clashes with a booking is refused
- Shown on the planning board
Depot transfers
- Planned, In Transit, Received or Cancelled, with a number of its own
- Dispatch only from the yard or turnaround
- Dispatch Check and Receipt Check from your Transfer template; without one, each step is done at once
- Cancel only before it leaves
- Filters Not Received and In Transit
Who uses it
Rent ManagerSets up depots, their warehouses and the check templates.
Yard staffMark cars Ready, take them out of service and back, dispatch and receive transfers.
DriverDrives the transfer and does the dispatch and receipt checks in the Staff app.
Branch ManagerGets the depot's to-dos and sees its cars.
Where you use it
- Web: Rental > Configuration > Places and Items > Branches; Rental > Vehicles > Availability > Depot Transfers and Blocks; the buttons on each item
- The SmartMy Rental Staff app: Vehicles > Availability > Depot Transfers with Dispatch and Receive, each with its check. Ready, Out of Service and Back in Service on a car. Built and in testing, not in the app stores yet)
- Not a ready-made transfer check: the product brings handover and return templates; make a Transfer template to check cars between depots
What you control
Settings
- Warehouse per depot: none to start with; choosing it makes the yard places
- Check templates of kind Transfer and Return to Service: none to start with
Notifications
- No customer message: transfers and yard moves are internal
Questions
Do we need to use stock to run depots?
No. A depot works without a warehouse. With one, each car is also a serial in stock, and you see it move between yard places and depots.Can a car be booked while it waits in turnaround?
A car is not ready until someone presses Ready after cleaning, so it is not given to a class booking or sent out. You can still take a booking for later dates on the planning board.What stops a car out of service being booked?
Set Expected Back when you take it out of service. That makes a block until then, and any booking in that time is refused.Can a driver do the transfer checks on the phone?
Yes. The SmartMy Rental Staff app has Depot Transfers with Dispatch and Receive, each opening its check. The app is built and in testing, not in the app stores yet.Related features
FLEET AND DEPOTSVehicles and machines in classes, self-drive or with driverEvery car, van or machine is its own bookable item, grouped in classes your customers recognise. Each item says whether it goes out self-drive, with your driver or operator, or both, and what a driver needs to hire it.FLEET AND DEPOTSVehicle papers with expiry datesKeep the registration, insurance, permits, fitness and other papers of every car and machine with their numbers, dates and files. The depot manager is reminded before each one expires, and an expired paper stops the car going out.CHECKSHandover and return checks with photos, meters and signaturesEvery handover and return runs through a check from your own template. Check points are cards by team, answered with one tap. The check also takes required photo angles, meter readings, the item list and damage marks. Each team signs its part, and the customer signs last. The new check starts from the last one, so readings show their value before and known damage is already listed. The signed report goes to the customer as a PDF.FLEET AND DEPOTSNew cars into the fleet: fit-out parts, Go Live and QR labelsBring a new car or machine into the fleet in one record: model, serial, plate, depot and the parts fitted to it. Go Live makes the fleet vehicle and the bookable item at once. Print a QR label so staff open the car with one scan.CUSTOMERSThe SmartMy Rental Staff app for the yardCounter and yard staff run the day from a phone. They see what goes out, comes back, is called off or overdue. They handle each car by QR scan, depot transfers and deliveries. Every handover and return check is done on the phone, with photos, readings, damage and signatures.CUSTOMERSFleet dashboardTwo ready-made dashboards open first in SmartMy Rental. Dashboard shows what is out, what goes out next, what is called off and what is not ready. Fleet shows the yard: ready, on hire, in turnaround, out of service, and papers by type.
See your fleet on it.
Tell us how many cars or machines you hire out, from how many depots, and how bookings reach you today. We will set up your fleet with you on SmartMy Rental.