Vehicle Logbooks - User Documentation
Module Introduction
The Vehicle Logbooks module is used to record trips of company vehicles, including mileage tracking, refueling, average fuel consumption, and preparation of invoicing documents for projects. The system supports three types of vehicles: passenger cars, trucks (TIR), and machinery. The module is closely integrated with vehicle records and travel orders.
Main Module Functions
- Recording individual trips for each vehicle with detailed route and purpose logging
- Automatic mileage calculation and record consistency checking
- Tracking refueling and average fuel consumption
- Separation of kilometers into business and private trips (for passenger vehicles)
- Preparation of invoicing documents for trips by project
- Export of trips to travel orders
- Service interval checking when recording trips
Vehicle Types and Their Specifics
| Vehicle Type | Icon | What is Recorded | Specific Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger Car | Car | Kilometers, refueling | Distinction between business and private km |
| TIR (Truck) | Truck | Kilometers, refueling | Business trips only |
| Machinery | Gear | Working hours | No kilometers, time recording only |
Module Access and Permissions
Access Right Levels
The system works with two permission levels:
- rights_kj = 0 (basic user): User has access only to vehicles they have been explicitly assigned to as a driver. Can record and edit only their own trips. Sees only the logbooks of their vehicles.
- rights_kj = 1 (administrator): User has access to all vehicles in the company. Can edit all records and has access to additional views "All Vehicle Logbooks" and "Project Overview".
Record Editing Restrictions
To ensure data consistency, the following rules apply:
- By default, only the last recorded trip can be edited (due to mileage state dependencies)
- For each vehicle, you can set how many days back records can be edited (parameter "Number of days back for edits")
- After this period expires, records are read-only (except for module administrators)
- Only the last trip can be deleted (and only your own or as an administrator)
Basic Operation
Vehicle Selection
After opening the module, a top panel with icons of all vehicles you have access to is displayed. Each icon contains:
- Vehicle type symbol (car, truck, machinery)
- Vehicle name
- License plate number
Clicking on a vehicle icon displays its logbook. If you have access to more than 10 vehicles, a dropdown list is displayed instead of icons.
Administrator View
Users with administrator permissions (rights_kj = 1) see two additional overviews besides individual vehicles:
- Project Overview (pie chart icon): Summary view of trips grouped by projects with invoicing price calculations - serves as a basis for issuing invoices to customers
- All Vehicle Logbooks (database icon): Combined view of all trips of all company vehicles in one table
Filtering by Period
In each view, you can filter trips by month and year using the "Display period" dropdown list. The system offers the current month and 12 months back. Selecting "All" displays all records without time restrictions.
Recording a New Trip
Opening the Form
To record a new trip, click the green "Add Trip" button in the upper right corner of the logbook. A dialog window opens with a form for recording the trip.
Basic Trip Data
All vehicle types require the following basic information:
- Vehicle: Pre-filled, cannot be changed (determined by selection from the top panel)
- Driver: Select from the list of assigned drivers for the vehicle. If no driver is set, the form will not allow saving - first assign a driver in vehicle settings.
- Date: Trip date. Automatically pre-filled with the last date used for this vehicle (or today's date).
- Time from - to: Trip time range in hours:minutes format. The system automatically pre-fills the time based on the previous trip or the default time set for the vehicle.
Route Data (for cars and trucks only)
For passenger and commercial vehicles, you enter the trip route:
- From (city, street): Starting location. You can select from the history of previously used addresses or enter a new one. To overwrite an existing address, click on it and press Backspace. Automatically pre-filled with the destination from the previous trip.
- Via: Optional - intermediate locations on the route
- To (city, street): Destination. Same as the "From" field, you can select from history or enter a new location.
Tip: If you select the same "from" and "to" combination that you have used before, the system automatically fills in the number of kilometers based on the previous record. However, if you took a different route, you can manually adjust the kilometers.
Trip Purpose
- Reason: Brief description of the trip purpose (e.g., "Meeting with client", "Material transport"). You can select from history or enter a new reason. Automatically pre-filled with the last used reason.
