Selection of the Relief Vehicle Details option from the Maintenance Control
form or the 
icon from the Toolbar opens the Relief Hire Vehicle Details form.
Alternatively, a single-right-click on an maintenance approval line within the
Approval Issue Tab also presents a Relief Vehicle Hire
menu option.
Companies that operate relief vehicles utilise this option to monitor the hire. It provides a basic booking in and out facility which can be reported on, in addition to allowing delivery and collection records to be raised. This function may also be used to monitor hires which take place with a preferred national supplier. Report Generator may be used to create reports based on relief hire vehicle data.
This option is not suited to occasional hires which take place with suppliers not normally used for relief vehicles.
The relief hire vehicle option only becomes available following an Approval Issue. This is based on the logic that if an approval is generated then it may be necessary to arrange for a relief vehicle. If an approval is not in the process of being created (i.e. an alternative option is currently being used within the Maintenance Control form) then the relief option is not required. Two conclusions follow from this:
This form is split into four 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 content of the Relief Hire Vehicle Details menu bar is dependent upon the particular process that is being accessed. The full menu bar contents, however, are as follows:
Save
Saves any amendments within the Relief Hire Vehicle Details form and returns to the Maintenance Control form.
Delete
Deletes the currently selected relief hire vehicle record.
Exit
Exits the Relief Hire Vehicle Details form saving any amendments and returns to the Maintenance Control form.
This menu option provides access to the following options:
This form enables the creation and subsequent administration of delivery records for a selected relief hire vehicle. This option only becomes available following completion of the vehicle Registration Number field.
This form enables the creation and subsequent administration of collection records for a selected relief hire vehicle. This icon only becomes available following completion of the vehicle Registration Number field.
Links directly to the Accident Maintenance form which is also available from the Maintenance Control form.
Provides online access to a context sensitive Help form.
As with the menu bar, the content of the Relief Hire Vehicle Details toolbar is dependent upon the particular process that is being accessed. The full toolbar contents, however, are as follows:
Exits the Relief Hire Vehicle Details form saving any amendments and returns to the Maintenance Control form.
Exits the Relief Hire Vehicle Details form without saving any amendments and returns to the Maintenance Control form.
Deletes the currently selected relief hire vehicle record.
This form enables the creation and subsequent administration of delivery records for a selected relief hire vehicle. This icon only becomes available following completion of the vehicle Registration Number field.
This form enables the creation and subsequent administration of collection records for a selected relief hire vehicle. This icon only becomes available following completion of the vehicle Registration Number field.
Provides online access to a context sensitive Help form.
The data fields contained within this dialogue box are described below:
Defaults in the name of the selected Supplier on the approval issue. If this supplier has tariff rates specified these are also is automatically defaulted-in to the Supplier Specific Tariff List Box.
Verification is performed to ensure that the selected repairer is acceptable for relief vehicle hire by using the repairer record and tariff rates linked to the selected repairer. A valid supplier is one who has the Relief Vehicles checkbox ticked within the Repairer Tab of Address Groups and has valid tariffs defined against it within the Tariff Records set-up in the Short Term Hire table within Miscellaneous Options. If the appropriate flags/tariff records do not exist then the system still allows the processing of a relief hire, if required, by presenting a list of all the existing alternative supplier tariff rates in the Alternative Supplier Tariffs List Box.
The contents if this list box differs depending upon the status of the selected supplier. If a valid supplier is selected then this list box becomes the Supplier Specific Tariff List Box and displays all of the valid tariffs for the selected supplier.
If a supplier is selected does not have any valid tariffs then this list box becomes the Alternative Supplier Tariffs List Box and displays a list of all the additional tariffs that have been set up within Tariff Records for alternative suppliers.
Selection is made with a single-click which highlights the required tariff.
The reason for hiring a vehicle is a mandatory field. Selection of the down-arrow button immediately to the right of the field, displays a list of available options from which to select. These are as follows:
- M Mechanical
- A Accident
- T Theft
- O Other/Third Party
- S Staff Allocation
The daily hire rate held against the Tariff Record. This value defaults-in automatically following selection of the required specific tariff above. The default value may, however, be edited.
