Custom Records

Create Custom Records to bring your real-world workflows into Fleetio in a structured and actionable way. They allow you to create a custom set of data and unlock the ability to manage accidents, tolls, and many other external and internal processes. You can also report on these workflows, leading to more data-driven decisions.

The result is a fleet operating system customized to your business needs, creating a central hub for your fleet processes and increasing efficiency.

Before You Begin

Custom Records are essentially a new module that you add to Fleetio and customize to your business needs. You can also connect Custom Records to built-in Fleetio record types, such as Vehicles, Tools, and Contacts.

How to Access Custom Record Management

You can access Custom Records in your Account Settings:

1. Navigate to your Account Menu and select Settings.
2. In the Account Settings sidebar, scroll to the Data Management section.
3. Select either Standard Records or Custom Records, which were previously grouped into one section called “Fleet Management.”
   1. Standard Records is where you can manage Fleetio's standard records, their fields, and page layouts for your account, as shown in the Field Management article. 
   2. Custom Records is where you can now manage custom records, their fields, associations, and form layouts for your account.
      

Create a Custom Record

To create a new Custom Record Type:

1. Click the Add Custom Record button.
2. Fill out the details for this record: 
   1. Icon: this will display on the left sidebar navigation.
   2. Singular name (e.g., Accident).
   3. Plural name e.g., Accidents): this will display in the main navigation. 
   4. Identifier/Key: this will auto-populate based on your form edits.
   5. Description of the record type (optional).
      
3. Click Save. 

Once you create a custom record, you must:

1. Add custom fields
2. Associate the custom record 
3. Build a form for the custom record 
4. Enable the record and add permissions

Add Custom Fields for a Custom Record

After you create the record, you have to add fields for that record.  

1. In a specific Custom Record, click Add Field in the upper right.
2. Define the data type for that field:
   1. Calculated: automatically calculates (adds, subtracts, multiplies, or divides) the value between two Currency or Number fields. 
   2. Checkbox: lists several items with boxes and allows someone to select multiple options. 
   3. Currency: represents a monetary amount, such as cost, price, or revenue. 
   4. Date: specifies the day, month, and year.
   5. Date & Time: specifies the day, month, and year as well as the second, minute, and hour. 
   6. Dropdown: lists several items in an expandable field and allows someone to select only one option. 
   7. Number: represents any non-monetary amount, such as a quantity. 
   8. Text: allows for any text, such as names or descriptions. 
      
3. If you select Currency or Calculated, you can check the Expense Field box to indicate that the field is a cost. Checking this box adds the following fields:
   1. Expense Type
   2. Expense Date
   3. Expense Vehicle Association
   4. Include in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), which is optional
4. Add description for the field (optional).
5. Add any restrictions for that field (optional):
   1. Required 
   2. Restrict access
6. Click Save to save the new field. 

Add Associations for the Custom Record

Associating allows you to view data from a Custom Record on another page; for instance, if you associate “Accidents” with Vehicles, it allows you to view things like the number of accidents, last accident date, or any other data from the Custom Record on the Vehicles page. 

Custom Records can be associated with standard records in the system, like Vehicles, Contacts, Vendors, and Tools. 

1. Select the Associations tab.
2. Click the Add Association button. 
   
3. Select your Association Type. 
    
4. Enter a Label for this association (e.g., Vehicle Name for accidents, or EZPass ID for tolls).
5. Add a description (optional). 
6. Select if this is Required or to Restrict Access (optional). 
7. Click Save. 

Administrators can rename associations using custom labels and configure primary associations to work with Record Sets to control what the end-user can view or edit. This means that users will only see records they already have access to within Fleetio. 

Design Your Form 

Custom Records include a drag-and-drop form builder experience in the Form Builder tab.

Admins can create custom sections, organize fields visually, and configure custom layouts for data capture.

Enable the Record and Add Permissions

To start using the Custom Record, you must:

1. Turn on the Custom Record by changing it from Disabled to Enabled. 
   
2. On the left sidebar, find User Access and navigate to Roles. 
3. Select the role you want to have access to the new record.
4. Scroll down to the bottom to find the name of your record (e.g., Accident). 
   
5. Adjust the permissions as you see fit.
6. Click Save to apply the changes. 

Using Custom Records

Once you create your first record, users will be able to access the custom record you created. You can also report on and use Custom Records within Automations. 

Navigate Custom Records

You can access Custom Records from the Navigation Sidebar.

Custom Records are similar to built-in records: 

• Custom Record index pages include a familiar Fleetio index experience with filtering, managed columns, pagination, and record actions. 
• Each Custom Record includes comments, documents, record history, photos, and delete functionality.
• All Custom Records automatically support CSV import/export, downloadable templates, and field mapping workflows. Customers can use empty templates or pre-filled templates.
• By clicking on the Custom Record tab you created, associated records automatically appear in related Fleetio entities. For instance, if you associated “Accidents” with Vehicles, an “Accidents” tab will now appear for your vehicles. 
• Automations can trigger using the data in Custom Records, allowing you to replicate complex workflows within Fleetio.

Report on Custom Records

One of the biggest advantages of Custom Records is the ability to analyze your fleet data in one place.

In Fleetio, you can use Custom Records as a filter for any dashboard widget. For instance, if you create a Custom Record to manage accidents, you can view how much these costs you by vehicle.

Examples

Custom Records are highly customizable. Even for the same use case, how it's configured will vary widely from company to company. If you're looking for inspiration, check out the examples below. 

Accident Management

To manage accidents, there are a few fields that are common across companies, including:

• Date of accident
• Driver name
• Location
• If someone was injured
• If the company was at fault

Depending on your use case, consider including information about the estimated and actual repair cost, police department and report number, weather conditions, or other drivers (if there are any). 

Some companies also include information for internal processes, such as the driver's supervisor and whether their internal safety department was contacted. 

Vehicles are the primary association for an accident custom record, but it's also standard to include Contacts for the driver, supervisor, and passenger. 

 

 

Toll Management

If you want to manage tolls within Fleetio, consider adding the following fields:

• Toll amount
• Toll pass number
• Entry and exit locations
• Entry and exit dates and times

Typically, Vehicles are the only association for this use case.