Garage Customers & Equipment¶
Keep the list of people and companies your garage works for, and the trucks, trailers and chassis you service for them, with a full service history per unit.
Overview¶
- Customers (Garage sidebar) lists your garage customers: a person (first and last name) with an optional company name, email, phone and Accountant Email.
- Equipment (Garage sidebar) lists the units you service. Each unit is a Truck, Trailer or Chassis and can have an Owner (Customer).
- The equipment form has a Decode button that fills Year, Make and Model from the VIN using the public NHTSA VIN decoder.
- Each unit has a Service History page with its work orders, Total Work Orders, Total Spent and Last Service.
- The customer's Accountant Email is added in CC on garage invoice, work summary and statement emails.
- Equipment can be disabled and enabled again. Garage customers and garage equipment are kept rather than deleted, so their history stays available.
- Both lists show only the office you are currently working in.
- Garage customers and garage equipment are separate from the freight Customers and Equipments pages. See How these differ from freight Customers and Equipments.
Quick Start¶
- Open the Garage: left menu Garage.
- In the Garage sidebar, click Customers New Customer. Enter the First Name and Last Name (required), plus Email, Accountant Email, Company Name if you have them, and click Create Customer.
- In the Garage sidebar, click Equipment New Equipment. Pick the Equipment Type, enter the Unit Number and VIN, click Decode to fill year, make and model, choose the Owner (Customer) and click Create Equipment.
- Back on Customers, click the button on the customer's row to start a work order for them.
- To see everything done on a unit, click the (Service History) button on its row in Equipment.
Access & Permissions¶
The Garage is an add-on. When it is not turned on for your installation, the Garage menu item does not appear and the Garage pages send you back to the dashboard.
| Role | Garage Customers (list, add, edit) | Garage Equipment (list, add, edit, disable/enable, service history) |
|---|---|---|
| Admin | Yes | Yes |
| Manager | Yes | Yes |
| Garage | Yes | Yes |
| Dispatch, Accountant, other roles | No | No |
Where to find it:
- Left menu Garage Garage sidebar Customers
- Left menu Garage Garage sidebar Equipment
- Back to TMS at the bottom of the Garage sidebar returns you to the freight side.
Current office
Garage customers and equipment belong to an office. The lists, the edit pages and the Service History page only show records of the office you are currently working in. With multiple offices, switch office to see another office's garage records. See User Roles for what each role can do elsewhere.
Garage Customers¶
The Customers list¶
The page header reads Customers — Manage garage customers, with a New Customer button on the right.
Tabs
| Tab | Shows |
|---|---|
| Active | Customers that are active (the default). Every customer you create is active. |
| Disabled | Customers that have been marked inactive. |
Search
Type in the Search customers... box and press Enter or click . The search matches part of the first name, last name or company name (not email or phone) and is not case sensitive. It searches within the tab you are on.
Columns
The list is sorted by last name, then first name, 25 customers per page.
| Column | Shows |
|---|---|
| Name | First and last name |
| Company | Company name, or - |
| Phone | Phone, or - |
| Email, or - | |
| Accountant Email | Accountant email, or - |
| Actions | The three buttons below |
Row actions
| Button | Tooltip | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| New work order for (name) | Opens a new work order with this customer already selected. See Garage Work Orders. | |
| Work summary for (name) | Opens the customer's work summary report. See Garage Reports. | |
| Edit (name) | Opens the customer form. |
When there are no customers in the tab, the list shows No customers yet — Add your first customer to start creating work orders. with a New Customer button.
Creating or editing a customer¶
- Click New Customer (or the button on a row to edit).
- Fill in the fields below.
- Click Create Customer (new) or Update Customer (edit). Click Cancel to go back to the list without saving.
The list shows Customer created successfully. or Customer updated successfully. If something is wrong, the form stays open with the errors in a red box at the top.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First Name * | Yes | |
| Last Name * | Yes | |
| No | Must be a valid email address if filled. Garage invoices, work summaries and statements are sent to this address. | |
| Phone | No | Free text |
| Accountant Email | No | Must be a valid email address if filled. Hint under the field: CC'd automatically on invoice and work summary emails. |
| Company Name | No | Shown in brackets after the name wherever a customer is picked (see below) |
| Notes | No | Free text |
The edit page title is Edit Customer: (name), and the form card heading reads Edit: (name).
