How to Record Meter Readings on Rentals
Renting out equipment that bills by distance or hours — vehicles, generators, compressors, machinery? Rentablez lets you capture meter readings on those assets so you always know how much they were used during a rental. Readings are logged automatically at dispatch and return, and you can add extra readings along the way to build a day-by-day usage trail on the order.
What Meter Readings Are For
A meter reading is simply the number shown on an asset’s odometer, hour meter, or usage counter at a point in time. On a metered rental, Rentablez records:
- A start reading when the asset is dispatched.
- An end reading when the asset is returned.
- Any manual readings you add in between.
From these, the order builds a Meter Reading Log that shows total usage and daily consumption — the basis for usage-based pricing and any overage charges on the asset.
Meter readings only apply to assets that are set up with meter-based pricing (an included-usage allowance and per-unit rate). A plain daily-rate asset has no meter and won’t show any of the fields below.
Before You Start: Two Things Must Be Enabled
Meter reading is a gated feature, so it only appears when the right conditions are met.
| Requirement | Where it’s set | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Meter-based pricing feature module | Enabled for your organization by an administrator | Turns on all meter pricing and meter reading capabilities |
| Require meter reading on dispatch & return | Settings → Operations | Makes start/end readings mandatory at dispatch and return |
| Meter-based pricing on the asset | The asset’s pricing setup | Marks the asset as “metered” so readings are collected |
If the Meter-based pricing module is off for your organization, none of the meter reading options are visible. If the module is on but you don’t see the reading prompts, check that the asset actually has meter-based pricing and that the org setting is turned on.
Turn On the Org Setting
- Go to Settings → Operations.
- Find Require meter reading on dispatch & return.
- Toggle it on.
When enabled, staff must enter a reading before they can dispatch or return a metered asset. This keeps your usage records complete.
This toggle only shows when the Meter-based pricing feature module is active for your organization. Changing operations settings requires settings.write permission.
Set a Per-Customer Override (Optional)
Some customers may need meter tracking even when your org default is off, or vice versa. On the customer record there is a Meter Reading field with three choices:
- Use org default (leave blank) — follow the organization setting.
- Enabled — always require readings for this customer’s rentals.
- Disabled — never require readings for this customer’s rentals.
The customer setting wins over the org default for that customer’s orders.
Recording the Start Reading at Dispatch
The start reading is captured when you dispatch (pick up) the metered items.
- Open the order and start the dispatch flow, or go to Operations and open the Rentals Out drawer for the order.
- Select the metered asset you’re dispatching.
- In the Start reading field, enter the current meter value (for example the odometer reading).
- Complete the dispatch.
If meter reading is required, the Start reading field is marked with a red asterisk and you won’t be able to dispatch the asset until it’s filled in.
The start reading is stored as a locked entry in the log — its source is shown as Dispatch and it can’t be deleted or edited from the log.
Recording the End Reading at Return
The end reading is captured when the asset comes back.
- Open the order and start the return flow, or open the Rentals In drawer from Operations.
- Select the metered asset being returned. The drawer shows the recorded Start reading for reference.
- In the End reading field, enter the current meter value.
- Complete the return.
The end reading must be at or above the start reading. When meter reading is required, the field is marked with a red asterisk and the return can’t be completed until it’s entered.
Like the start reading, the end reading is a locked entry with source Return, so it stays fixed in the log.
Adding Manual Readings Between Dispatch and Return
For longer rentals you may want to record readings partway through — for example a weekly check. These live in the Meter Reading Log on the order.
The log appears on the order editor once the metered asset has been dispatched (it needs a start reading to have something to build on). Each metered asset on the order gets its own log.
To add a reading:
- Open the order in the editor and scroll to the Meter Reading Log section (subtitle: Daily readings between dispatch and return).
- Under the asset you want, click Add Reading.
- Choose the Date of the reading.
- Enter the meter Reading value.
- Click Add.
The new reading appears in the log immediately.
You can also add readings inline from the return drawer using the compact meter log there — handy when a driver reports a mid-rental reading at the same time as processing the return.
Reading the Log
Each asset’s log is a small table:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Date | The date of the reading |
| Reading | The meter value recorded |
| Daily | Usage since the previous reading (for example +120), in your meter unit |
| Source | Dispatch, Return, or Manual |
The Daily column is calculated automatically from the difference between consecutive readings, so you can see how hard the asset was worked each period. The meter unit (such as km or hrs) comes from your organization’s meter settings.
Entries with a lock badge and a Dispatch or Return source come from the dispatch/return flows and can’t be removed. Only Manual entries you added can be deleted — hover over the row and click the trash icon.
Fixing a Mistake
- Wrong manual reading? Delete it from the log (trash icon on the row) and add a corrected one.
- Wrong start or end reading? These are locked in the log. Correct them by re-running the relevant dispatch or return step for that asset, rather than from the log.