Equipment rental software for keeping a hire fleet safe, serviced and ready

Know which units are on rent or back in the yard. Run off-hire and pre-delivery checks, and service each unit by hours or date.

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Updated 16 Oct 2026

FieldEx scheduling board on desktop with a technician's inspection checklist open on the mobile app, as used by equipment rental teams

FieldEx is a field service and asset management (FSM+CMMS) application for the service side of a hire fleet. It tracks each unit on rent or returned against its hire contract. FieldEx runs off-hire and pre-delivery inspections and schedules servicing and thorough examinations by hours or date. It also sends technicians to breakdowns at customer sites.

What FieldEx does for hire and rental companies

A hire company's reputation rests on the unit that turns up on site: serviced, inspected and with its paperwork. FieldEx keeps every unit's hires, inspections, services and repairs on one record. The off-hire check that found the damage sits with the repair and the pre-delivery sign-off for the next customer. Book a demo to see it with your own fleet.

Every rental unit on its own record

An asset record for every MEWP, telehandler, excavator and generator.
An asset record for every compressor, tower light, pump and power tool.
Serial number, specifications, photos, warranty and manuals on each record, in Asset Management.
Units classified by type and category.
Statuses such as available, on hire, awaiting inspection, under repair or out of service.
Parent and component levels, such as a generator set and its engine, alternator and fuel tank.
QR or barcode labels on each unit, so the yard team scans it on return or dispatch.
A change history of every edit.

On rent, returned and back in the yard

Hire contracts with start and end dates and a status of new, on rent, expired or terminated.
The units on each contract with their asset codes, serial numbers, stock locations and quantities.
Each unit marked on rent or returned.
Contract details visible from the unit's own record, so anyone can see where it is and who has it.
Contract reports by status, customer, date and unit, and custom notifications when contracts change.

Off-hire and pre-delivery checks

Off-hire and pre-delivery checklists per equipment type, launched by scanning the unit, with damage photos on the job.
Failed answers that raise the repair job and its tasks straight away. They also change the unit's status so it is held back.
A follow-up inspection booked automatically after a repair, before the unit is released.
Thorough examinations and certifications as recurring records, in Compliance Documentation. Each has due dates, reminders and the report attached.

Servicing between and during hires

Maintenance plans that trigger on hours, on the calendar or whichever comes first, in Preventive Maintenance.
Plans linked to the hire contract, so long-term hires get their on-site services on time.
Fixed calendar schedules, or schedules counted from the last completed service. Missed services are rescheduled after a set overdue period. Fixed calendar dates apply to time-based plans.
Jobs raised before the scheduled date when a unit comes back early and can be serviced now.

Service calls at the customer's site

A QR label on every unit that lets the customer report a breakdown without logging in, with photos or video.
A branded customer portal. Hire customers raise requests, ask for a visit date and see their units with last-serviced dates.
Assignment by skill, availability, shift and leave, and by service zone and live location.
The FieldEx Mobile App with the unit's history, its checklist and number fields for readings. Technicians add watermarked photos and the customer's signature.
Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced later.

Moving units between depots

Asset transfers between depots, yards and technicians, with approval where you need it.
Consignments of specific units or spare parts with one or more approval levels and a consignment note PDF.
Requests for units by type and quantity, without naming serial numbers, for a depot that needs stock.
Spare parts in each depot and van, with reorder and low-stock alerts per location.

Your own delivery trucks, yard equipment and test kit

Delivery trucks and low-loaders on maintenance plans by date or odometer, with each lorry loader's thorough examination as a recurring certification.
Yard forklifts, wash bays and workshop machines kept as company assets, each with its own service plan.
Portable appliance testers, load banks and gauges with calibration due dates, reminders and the certificate on the record.

Records that travel with the unit

Completion PDFs emailed with a record of when each was sent.
Each PDF holds the unit, the fault and resolution, parts and check-in and check-out times, plus attachments and the customer's signature.
The full inspection and service history on the unit, ready to show the next customer or an inspector.
Reports on unit reliability, maintenance cost, utilization and age, exported or emailed on a schedule.

Who is responsible for maintaining hired equipment, the rental company or the customer?