Accountant Email
Use Accountant Email when invoices should also reach the customer's bookkeeper. It is added in CC on garage invoice emails and work summary emails, as the hint says, and also on garage statement of account emails (but not on a statement test send). The main Email stays in the To field.
How a customer's name is displayed¶
Outside the Name column of the Customers list (for example in the work order Customer search, the Owner (Customer) dropdown and the Owner column on Equipment), a customer appears as:
- First Last (Company Name) when a company name is filled in, for example Jane Smith (Smith Hauling)
- First Last when it is not
Fill in Company Name so customers with similar names are easy to tell apart.
Adding a customer from a work order¶
You don't have to leave the work order form to add a customer. On the work order form, the green button next to the Customer * field (tooltip Quick create customer) opens Quick Create Customer, which asks for First Name *, Last Name *, Phone and Company. Click Create & Select. If first or last name is empty you see First name and last name are required. The new customer is created in your current office, selected on the work order, and a Customer created message appears. The button is hidden while the work order is on a draft invoice, because the customer can't be changed then. Add the email and accountant email later from Customers.
Customers you no longer serve¶
Garage customers are kept with their work order history. To flag a customer you no longer serve for your team, add a note in Notes.
Garage Equipment¶
The Equipment list¶
The page header reads Equipment — Track trucks, trailers, and chassis, with a New Equipment button on the right.
Tabs
| Tab | Shows |
|---|---|
| Active | Enabled units (the default) |
| Disabled | Units you have disabled |
Type chips
Next to the tabs are three chips: Truck, Trailer, Chassis. Click one to show only that type within the current tab. The selected chip is highlighted. There is no "All" chip: to remove the type filter, click the Active or Disabled tab again.
Search
Type in the Search equipment... box and press Enter or click . The search matches part of the unit number, make, model, VIN or license plate and is not case sensitive. It searches within the tab you are on.
Columns
The list is sorted by type (alphabetically: Chassis, Trailer, Truck), then unit number, 25 units per page.
| Column | Shows |
|---|---|
| Type | A coloured badge: Truck (blue), Trailer (green), Chassis (orange) |
| Unit # | Unit number, or - |
| Year / Make / Model | For example 2019 Freightliner Cascadia, or - |
| VIN | VIN, or - |
| Plate | License plate, or - |
| Owner | The owner's display name (see How a customer's name is displayed), or - |
| Actions | The buttons below |
Row actions
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| (tooltip Service History) | Opens the unit's Service History page |
| Opens the equipment form | |
| (red, Active tab) | Disables the unit after you confirm Disable this equipment? in the Are you sure? dialog |
| (green, Disabled tab) | Enables the unit again, no confirmation |
When there is nothing to show, the list reads No equipment yet — Track trucks, trailers, and chassis serviced in your garage. with a New Equipment button.
Creating or editing equipment¶
- Click New Equipment (or the button on a row, or Edit on the Service History page).
- Fill in the fields below. Use Decode to fill year, make and model from the VIN.
- Click Create Equipment (new) or Update Equipment (edit). Click Cancel to go back to the list.
The list shows Equipment created successfully. or Equipment updated successfully. Errors appear in a red box at the top of the form.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment Type * | Yes | Truck, Trailer or Chassis. Starts on Select type... |
| Unit Number | No | Your or the customer's unit number |
| Year | No | A number; the field accepts 1970 to 2030 |
| Make | No | Placeholder e.g. Freightliner, Volvo |
| Model | No | |
| VIN | No | Placeholder Enter 17-character VIN, with the Decode button next to it |
| License Plate | No | |
| Odometer | No | A whole number, 0 or more. Also raised automatically from a work order's Odometer In (see below) |
| Owner (Customer) | No | The garage customer who owns the unit. Starts on No owner |
| Notes | No | Free text |
The edit page title is Edit Equipment: (unit name), and the form card heading reads Edit: (unit name).
