What does “available” mean in fleet management software?

The definition must be configured by the organisation. It can combine the absence of a booking, completion of preparation tasks, known condition, and the presence of accessories. This status must not be presented as a regulatory authorisation to use the machine.

How do you avoid a double booking?

The system can detect overlaps for the machine and its associated resources, then block or warn according to the chosen rules. You should also allow for transport and preparation margins, which are often missing from a simple calendar.

Should maintenance be scheduled in the same calendar?

At a minimum, its periods of downtime must be visible when assigning equipment. The detail of the work can stay in a dedicated module, provided its dates, postponements and closures clearly update availability.

Can a hired machine be scheduled?

Yes, provided the contract period, delivery, return, configuration and update responsibilities are represented. Appearing in the schedule does not mean Trackary hires out the equipment or guarantees the supplier's service.

Which metric should be tracked first?

The number of late reschedules, broken down by reason, is often more actionable than an overall utilisation rate. It shows whether the difficulties come from requests, returns, maintenance, documents or insufficient capacity.

Road-rail equipment scheduling and availability

Model

Distinguish free, available, compatible and authorised

The calendar first answers a question of time: is the machine already assigned? Operations raise other questions. Is the requested configuration present? Is maintenance scheduled? Do the tracked documents and inspections match the mission? Does a reservation require a decision?

These dimensions must stay separate. Software can calculate that no booking overlaps the period and flag missing information. It cannot conclude on its own that the machine is authorised to work. The designated person reviews the data, applies the procedures and records their decision.

Concept	Question	Useful data	Decision
Free	Is there a date overlap?	Known bookings, transport and downtime	Scheduling calculation or alert
Available	Can the equipment be prepared in time?	Maintenance, previous return, accessories and location	Fleet manager confirmation
Compatible	Does the configuration match the qualified request?	Family, equipment, limits and mission context	Validation per the business process
Authorised	Are the applicable requirements and human decisions satisfied?	Documents, inspections, competences, procedures and restrictions	Competent person as defined by the organisation

A single colour cannot summarise four decisions

Showing separate indicators makes it possible to understand a blockage. A single overall status with no stated reason invites misinterpretation and makes the decision hard to audit.

Workflow

Route a qualified request before assignment

A vague request pushes the planner to choose a machine out of habit. The initial form should contain only the data that changes the decision: period, site, task, family or expected capacity, configuration, accessories, transport and contact. Information not yet known should be explicitly marked as to be confirmed.

Trackary centralises the request and the schedule around the machine record. The manager sees planned jobs and the known history, then applies the checks configured by their organisation. This centralisation reduces scattered exchanges; it does not guarantee the physical availability of equipment that has not been recorded, nor its suitability.

Qualify Describe the mission and the constraints that affect the choice, with an identifiable requester.
Propose Filter machines by period, family, configuration and location, without hiding alerts.
Check Review tracked deadlines, maintenance, reservations, previous return and required accessories.
Decide Assign the equipment, justify any exception under the procedure, or refuse the request.
Prepare Create the actions, documents and checks expected before departure.
Review Keep the previous choice and the reason when an incident requires a new assignment.

Handling incidents

Handle overlaps, delays and downtime without losing context

Real conflicts are not just two overlapping bars. A return can leave too little time for transport or preparation. A single accessory can be promised to two machines. Maintenance can slip, or a field inspection can trigger downtime during the mission.

The schedule must show the cause of the conflict, who is responsible for the action, and the date of the last update. When an assignment changes, the team must know which mission is affected, who has been told, and which preparation tasks have been reassigned.

Time conflict

Overlap, insufficient transport margin, or a return not confirmed before the next departure.

Resource conflict

An accessory, operator, means of transport or workshop slot unavailable at the same time.

Status conflict

A reservation, maintenance, an expected document or a scheduled inspection that prevents normal preparation.

Working checklist

✓ The blockage is attached to the relevant machine, mission or resource.
✓ The source of the information and its update time are visible.
✓ Someone is responsible for confirming, correcting or deciding.
✓ Downstream missions are identified before a booking is moved.
✓ The requester receives the new equipment, the new time, or an explicit refusal.
✓ The reason for the change stays in the history once resolved.

Management

Set up a short ritual and measure the causes of unavailability

A schedule that is accurate on Monday can become wrong on Tuesday if no one confirms returns and downtime. A daily ritual, or one adapted to the pace of operations, reviews upcoming departures, late returns, new reservations and unassigned preparation tasks.

Metrics should help remove recurring causes. You can track rescheduled requests, late assignments, downtime hours by reason, or departures prepared with missing information. These figures are only comparable if statuses and reasons are defined consistently.

Show a short horizon for action and a longer horizon to plan maintenance and capacity ahead.
Have returns confirmed by the team that actually checks the equipment's condition.
Separate technical, documentary, logistical and contractual unavailability.
Analyse late changes by their cause, not just by utilisation rate.
Review transport and preparation margins based on observed data.

The schedule reflects known data

Trackary keeps the recorded assignments, checks and reports. Information that is missing, late or incorrect can make the schedule misleading; responsibility for updates must be explicit.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and limits of this guide

SNCF Réseau — Checking the compliance of your works vehicles ↗ Background source on a process distinct from booking; it helps avoid confusing calendar availability with machine compliance.
INRS — Periodic inspections: employer obligations ↗ Reference points on inspections and responsibilities to keep separate from a simple scheduling status.
SNCF Réseau — RFN-IG-SE 09 B-00 No. 001, version 7 ↗ Specific operating rule available on the EPSF portal, to be applied within its scope; it illustrates the importance of qualifying the machine and its conditions of use before assignment.
Software centralises information and gives form to a process defined by the organisation. It does not replace regulatory analysis, physical inspection or the decision of a competent person.
The availability shown depends on the bookings, returns, maintenance, documents and reservations actually recorded at the time of viewing.