Usually the rental company, but the hire agreement decides, and long hires need the split written down. Safe Work Australia's Model Code of Practice on Plant (November 2024) says a hire company has duties both as a supplier and as a person controlling plant. In most cases, the supplier inspects and maintains the plant. For extended hires, the hirer and supplier may agree arrangements for inspection and maintenance throughout the lease. The UK CPA and IPAF guide on mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) adds that the user keeps a legal responsibility for the duration of any hire.

What FieldEx does about it

Responsibilities on the contract: each hire contract can carry the maintenance plans linked to it. The record shows who services the unit during the hire.
Customer access to the record: the hire customer sees the unit, its last-serviced date and its upcoming asset maintenance in the customer portal.
Work by either side recorded: service and inspection jobs done during the hire are recorded on the unit, whoever carried them out.
Notes and attachments: the agreed maintenance terms can be attached to the unit's record for the length of the hire.

What should a rental company inspect between hires, and when should the off-hire inspection happen?

Inspect each unit after it comes back and before it goes out again. The UK CPA and IPAF guide says no MEWP should move from one hire to the next without a pre-delivery inspection. A post-hire inspection follows as soon as reasonably practical, to identify damage from the previous hire. Owners may combine the two with appropriate controls, as long as the findings are documented. For electrical hire tools, UK HSE's Portable Appliance Testing FAQs strongly recommend a formal inspection and test before each hire.

What FieldEx does about it

Two checks or one: off-hire and pre-delivery checklists can run separately. They can also run as one combined inspection with sections for each.
Raised on return: scanning the unit when it comes back opens its off-hire checklist straight away. Damage photos go on the job.
Damage tied to the hire: the inspection is recorded on the unit, with the contract it returned from visible on the same record.
Held until cleared: a failed answer sets the unit's status to under repair and raises the repair job. A follow-up inspection can be booked for when the repair is done.

What paperwork must go out with hired lifting equipment?

Evidence of its last thorough examination, or of its last inspection for other work equipment. Regulation 9 of LOLER 1998, the UK Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, covers lifting equipment obtained from another undertaking. It must come with physical evidence of its last thorough examination. HSE's guidance on Inspection of Work Equipment says inspected equipment from a hire company should come with physical evidence of its last inspection.

What FieldEx does about it

The report on the unit: each thorough examination report is attached to its certification on the unit. It is ready to print or send with the delivery.
Pre-delivery PDF: the pre-delivery job's completion PDF records the checks, the result and the technician's sign-off. It can go with the unit.
Manuals attached: operator manuals and daily check sheets are attached to the unit's record.
Sent and logged: completion PDFs are emailed to the customer with a record of when each was sent.

How often does a rental MEWP need inspecting, and who arranges thorough examinations on a long hire?

Under the US ANSI A92 standards, a MEWP gets a frequent inspection every 3 months or 150 hours and an annual inspection within 13 months. Genie's guidance on the ANSI A92 Standards (23 August 2018) adds a frequent inspection after 3 months out of service, and a decal or plate recording the annual one. In the UK, the CPA and IPAF guide says the user may contract the owner to organize thorough examinations but keeps the legal responsibility. The owner should watch the report's expiry date and contact the user before it lapses.

What FieldEx does about it

Three months or 150 hours: the frequent inspection runs on a plan that triggers at 150 hours or 3 months, whichever comes first.
Annual and 6-month thorough examinations: each runs as a recurring certification with reminders. A 12-month cycle keeps the annual one inside 13 months.
Expiry dates watched for the customer: reminders go to the depot team. They can contact the hire customer and book the examination on site.
Out-of-service MEWPs caught: filter on status and last service date to find units out of service for 3 months. Inspect them before they go out.

What daily checks should a customer do on rented equipment?

The operator does a pre-start inspection before each work shift, following the manufacturer's recommendations. OSHA's Aerial Lifts Fact Sheet says the check confirms the equipment and all its components are in safe operating condition. OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.178 requires forklifts to be examined at least daily before they are placed in service. On a defect, the operator isolates the controls, tags the machine out of service and reports it to the owner.

What FieldEx does about it

Pre-use checks by your own operators: where you supply the operator with the unit, they scan its QR label and complete the daily check on the phone. The check is recorded against the unit.
Defects reported straight to the depot: a customer's operator who finds a fault scans the same QR label to send a breakdown request without logging in. The request arrives as a job for the depot to dispatch.
Photos of the fault: photos or video sent with the request show the technician what to bring.
The right parts on the van: technicians check van stock and depot stock before they leave.