- Project: Project number or name to which the trip belongs. This field is key for later invoicing - trips with the same project will be grouped in the project overview.
Mileage Status (for cars and trucks only)
The system works with precise odometer reading records:
- Km status start: Automatically filled with the end status from the previous trip. This field is read-only - it ensures a continuous chain of records.
- Km status end: Enter the current odometer reading at the end of the trip. Must be higher than the start status.
- Business km: Number of kilometers driven for business. Automatically calculated as the difference between km end status - km start status. You can adjust if part of the trip was private.
- Private km (passenger vehicles only): Number of kilometers driven privately. If you fill in business km, private km is automatically calculated as the remainder. And vice versa - if you fill in private km, business km is calculated.
Check: The sum of business km + private km must equal the total kilometers driven (km end status - km start status).
Working Hours (machinery only)
For machinery, only working hours are recorded without kilometers:
- Time from - to: The system automatically calculates the number of working hours from the time range
- Route and kilometer fields are not displayed for machinery
Refueling and Consumption (for cars and trucks only)
To track fuel consumption, you can record for each refueling:
- Refueling (liters): Number of liters refueled. Enter with precision to two decimal places (e.g., 45.50).
- Refueling at km: Odometer reading at the time of refueling. If you refueled at the end of the trip, it is automatically filled with the "km end status" value. If you refueled during the trip, enter the exact status.
Average consumption calculation: The system automatically calculates average consumption using the formula: refueling (liters) divided by ((km at refueling - km of previous refueling) divided by 100). For correct calculation, it is important to always refuel with a full tank.
The calculated average consumption is displayed in the trip table in the format "average X.XX l" below the refueling data.
Invoicing
If the vehicle has invoicing enabled (set in vehicle configuration), you can enter:
- Invoicing price/km (or price/hr for machinery or total price): Price per unit (kilometer, hour) or total trip price. Automatically pre-filled with the default rate set for the vehicle. You can adjust it for a specific trip.
- Invoice number: After issuing an invoice to the customer, you can record the invoice number with which you billed the trip.
Types of invoicing:
- Per km/hr: Price is multiplied by the number of kilometers (business km) or hours
- Total price: The entered price applies to the entire trip regardless of kilometers/hours
Actual Costs
If the vehicle has a set actual cost rate per kilometer, the system automatically calculates the actual trip cost as: (business km + private km) × rate CZK/km. This field is informational only and is used for internal cost tracking.
Note
In the free text field Note, you can record any additional information about the trip (e.g., "Detour due to closure", "Passenger Jan Novák").
Saving the Record
After filling in all required data, click the green "Save" button. The system performs the following checks:
- Check if trip times overlap with another trip of the same vehicle (a vehicle cannot be in two places at the same time)
- Validation of kilometer statuses (end must be higher than start)
- Check of the sum of business and private kilometers
- Service interval check - if the vehicle has reached or exceeded the service limit, a warning is displayed
If all checks are successful, the trip is saved and displayed in the logbook table.
Editing an Existing Trip
Opening a Trip for Editing
In the logbook table, click the eye icon (view detail) for the trip you want to edit. The same form as when recording a new trip opens, this time filled with data from the existing record.
Editing Restrictions
To maintain mileage status consistency, the following applies:
- If more days have passed since the trip date than set in the "Number of days back for edits" parameter of the vehicle, all fields except note, project, reason, and invoicing data are read-only
- Module administrators (rights_kj=1) and system administrators can edit any record without time restrictions
- The "Recorded by" field shows who and when originally created the record
What Can Always Be Edited
Even for older records, you can normally edit:
- Project
- Reason
- Invoicing price and invoice number
- Note
Recalculation of Subsequent Records
If as an administrator you edit an older record and change the mileage status or date and time, the system automatically recalculates mileage statuses for all subsequent trips of the same vehicle to maintain consistency of the record chain.
