Rental · software
Equipment rental software: manage the rentals or manage the maintenance?
Equipment rental software can mean two different tools. Rental management software handles bookings, contracts, quotes and invoicing. Fleet maintenance software handles returns, defects, VGP inspections, servicing and technical availability. Trackary belongs to the second family: rental is not the core of the tool, which does no quotes or invoicing.
When people search for "equipment rental software", they sometimes want to invoice rentals and sometimes to keep a rental fleet in good condition. These are not the same tools, and a rental company often needs both.
Two families of tools behind the same search
The word "rental" mixes two needs. The first is commercial: knowing which machine is booked for which customer, drawing up the contract and invoicing. The second is technical: knowing what condition the machine comes back in, whether it is up to date with its inspections, and when it can go out again.
| Question | Rental management software | Fleet maintenance software |
|---|---|---|
| Which machine is booked for which customer? | Yes, it is its core job | No |
| Contract, quote, invoice | Yes | No |
| When is the next VGP inspection due? | Depends on the vendor | Yes |
| What was found when the machine came back? | Depends on the vendor | Return check, defect with photo and severity |
| Who repairs it, and when is the machine available again? | Depends on the vendor | Job, assigned technician, return to service |
What rental management software does
It is a commercial management tool. In general, it covers the customer journey, from the request to the invoice. Trackary is not part of it.
- Booking schedule and commercial availability of machines
- Quotes, contracts and rental terms
- Planned deliveries and returns
- Invoicing and payment follow-up
What maintenance software for a rental fleet does
A rental company hands its machines to different customers, often on remote sites. Between two rentals, each machine must be checked, repaired if needed and kept up to date with its inspections. Fleet maintenance software keeps a record of all this, machine by machine.
- Check on return, with the points to verify that you define
- Defects reported with photo and severity, followed until the machine returns to service
- VGP and maintenance deadlines, with alerts before the date
- Hour meter and usage-based maintenance
- Full history of each machine, from servicing to work reports
Why a rental company should look after the technical side
A rental company must be able to show that its equipment is up to date with its inspections. For a used lifting appliance that is hired out and does not need a special support, the order of 1 March 2004 (article 15) provides that the user establishment's manager must check with the hirer that the commissioning inspections and the periodic general inspections have been carried out. It also provides that the instruction manual, the copies of the first commissioning report and of the latest periodic inspection report, and the history of the periodic inspections carried out, are placed on the appliance or nearby.
INRS brochure ED 6339 describes the documents to make available to the customer, in particular a copy of the first commissioning inspection report, a copy of the latest periodic inspection report and the instruction manual. It adds that, if the hired equipment is maintained by the user company, the maintenance logbook must also be made available.
A rental company that follows its deadlines and reports machine by machine can answer this request quickly. It is a technical organisation that rental management software does not necessarily cover. For your specific case, check the applicable rules with your inspection body.
When a rental company needs both tools
The two families complement each other. Here is a typical sequence for a hired machine:
- The rental software handles the booking, the contract and the invoice.
- Before departure, the machine's file (VGP up to date, reports, manual) is checked in the maintenance tool.
- On return, a check is made and defects are recorded with photo and severity.
- If needed, a job is scheduled and a technician assigned; the machine goes out again once the defect is dealt with.
- The next VGP date is monitored so that an appliance is never hired out past its deadline (who does what between rental company and customer: VGP inspections of rented equipment).
What Trackary covers for a rental company, and what it does not do
Trackary covers the technical side of the fleet: a record per machine, hour meters, configurable inspections and deadlines (VGP and others) with alerts, defects reported from the field with photo and severity, a job schedule with technicians assigned, a mobile app for the field, work reports and a maintenance logbook per machine. Trackary costs €14 excl. VAT per active machine per month (€11 above 50 machines), unlimited users, with a 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
Rental is not the core of Trackary: no quotes or invoicing. It offers QR labels; it does not read telematics devices or GPS. It does not carry out VGP inspections and certifies nothing: that check remains the job of an inspection body or a qualified person, and responsibility stays with the employer.
If you already use rental software, raise it during the demo to see how to split the work between the two tools. For railway equipment, the guide road-rail equipment hire software describes the departure and return file, and the road-rail equipment hire checklist gives its check points. To compare fleet tracking tools, see equipment fleet management software; for inspection deadlines, VGP inspection tracking software.
How to choose in five questions
- What is your main problem: invoicing, or keeping the fleet in good condition?
- What should the tool produce: a contract and an invoice, or a list of deadlines and a history?
- Are VGP inspections, return checks and defects with photos covered, including on a site with no network?
- Can the vendor show you the tool on your own machines, during a demonstration?
- Can you try it first on a small batch of machines before migrating everything?
For servicing, VGP inspections and returns on your rental fleet, try Trackary free for 30 days, no credit card required; for contracts and invoicing, you will need rental management software. Free trial ↗