Odometer updates from work orders
When you save a work order for this unit with an Odometer In value higher than the unit's current Odometer, the unit's Odometer is updated to that value automatically. A lower value never replaces it.
How a unit's name is displayed¶
Outside the list, a unit is shown as Type - Unit Number - Year Make Model, skipping the parts that are empty. For example Truck - 104 - 2019 Freightliner Cascadia, or just Trailer when only the type is set. The year is only shown when a make or model is filled in. On a work order, the selected unit also shows its owner after a dash: Truck - 104 - 2019 Freightliner Cascadia — Jane Smith (Smith Hauling).
VIN Decode¶
The purple Decode button (tooltip Decode VIN via NHTSA) looks the VIN up in the free public VIN decoder of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), directly from your browser.
- Type or paste the VIN in the VIN field.
- Click Decode. The button shows Decoding... while it waits (up to 10 seconds).
- If the decoder returns any of make, model or model year, the Year, Make and Model fields are filled in and a VIN Decoded message shows the result for 2 seconds.
- Check the values and click Create Equipment or Update Equipment. Decoding alone does not save anything.
| Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Please enter a valid VIN (at least 11 characters). | The VIN field is empty or shorter than 11 characters. Nothing is sent. |
| VIN Decoded — (year make model) | The fields were filled in. |
| VIN was found but no make/model/year data returned. Please enter manually. | The decoder answered but had no make, model or year for this VIN. |
| Unexpected response from NHTSA. Please enter vehicle details manually. | The decoder's answer could not be read. |
| Could not reach NHTSA VIN decoder. Please enter vehicle details manually. | The decoder could not be reached (no internet, blocked, or no answer within 10 seconds). |
Decoder coverage
NHTSA mainly covers vehicles sold in the U.S. A Canadian-market or older unit may decode only partly or not at all. You can always type the values yourself. The VIN itself is not checked for length or format when you save.
The Owner (Customer) dropdown¶
The Owner (Customer) dropdown lists active garage customers sorted by last name, shown with their display name. Adding a Company Name to your customers makes them easy to tell apart.
Adding equipment from a work order¶
On the work order form, the green button next to the Equipment field (tooltip Quick create equipment) opens Quick Create Equipment: Equipment Type * (if empty you see Equipment type is required.), Unit Number, Year, Make, Model and License Plate. Click Create & Select: the unit is created in your current office, selected on the work order, and an Equipment created message appears. When a customer is already selected on the work order, the new unit is linked to that customer as its owner. VIN, odometer and notes can be added later from Equipment. See Garage Work Orders.
Disabling and enabling equipment¶
- On the Active tab, click the red button on the unit's row.
- In the Are you sure? dialog (Disable this equipment?), click Yes, proceed.
- The list shows (unit name) disabled. and the unit moves to the Disabled tab.
To bring it back, open the Disabled tab and click the green button. The list shows (unit name) enabled.
A disabled unit:
- no longer appears in the work order Equipment search, so it can't be picked for new work orders,
- keeps its service history and stays on any existing work orders,
- can still be opened and edited from the Disabled tab.
There is no delete for garage equipment.
Service History¶
Click on a unit's row to open its page. The title is the unit's display name, with a type badge, the unit number and the VIN under it, and an Edit button on the right.
Detail cards
| Card | Shows |
|---|---|
| Year / Make / Model | For example 2019 Freightliner Cascadia, or - |
| Odometer | The unit's current Odometer (from the equipment form, or raised by a work order's Odometer In), with thousands separators, or - |
| License Plate | Plate, or - |
| Owner | Owner's display name, or - |
Stats
| Stat | How it is calculated |
|---|---|
| Total Work Orders | Every work order for this unit, in any status, including estimates |
| Total Spent | For all those work orders (including estimates and work orders not yet invoiced): parts (quantity × charge price) plus labour (hours × rate). It does not include the shop supplies fee, taxes or payments |
| Last Service | The most recent Date In of a work order that is not an estimate, for example Mar 04, 2026. Shows None when the unit only has estimates or no work orders |
Total Spent is not an invoiced total
Total Spent is the sum of parts and labour lines on the unit's work orders, not what was billed or paid. To see billed and paid amounts, use Garage Invoices or Garage Reports.