Vehicle Logbook Display
Table Structure for Passenger and Commercial Vehicles
The table displays all trips of the selected vehicle with columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Date | Trip date in day.month.year format |
| Time from - to | Trip time range |
| Driver | Driver's first and last name |
| From | Trip starting location |
| Via | Intermediate locations on the route |
| To | Trip destination |
| Reason | Trip purpose |
| Project | Project number |
| Invoicing price/km | Price per kilometer (displayed only if invoicing is activated for the vehicle) |
| Invoice number | Issued invoice number (displayed only if invoicing is activated for the vehicle) |
| Km status start | Odometer reading at trip start |
| Km status end | Odometer reading at trip end |
| Business km | Number of business kilometers driven |
| Private km | Number of private kilometers driven |
| Refueling / avg. consumption | Number of liters refueled and below it the average consumption calculated from the last refueling |
| Actions | Icons for viewing detail, deleting (last record only), and adding to travel order |
Table Structure for Machinery
For machinery, columns related to route and kilometers are not displayed; instead there is a column:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Hours | Number of working hours calculated from time from - to |
Actions in the Table
In the Actions column, you will find icons for working with the record:
- Eye icon: View detail and edit trip - available for all records
- Cross icon: Delete trip - displayed only for the last trip and only if you recorded it or you are an administrator
- Right arrow icon: Add trip to travel order - available for your own trips or as administrator (requires active Travel Orders module)
Table Functions
The table supports standard DataTables functions:
- Sorting: Clicking on a column header sorts data ascending/descending
- Search: In the upper right, you can enter text for full-text search in all columns
- Pagination: In the upper left, you choose the number of rows per page (10, 25, 50, 100, or all)
- Export: Buttons for export to Excel, print, and selection of visible columns
All Vehicles Logbook
Access to Overview
This overview is available only to module administrators (rights_kj=1). It is displayed after clicking on the "All Vehicle Logbooks" panel with the database icon in the top panel.
Overview Content
The table contains all trips of all company vehicles in one overview. In addition to columns from the regular logbook, there are:
- License Plate: Vehicle license plate number
- Name: Vehicle name
Records are sorted chronologically by trip date and time. Here too you can filter by period using the dropdown list.
Overview Use
This overview is used especially for:
- Checking utilization of the entire vehicle fleet
- Comparing trips across vehicles
- Exporting complete data for external processing
- Finding specific trips when you are not sure which vehicle they were made with
Project Overview
Overview Purpose
The Project Overview is a key tool for preparing invoicing documents. It groups trips by projects and calculates invoicing prices. Access is available only to module administrators (rights_kj=1).
Data Filtering
Before displaying the overview, it is advisable to set filters in the expandable panel (open by clicking the plus icon):
- Date from - to: Time period from which you want to include trips
- Vehicle: You can limit the overview to only a selected vehicle or select "all"
- Project: You can select a specific project from the list of already used projects
- Worked by: You can filter by a specific driver
After setting the filters, click the "Search" button to apply the filters. The "Cancel filter" button returns the display to its default state.
Overview Structure
The table displays only trips of vehicles that have invoicing enabled and contains columns:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Date | Trip date |
| Project | Project number or name |
| Vehicle | Vehicle name and license plate |
| Worked by | Driver name |
| Km passenger | Number of business kilometers driven by passenger car |
| Km TIR | Number of business kilometers driven by truck |
| Time (for machinery) in hrs. | Number of machinery working hours |
| Price/unit | Invoicing price per km/hr or total price |
| Total price | Calculated total trip price (km/hr × price or total price) |
| From, Via, To | Trip route |
| Reason | Trip purpose |
| Note | Free note about the trip |
Totals in Table Footer
In the lower part of the table, totals are automatically displayed:
- Total passenger km - sum of kilometers of all passenger vehicles
- Total TIR km - sum of kilometers of all commercial vehicles
- Total hrs - sum of hours of all machinery
- Total price - total amount to be invoiced for all displayed trips
Working with the Overview
- Set the filter to the required period and optionally to a specific project
- Check if all trips have the project and invoicing price filled in
- If any data is missing, return to the logbook of the respective vehicle and add it
- Export data to Excel using the "Excel" button for further processing
- After issuing the invoice, return to individual trips and add the invoice number
Integration with Travel Orders
Adding a Trip to Travel Order
If you have the Travel Orders module active, you can easily transfer trips from the logbook to travel expense reports:
- In the logbook table, click the right arrow icon for the trip you want to add to a travel order
- A dialog window opens with travel order selection
- Only travel orders in "Created" and "Pending Approval" status are displayed
- Select the required travel order from the list - it shows the date, name, employee name, and travel order type
- Click the "Save" button
What Gets Copied
Trip data is copied to the travel order in the "Travel Expense Report" section as a new row with route, kilometers, and costs.