Should hire tools be PAT tested before each hire?

UK HSE strongly recommends that suppliers inspect and test each tool by portable appliance testing (PAT) before every hire, though the law sets no fixed interval. HSE's Portable Appliance Testing FAQs say the person hiring it should keep it safe throughout the hire, and the frequency depends on the equipment and where it is used. HSE's guidance on Inspection of Work Equipment adds that each result is recorded and kept at least until the next inspection. Electronic records are acceptable.

What FieldEx does about it

Every tool on record: each power tool, transformer and lead is an asset with a QR label.
A test on every return: the pre-hire electrical test is a short checklist launched by scanning the tool. Test readings go in number fields on a job form.
Fails held back: a failed test sets the tool to out of service and raises the repair.
Records kept electronically: every test result stays on the tool's record and can be exported when asked.
Your own delivery lorries too: the lorries that deliver and collect your units carry the same PUSPAKOM cycle, with servicing by odometer between inspections.

Who does F-gas leak checks on rented air conditioning and refrigeration units?

It can be the rental company, depending on the rental agreement. The UK government's guidance on Checking F Gas Equipment for Leaks (21 August 2019) covers rental. A company that rents out equipment may be responsible for leak checks rather than the end user. Systems holding 5 to under 50 tonnes of CO2 equivalent are checked at least every 12 months. Fitting automatic leak detection lets you double the period between checks.

What FieldEx does about it

Leak checks per unit: each rental chiller or air conditioning unit carries its leak check as a recurring inspection. It runs at the frequency its charge requires.
Checks done on the customer's site: the leak check is dispatched to a qualified technician wherever the unit is on hire.
A longer cycle where detection is fitted: a unit with automatic leak detection can carry its check as a 24-month certification instead of a yearly inspection.
Agreement on file: the rental agreement's split of responsibility can be attached to the unit's record.

What must be in place before a hired air compressor leaves the yard?

A written scheme of examination, and an examination carried out under it. HSE's Pressure Systems: A Brief Guide (INDG261) says you must not let a pressure system be operated, or hired out, before both are in place. HSE's Guidance on the Pressure Systems Regulations adds that the user of hired equipment should make sure the scheme is in place and the certificate of examination is current. The owner of a mobile compressor is a dutyholder.

What FieldEx does about it

Scheme and certificate on the compressor: each compressor and receiver has its written scheme attached and its examination as a recurring certification.
Due dates before dispatch: the pre-delivery checklist can include a question confirming the examination is in date. The dashboard shows units whose examinations are overdue.
Copies for the customer: the current certificate can be printed or emailed with the delivery.
Servicing between examinations: filter, oil and valve servicing runs on hours in its own plan. The examination is not a substitute for maintenance.

What records should a rental company keep for each unit?

An up-to-date register of the plant that needs inspection and maintenance, with each unit's history behind it. Safe Work Australia's Model Code of Practice on Plant asks for that register. A hirer who maintained the plant during a lease should hand all maintenance records back at the end of it. HSE's guidance on Inspection of Work Equipment says records don't have to be on paper. Electronic records are held securely and made available to any enforcing authority on request.

What FieldEx does about it

A live register: the asset list is the plant register. Filter it on type, status, location or depot, and export it when needed.
History on each unit: every inspection, service, repair, part and hire contract is linked to the unit's record.
Customer maintenance records captured: records handed back at the end of a long hire are attached to the unit.
Access controlled: permission profiles control who can see and edit records. Every change is logged with the user and time.

What happens when rented equipment comes back damaged or overloaded?

Take it out of service and have it thoroughly examined before it goes out again. The UK CPA and IPAF guide covers exceptional circumstances such as a collision, overloading or overturning. The MEWP is removed from service and thoroughly examined to make sure it is safe to return. LOLER 1998 requires a thorough examination of lifting equipment each time such exceptional circumstances occur.

What FieldEx does about it

Damage recorded at return: the off-hire checklist records the damage against the unit and the hire it came back from. Watermarked photos go on the job.
Out of service at once: the checklist sets the unit's status to out of service and raises the repair job and its tasks.
Thorough examination before release: an exceptional thorough examination is raised as its own certification. The unit is set back to available once it is complete.
Evidence for the customer: the off-hire job's PDF, with photos and the inspection result, is emailed to the customer. FieldEx keeps a record of when it was sent.