Service History table
Lists every work order for the unit, newest Date In first, 20 per page.
| Column | Shows |
|---|---|
| WO # | The work order number (for example #123), as a link to the work order |
| Date | Date In, or - |
| Description | The work order description, cut to 50 characters |
| Status | Estimate (yellow), Approved (blue), In progress (purple), Completed (green), Invoiced (grey) |
| Total | Parts + labour + Shop Supplies Fee of that work order, before taxes |
With no work orders, the table shows No service history for this equipment yet. Click Back to Equipment at the bottom to return to the list.
How these differ from freight Customers and Equipments¶
The Garage keeps its own customers and equipment. Nothing is shared or synced with the freight side.
| Garage | Freight | |
|---|---|---|
| Customers page | Garage sidebar Customers | Left menu Customers (Customers) |
| A customer is | A person (first and last name) with an optional company name | A company, with people (users) invited under it |
| Disable / delete customer | Customers are kept with their history | Available (see Customers) |
| Equipment page | Garage sidebar Equipment | Left menu Equipments (Equipment) |
| Equipment type | Fixed: Truck, Trailer, Chassis | Types you create under the Chassis, Truck or Trailer sub categories |
| Equipment is used on | Garage work orders | Freight orders (chassis and trailers only) |
| Tracks | VIN, plate, odometer, owner, service history | Inspection date, mechanical status, availability |
| Who can manage customers | Admin, Manager, Garage | Admin, Manager (Dispatch too when UTX support has turned this on for your account, see Customers) |
| Who can manage equipment | Admin, Manager, Garage | Admin, Manager, Dispatch, Customer Service |
Same truck in both places
If you service your own fleet in the Garage, enter the unit again under Garage Equipment (for example with your company as a garage customer and owner). Work orders, inspection dates and mechanical status are not copied between the two lists.
FAQ / Troubleshooting¶
How do I mark a garage customer we no longer serve?¶
Solution
Garage customers are kept with their work order history. Add a note in Notes so your team knows the customer is no longer active.
A unit doesn't show up when I search for it on a work order¶
Solution
The work order Equipment search only shows active units of your current office, and once a Customer is selected on the work order it only shows that customer's units (the Owner (Customer) must match). Check the Disabled tab on Equipment and enable the unit with the green button, set the unit's Owner (Customer) to the work order's customer, or switch to the office the unit was created in.
Decode says it could not reach NHTSA¶
Solution
The lookup runs from your browser to the public NHTSA service. Check your internet connection, and that your network or browser extensions don't block it, then try again. If it still fails, type Year, Make and Model yourself and save.
The accountant didn't get the invoice email¶
Solution
Open the customer from Customers and check the Accountant Email is filled and spelled correctly. It is added in CC only when the email is sent after it was saved.
Total Spent doesn't match the customer's invoices¶
Solution
Total Spent adds parts and labour of every work order on the unit, including estimates and work orders not yet invoiced, and leaves out the shop supplies fee and taxes. Invoices only cover invoiced work orders (an invoice can group several, possibly for other units) and can add taxes and discounts. See Service History.
Best Practices¶
Best Practices
- Fill in Company Name for every customer that is a business. It shows next to the name everywhere you pick a customer.
- Add an Accountant Email for customers whose bookkeeper should get invoices, so you don't have to forward them.
- Always enter the VIN and use Decode, then check the result. The VIN is also searchable on the Equipment list.
- Set the Owner (Customer) on every unit. On a work order, once a customer is selected, the Equipment search lists only that customer's units, so a unit without an owner won't show up there.
- Disable units that are sold or scrapped instead of leaving them active. Their service history is kept.
- Enter Odometer In on each work order. It keeps the unit's Odometer current automatically, so the Service History page shows the latest reading.