Equipment · mobile app
Equipment management app
An equipment management app is the mobile version of fleet tracking software, used by technicians directly in the field: machine record, today's jobs, fault reporting, job report. A good app stays usable offline on a site without network coverage, with data syncing automatically once the connection returns.
A web dashboard is of no use to a technician alone on a site without network coverage. Here is what an equipment management app must deliver in the field, and how it works alongside office-based tracking.
Trackary is fleet management and maintenance (CMMS) software for construction equipment, aerial work platforms, forklifts and road-rail vehicles. It tracks VGP inspections, schedules maintenance and jobs, and lets the field report faults. It runs in the browser, on desktop as well as on a phone; the offline-capable mobile app is not yet published on the App Store or Google Play. It is quote-based. It does not carry out inspections and does not grant certification.
Mobile app and web software: two complementary uses
An equipment management app does not serve the same purpose as web software used in the office. The web side is for preparing and overseeing: creating a machine record, setting up a deadline, viewing the whole fleet, exporting a report. It requires a connection.
The mobile app, for its part, is for the field: a technician finds today's jobs there, the record of the machine they are working on, and can report a fault or fill in a job report directly from their phone, without going back to the office.
These two uses must work together: what is set up in the office must be visible on mobile, and what is entered in the field must flow back automatically once the connection is restored.
What an equipment tracking app must deliver in the field
A construction equipment management app that is useful day to day covers several specific technician needs.
- View the day's jobs assigned to them
- Open a machine's full record: category, fleet number, hour meter, history
- Report a fault with a photo, the part concerned and a severity level (minor or major)
- Fill in a job report with checkpoints, observations and signature
- View the maintenance logbook and documents linked to the machine
Offline operation: the point most often overlooked
On site, a lack of network coverage is common. An equipment tracking app that only works online then becomes unusable exactly when it is needed most. There is an important distinction to check before choosing a tool.
This distinction avoids a common disappointment: thinking an app “works offline” when in fact only viewing already-loaded data is possible without a network, while any new information (a new machine, a new deadline) must be created from the web, while connected.
| Situation | What happens in practice |
|---|---|
| Before heading to site | A connection is needed to load data (today's jobs, machine records) onto the phone |
| Once on site, without a network | Already-loaded data stays viewable; entries and photos are saved on the device |
| Once the network returns | Entered data (reports, faults, photos) syncs automatically |
| Web dashboard | Requires a connection to be viewed or updated by the office team |
Free or paid app: where the limits lie
Some equipment tracking apps offer a free version, often limited in the number of machines, users or features (no real offline mode, no photos, no scheduling). For occasional use or a very small fleet, free tools exist as a complement: printable PDF checklists to use before operating a machine, or a PDF maintenance logbook, allow simple paper-based entry in the field without an app.
These free tools have a clear limit: no automatic syncing, no alerts, and manual re-entry in the office if you want to centralise information. A dedicated app becomes worthwhile once several technicians work on the same fleet and information needs to flow back without re-entry.
Equipment management tool or generic construction site app: what's the difference
Generic construction site apps exist, geared towards work scheduling or document management, which do not necessarily cover precise tracking of an equipment fleet: hour meters, regulatory deadlines, machine-by-machine history. Before choosing an equipment management tool, it is worth checking that it treats the machine as an entity tracked over time, and not just as a line in a site schedule.
Conversely, an app designed for equipment tracking is not meant to replace a broader site management tool (budget, subcontractors, work schedules). The two can coexist, each within its own scope.
Trackary's mobile app
Trackary offers a mobile app for technicians, designed for the field: today's jobs, full machine record, fault reporting with photo and severity level, and a job report with checkpoints, observations and signature. It works offline once data has been loaded: you need to connect and load the information before heading out, then entries and media saved in the field are synced once the network returns.
The web dashboard, used in the office, requires a connection and lets you prepare machine records, set up deadlines, schedule jobs by technician, and export reports as PDF. Both work together, on the same fleet data, for the construction equipment and road-rail categories tracked by Trackary.
Trackary is quote-based, after a 30-minute video demo, with no commitment. A 30-minute video demo is available, with no commitment.
What the Trackary app does not do
The Trackary app does not carry out VGP inspections itself and does not certify anything. It does not offer GPS tracking of the machine, no QR codes, no parts stock management, and it does not handle invoicing or hire.
The Trackary mobile app tracks your technicians' jobs and faults, even offline on site: request a 30-minute video demo. Request a demo →