Transfer Completion
After copying all necessary trips:
- Open the relevant travel order in the Travel Orders module
- Check the transferred data
- Add any additional data (e.g., parking fees, highway tolls)
- Save the travel order
Service Interval Checking
Automatic Notification When Recording
If the vehicle is also recorded in the Vehicle Registry module and has a service plan or service date set, the system checks when recording each trip:
- Whether the number of kilometers has exceeded the service limit set in the service plan
- Whether the current date has exceeded the service date
If the service interval has been exceeded, after saving the trip a warning is displayed with information:
- At how many kilometers service should be performed
- Description of the service task
- Call to arrange service
Transition to Vehicle Registry
If the vehicle is also recorded in the Vehicle Registry module, a "Vehicle Registry" button with an external link icon is displayed in the upper right corner of the logbook. Clicking moves you directly to the vehicle detail where you can check the service plan or record service completion.
Vehicle Settings
Basic Parameters
Each vehicle in the logbook has the following configurable parameters (accessible in the Settings module or to administrators directly from the logbook):
- License Plate: Vehicle license plate number
- Name: Descriptive vehicle name (e.g., "Company Škoda Octavia")
- Vehicle Type: Passenger / TIR / Machinery - determines which fields will be recorded
- Default km status: Initial odometer reading when the vehicle is added to the registry (used for the first record if there are no trips yet)
Driver Assignment
You must assign at least one driver to each vehicle. Only assigned drivers can be selected when recording a trip. Assignment also determines which users (with right rights_kj=0) have access to the vehicle.
Invoicing Settings
- Use invoicing price: On/off - determines whether invoicing data is recorded for trips of this vehicle
- Invoicing type:
- Per km/hr - price is multiplied by the number of kilometers/hours
- Total price - fixed price per trip regardless of length
- Invoicing price: Default rate in CZK that is automatically filled in when recording a new trip (can be adjusted individually for each trip)
Actual Costs
- Actual costs - rate CZK/km: If set, the system automatically calculates actual costs for each trip as (business km + private km) × rate. Used for internal cost tracking of the vehicle fleet.
Completion Rules
- Must be completed by day of month: If set (e.g., 5), the system requires that all trips from the previous month be recorded no later than the 5th day of the following month
- Must be completed - check X days back: The system checks whether the last recorded trip is not older than the specified number of days (e.g., check 7 days back = last trip must not be older than 7 days ago)
These checks are performed by an automatic cron script that sends reminders to responsible persons.
Default Times
- Default time from: Automatically filled in the "Time from" field when recording a new trip (e.g., 07:00)
- Default time to: Automatically filled in the "Time to" field when recording a new trip (e.g., 16:00)
Edit Restrictions
- Number of days back for edits: Determines how many days back regular users (not administrators) can edit trip records. After this period expires, records are read-only.