Displays the Tariff Code. This value defaults-in automatically following selection of the required specific tariff above.
The registration number of the vehicle being hired. If the vehicle is coming from an external supplier and has never been used within the relief fleet before then the registration number should be manually keyed (it is subsequently added to the file and then "known" to the system and may be searched upon in the future). If the vehicle is on the internal fleet or is an external vehicle that has been hired before then, in addition to being able to manually key the registration number into this field, a search facility may be used. The search facility is activated by selection of the ellipsis button immediately to the right of this field. A sub-form is now displayed presenting the following options:
- Known Vehicles
This option is to be used to find an externally vehicle that has been hired previously.
Selection of this option displays a Known Vehicles search form that enables selection from the vehicles currently on the existing fleet. The cursor is located in the search field. Key part or all of the required repair code and select the Registration command button. Vehicles matching the entered criteria are displayed and, having selected the required record by highlighting with the mouse, the OK command button is used to confirm tis selection and return to the Relief Hire Vehicle Details form. The registration number and vehicle variant description are now displayed on the form.
- Specific Vehicle Diary
This option is to be used to find vehicles on the internal Vehicle Rental fleet which already have a relief vehicle entry that has not yet been invoiced.
Selection of this option displays a Specific Vehicle Diary search form that enables selection from the vehicles currently on the existing fleet. The cursor is located in the search field. Key part or all of the required repair code and select the Registration command button. Vehicles matching the entered criteria are displayed and, having selected the required record by highlighting with the mouse, the OK command button is used to confirm this selection and return to the Relief Hire Vehicle Details form. The registration number and vehicle variant description are now displayed on the form.
- Next Available
Internal Vehicle Rental fleet. This option prompts the user for an availability date. Following input of the required date the system responds with details of vehicles which have been booked, but not on the date specified.
Selection of this option displays a Next Available search form that enables selection from the vehicles currently on the existing fleet. The cursor is located in the search field. Key part or all of the required repair code and select the Registration command button. Vehicles matching the entered criteria are displayed and, having selected the required record by highlighting with the mouse, the OK command button is used to confirm this selection and return to the Relief Hire Vehicle Details form. The registration number and vehicle variant description are now displayed on the form.
- Abort
Returns to the Relief Hire Vehicle Details form without taking any action.
In the majority of circumstances, on completion of the registration number this field is automatically completed. If the field is blank (i.e. a new vehicle that has not been used within the Relief Hire Vehicle process) it should be completed with the manufacturer and model description.
There are two lines of hire notes, which may be used for any subsequent recharge invoice.
There are 3 fields that relate to the on-hire information, these are listed below:
Start date of the hire.
The time the hire is expected to start, based on a 24 hour clock.
The odometer reading of the hire vehicle at the start of the hire. If not known then leave as zero and complete at a later stage.
There are 3 fields that relate to the off-hire information, these are listed below:
- Date
End date of the hire. This date must be on, or after the on-hire date.
- Time
This is the time the hire ended, based on a 24 hour clock.
- Odometer
The odometer reading of the hire vehicle at the end of the hire. It must be greater than the odometer reading in the on-hire column.
The Off-Hire details are not to be completed until the vehicle actually comes off hire. The system does not post approval invoices related to relief hire vehicles until the Off-Hire details are completed.
Note: It has been stated that the hire of a relief vehicle must be done as part of issuing an approval. Within the Approval Issue Tab is the L Term checkbox. This field denotes long-term invoicing. If this checkbox is ticked a relief hire vehicle approval may be left open but is able to post multiple invoice (e.g. a weekly relief car hire invoice) until the checkbox is de-selected. Whilst the approval is open the same maintenance approval repair item line can be re-visited, the invoice number changed, and supplier invoices or customer recharge invoices posted to the same approval until the tick is removed from the L Term checkbox.