How should a rental fleet schedule servicing by hour meter?

On hours and the calendar together, acting on whichever comes first. Caterpillar's Machine Fluids Recommendations manual (SEBU6250-30, December 2020) says recommended service is always performed at the interval that occurs first. Idle time counts too. Under OSHA's 29 CFR 1926.1412, a qualified person inspects a crane that has been idle for 3 months or more before it is used again.

What FieldEx does about it

Dual triggers on every plan: plans trigger on hours, the calendar or whichever comes first.
Hours read at every return: the off-hire checklist updates the unit's hour meter. FieldEx calculates the next service from the real reading.
Idle units on the calendar: a calendar trigger brings units that have been standing for 3 months back for inspection.
Services on hire: plans linked to long-term hire contracts raise on-site service jobs for the units out with that customer.

How often must the lorry loader on a delivery truck be examined?

Treat it as lifting equipment: a thorough examination at least every 12 months, and every 6 months for its slings and other accessories. Those are the UK HSE's intervals in Thorough Examinations of Lifting Equipment, unless an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person sets others. A further examination follows damage, failure or other exceptional circumstances. The competent person's report gives the date the next examination is due.

What FieldEx does about it

Your trucks and their loaders as assets: each delivery truck is a parent asset, with its lorry loader as a component that keeps its own examination record.
Two cycles on one truck: the truck's servicing runs on a plan by date or odometer, and the loader's thorough examination runs as a 12-month recurring certification.
Slings and chains on their own cycle: the truck's slings, chains and shackles each carry a 6-month examination with reminders.
The report with the truck: the examination report is attached to the loader's record, ready to show at a customer's site.

Customer story

AMRTUR, a Southeast Asian oilfield services contractor, moved its equipment logistics and maintenance onto FieldEx. It works in a different industry, but the job is the same: moving equipment between sites and servicing it on time. Its story describes a QR form where users choose "Request" or "Delivery", so pickups and deliveries go to the right team. Equipment transfers between storage locations need approval and end with a PDF the receiver signs. Maintenance jobs are created at 300 hours of use or 6 months, whichever comes first.

Read the AMRTUR Story

Sime Industrial is a heavy equipment provider in Asia Pacific. It supports construction, mining and energy customers with machinery, servicing and rentals. Its story describes moving from Excel and WhatsApp to FieldEx for real-time job tracking and updates across its field teams.

Read the Sime Industrial Customer Story

Questions hire companies ask about FieldEx

What is the best equipment rental software for servicing a hire fleet?

For the service side, the software has to know which units are on rent and run off-hire and pre-delivery checks. It also has to schedule servicing by hours and date and send technicians to site. FieldEx does all of this in one system. Compare approaches in our guide to CMMS Software.

Can FieldEx show which units are on rent and which are returned?

Yes, from the contract or from the unit's own record, as described above. Contract reports by status, customer or unit show the whole fleet's position at once.

Can maintenance plans be linked to a hire contract?

Yes. Each contract shows its linked plans with their dates, status and the number of units they cover, so long hires get their on-site services.

Can hire customers report a breakdown from the unit?

Yes, through the unit's QR label described above, with photos or video of the fault. The request arrives as a job ready to assign.

Can we transfer units between depots with approval?

Yes, with one or more approval levels and a consignment note PDF, as the depot section describes. A depot can also request units by type and quantity without naming serial numbers.

Can we track thorough examination dates for MEWPs and cranes?

Yes, per unit. Reminders can go to the depot team in time to book the examination on the customer's site.

Can the off-hire check update the hour meter?

Yes. The reading taken at return drives the next service, as the hour-meter section explains.

Can customers see the service history of the units they hire?

Yes. The branded customer portal shows their units with serial number, status, last-serviced date and upcoming maintenance, plus job reports to download. Completion reports can also be sent automatically to the customer or anyone else you choose.

Can technicians work on site without a signal?

Yes. Jobs and tasks can be downloaded and worked offline, with check-in, check-out and travel synced later.

How long does it take to set up FieldEx for a hire fleet?

There's no setup fee. Once we know your requirements and your data is ready, FieldEx can be implemented in as little as a week with standard features for small businesses. Larger setups and custom work take longer. Units and parts can be uploaded. FieldEx helps with setup, and training is included. See Setup and Training.

See every unit's hire status, checks and services in one system

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