If the agreement status is currently set to Allocated then the menu option (and icon) Start Rental is available and enabled because this is the next logical process to be carried out in the agreement. If selected, the Start Rental form is displayed; this enables a number of details (some mandatory and some for memo purposes only) to be completed prior to starting the rental agreement. This process may be carried out immediately following the vehicle allocation or may be left until a time nearer to when the agreement is to start. This is ultimately an operational decision and may vary dependent upon particular hire circumstances.
Note: If the agreement is a third party brokered hire agreement then the system does not display the Start Rental form but simply omits this process and goes on to display the Print Agreement form.
Tip: If the selected agreement is a cash agreement then it may be necessary or even mandatory (dependent upon the set up of the selected Tariff Rate or certain System Parameters) that a cash deposit and/or rental hire payments are required to be taken prior to starting the rental agreement.
Before allowing the rental agreement to be started the system performs several checks to make sure that the agreement is in a suitable state for the vehicle rental to be started:
To Start a rental agreement:
From the Master Menu, select the Vehicle rentals option and Company required.
The VEHICLE RENTALS Menu is displayed.
Select the Reservations option.
The Reservations and Availability form is displayed.
Select the 
icon
or, alternatively, the Start Rental option from the
Agreement menu.
The Start Rental form is displayed;
This form is divided into three parts that are as follows:
In addition to displaying the form name the Title Bar provides a number of other useful identification criteria and buttons.
The Start Rental dialogue box contains the following fields:
Registration: Displays the registration number of the vehicle selected at the Allocation stage; this field is displayed for information purposes and cannot be edited within this form. The full vehicle description is also displayed immediately to the right of this field.
Offsite: Consists of two distinct fields. This is the offsite date and time for the vehicle rather than the start of rental rental invoicing period. The system holds two distinct sets of dates: the From and To dates (determined at the Booking stage) and the Offsite and Onsite dates. The latter two dates initially default from the From and To dates but may be changed to reflect if the vehicle actually leaves the depot/site earlier or later than the agreed hire period dates. In this way, the offsite/onsite times may be recorded (and the Offsite date recorded on the printed agreement) to assist in possible future disputes regarding speeding/parking fines, etc.
The
button may be used to invoke a monthly diary form in order to assist in establishing alternative date criteria. Selection of the < button moves to the previous month and the > button moves to the next month. Selection of Exit exits the diary form. A double-click on the appropriate day of the month enters this date into the appropriate date field. Tab or click with the mouse to move to the time field.
Tip: If the Use current date/time checkbox is ticked within the General 4 Tab within System Parameters then the system overrides any existing values and populates both the offsite date and time with the current date and time.
The second Offsite field displays the offsite start time. The system initially defaults-in the From time held within the Booking.
Onsite: Consists of two distinct fields. This is the vehicle return onsite date and time for the vehicle rather than the end of rental rental invoicing period. The system holds two distinct sets of dates: the From and To dates (determined at the Booking stage) and the Offsite and Onsite dates. The latter two dates initially default from the From and To dates but may be changed to reflect if the vehicle actually leaves the depot/site earlier or later than the agreed hire period dates. In this way, the offsite/onsite times may be recorded (and the Offsite date recorded on the printed agreement) to assist in possible future disputes regarding speeding/parking fines, etc.
The drop-down-arrow button may be used to invoke a monthly diary form in order to assist in establishing alternative date criteria. Selection of the < button moves to the previous month and the > button moves to the next month. Selection of Exit exits the diary form. A double-click on the appropriate day of the month enters this date into the appropriate date field. Tab or click with the mouse to move to the time field.
Tip: If the Use current date/time checkbox is ticked within the General 4 Tab within System Parameters then the system overrides any existing values and populates both the onsite date and time with the current date and time.
The second Onsite field displays the onsite start time. The system initially defaults-in the To time held within the Booking.
Odometer: The Out odometer reading is required, thus setting the reading for the start of the hire. The system will insist that the odometer reading is greater than or equal to that already recorded at the end of the last rental.
Tip: The system does not display the last recorded odometer reading automatically because it may be tempting for an operator to simply accept the reading at face value without the odometer reading being truly verified. However, on tabbing or clicking into the field, the last recorded odometer reading is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the form.
Fuel: The fuel tank status at the start of the hire; this field is used for memo purposes only (and may be selected to be printed on the agreement format). No fuel charge calculations are performed on this value. A code setting in the Method of logging fuel field within the General 2 Tab within System Parameters govern whether fuel readings are made in Litres, Gallons or Percentage of tank (the typical default setting is Percentage of tank.
Damage out: Enables input of a brief record (up to fifty characters) of any damage to the vehicle prior to when the hire starts. Rental companies often enter a value of See Checksheet within this field and in fact it is often set up within the Default agreement record so that the field is automatically populated.
Note: The following two fields are only displayed if a Tariff Rate is selected which contains values in the Fridge hours rate, Free fridge hours/day and Max free fridge hours/week fields.
Fridge diesel hours The system prompts for the last known diesel fridge hours value.
Tip: The system does not display the last recorded diesel hour reading automatically because it may be tempting for an operator to simply accept the reading at face value without the odometer reading being truly verified. However, on tabbing or clicking into the field, the last recorded fridge diesel hours odometer reading is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the form (this is taken from the Vehicle Rental record (MK.drveh) in the Fridge diesel hours field but this may be overridden with a greater value if required).
Fridge electric hrs The system prompts for the last known electric fridge hours value.
Tip: The system does not display the last recorded fridge hour reading automatically because it may be tempting for an operator to simply accept the reading at face value without the odometer reading being truly verified. However, on tabbing or clicking into the field, the last recorded fridge electric hours odometer reading is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the form (this is taken from the Vehicle Rental record (MK.drveh) in the Fridge electric hours field but this may be overridden with a greater value if required).
Tip: The current electrical fridge hour odometer reading value is continually stored and updated (via the Start Rental and Finish Rental processes within the agreement) against the Vehicle Rental record (MK.drveh) in the Fridge electric hours field. Both values are stored and used with the fields contained in the Tariff Rate table to calculate an excess fridge hours charge if applicable.
COMMAND BUTTONS:
OK: Confirms the data that is entered and returns the new or edited data to the appropriate fields within the agreement and Rental Vehicle record (MK.drveh). The agreement is now at an On-hire status. The system then prompts with the Print Agreement form; the printed agreement may contain some or all of the details entered within this form.
Tip: The Odometer, Damage Out and Fridge diesel hours/Fridge electric hrs values update the corresponding fields (Last rental mileage, Current damage, Fridge diesel hours and Fridge electric hours within the Rental Vehicle record (MK.drveh) so that this information may be used for the next hire agreement.
Cancel: Returns to the Agreement form without starting the rental agreement and abandoning any data amendments.
Help: Provides online access to context sensitive help for the current application using the default browser.
