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The question of who had a company car on a given day is answered by a log of issues and returns, in which every issue has a person, a time and the condition of the vehicle. Without such a log you are left reconstructing it from memory and diaries, which usually means no answer at all. The question tends to come up at the worst moment: after a speed camera fine, after a scrape in a car park, or after someone has brought the car back with an empty tank and a scratch. In TraxSystem the log of company car issues and returns is kept by the Fleet module.
What a vehicle issue log must contain
| Item | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Who took it | answers the question of who had the vehicle |
| When it was taken and returned | lets you attribute an incident to the right person |
| Mileage reading | mileage per person, the basis for settlements |
| Fuel or battery level | shows up a vehicle returned empty |
| Notes and damage | a scratch reported at return is a different matter from a scratch found a week later |
The most important moment in the log is the return. Everyone records the issue, because without it they don’t get the keys, but the return tends to get skipped, even though it decides whether the data is any use at all.
Declarations signed at issue and return
Some things are best collected as a declaration signed at issue or return: confirmation of the vehicle’s condition, acceptance of the rules of use, a damage report. The signature is given on screen, and the document stays in the system with its date. There is no separate paper trail, and when there is damage what counts is whether the document can be found at all.
The issue log is kept by the Fleet module, priced by the number of vehicles, with a limit that grows with the size of the base package. Signatures at issue and return are handled by a separate Declarations module. You can work out what both cost for your fleet in the pricing configurator.
Fleet alerts: fuel, inspections and unreturned vehicles
Three alerts are useful in a company car log:
- fuel or battery level dropping below a set threshold,
- an upcoming service or roadworthiness test,
- a vehicle not returned after a set time.
The fuel alert should fire once, at the moment the level drops below the threshold. If every low reading triggers it, a vehicle standing with an empty tank generates an alert every hour, and after a day nobody looks at them. The inspection reminder pays for itself the first time it stops someone driving on an expired roadworthiness test.
Mileage records and tax settlements
TraxSystem keeps a record of issues, returns and mileage readings. Whether that record meets the requirements of a particular tax treatment, especially full VAT deduction under Polish rules for vehicles used solely for business, depends on what data is entered and how, so that is a question for your accounts department.
The system provides the log, and your accountants judge whether it meets the tax requirements. We don’t claim that TraxSystem “takes care of the mileage log”.
What TraxSystem will not do in fleet records
TraxSystem is not a GPS system or fleet telematics. It doesn’t track a vehicle’s route off site or collect data from the vehicle’s data bus, because it is a log of issues and returns.
Nor will it read the mileage by itself. A person enters it at issue and return, so the data is only as good as the discipline of whoever enters it. It won’t assign a fine automatically: it tells you who had the vehicle at the time, and assigning the fine and the steps that follow are up to you.
It doesn’t replace an HR system either: it doesn’t handle employee settlements or flat-rate allowances.
Data about who drove a vehicle and when is data about an employee. Agree its purpose, scope and retention period with the person responsible for data protection.
Questions and answers
Can an employee take a vehicle themselves, without going through the office?
Yes, if you configure the process that way, with a declaration signed when the vehicle is taken. It makes sense with a larger fleet, because with five cars it is usually simpler to hand them out through one person.
Can a vehicle be booked in advance?
Yes, vehicle booking is supported. Its scope depends on configuration and is agreed at implementation, because practice varies from company to company.
Can you see the history of a single vehicle?
Yes: who took it, when, with what mileage and with what notes.
See also: Inspection reminders for company vehicles · Controlling vehicle dwell time on site