Common Workflows
Daily Trip Recording
- Open the Vehicle Logbooks module
- Select the vehicle you drove
- Click "Add Trip"
- The system pre-fills: date (today), driver (you), time (following the previous trip or default), from (destination of previous trip)
- Add: where you went, reason, project
- Record the odometer reading at the end of the trip
- If you refueled, add liters and km at refueling
- Save
Repeated Trip to the Same Location
- When recording a trip, select the starting location in the "From" field
- In the "To" field, select the destination - if you have used this combination before, the system automatically fills in the number of kilometers
- Check and possibly adjust km (if you took a different route)
- Add other data and save
Business Trip with Private Return
- When recording a trip, enter the total km end status (business + private part)
- In the "Business km" field, enter only the kilometers driven for business
- The system automatically calculates "Private km" as the difference
- Alternatively, you can first enter private km and the system will calculate business
Preparing Invoicing Documents for a Project
- During the month, fill in the "Project" field for each trip - use consistent designation (e.g., "P2025-001")
- At the end of the period, go to the "Project Overview"
- Set the filter to the required period and optionally a specific project
- Check if all trips have the invoicing price filled in
- Note the total amount from the table footer
- Export data to Excel for invoice attachment
- After issuing the invoice, return to individual trips and write the issued invoice number in the "Invoice number" field
Monthly Vehicle Fleet Check
- Go to the "All Vehicle Logbooks" overview
- Set the period filter to the checked month
- Check if all vehicles have recorded trips (if they were used)
- Verify average consumption - significant deviations may signal a technical problem
- Check if there are no trips with the same time for different vehicles of the same driver
- Export data for archiving or reporting
Travel Expense Reporting
- First, create a new travel order in the Travel Orders module
- Go to the Logbooks and select the vehicle you traveled with
- For each trip that belongs to the business trip, click the right arrow icon
- Select your travel order from the list
- After copying all trips, return to the Travel Orders module
- Open the travel order, check the data, and add other expenses
- Save and submit for approval
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Cannot Save Trip - Time Overlap Error
Problem: When saving, the error "Vehicle cannot be in 2 places at the same time" is displayed.
Solution: Check if you already have another trip recorded with overlapping time for the same vehicle and the same day. Correct the start or end time so that trips follow each other chronologically. If there is an error in an older record, fix that one first.
Km Status Start is Incorrect
Problem: The "Km status start" field contains an incorrect value.
Solution: The "Km status start" field is automatically filled from the "Km status end" field of the previous trip. It cannot be directly edited. If the value is incorrect, you must correct the "Km status end" in the previous trip. After correction, the correct value will automatically be reflected in all subsequent trips. If you do not have permission to correct the previous trip (it is older than the allowed number of days), contact the module administrator.
Cannot Edit Older Trip
Problem: Form fields are read-only (disabled), cannot edit data.
Solution: If the trip is older than the number of days set in the "Number of days back for edits" parameter of the vehicle, most fields are automatically locked. You can still edit: project, reason, invoicing data, and note. If you need to edit other data, contact the module administrator or system administrator.
Average Consumption Not Displayed or Unrealistic
Problem: The average consumption column is empty or contains an unrealistic value.
Solution: Average consumption is calculated only after the second refueling (it needs to compare two km statuses at refueling). If you have only refueled once so far, average consumption will not be displayed. An unrealistic value can occur if the tank was not full during refueling or if the km status at refueling is incorrectly entered. Check the refueling records and verify that the "Refueling at km" field contains the correct odometer reading.
Cannot Select Vehicle - Not in List
Problem: The vehicle I need is not displayed in the top panel.
Solution: Only vehicles to which you are assigned as a driver (if you have right rights_kj=0) or all company vehicles (if you have rights_kj=1) are displayed. If the vehicle is missing, contact the administrator with a request to be assigned to the vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle may be deleted (deleted=1) - then it must first be restored.
Kilometers Not Filled in When Selecting Route
Problem: I selected "From" and "To" but the kilometer fields remained empty.
Solution: Automatic filling of kilometers works only if you have used the from-to combination before for the same vehicle. If it is the first trip to that route, you must enter the kilometers manually. After the first entry, the next time you use the same route, the kilometers will be filled in automatically.
Business and Private km Not Calculating Correctly
Problem: The sum of business and private kilometers does not match the total kilometers driven.
Solution: The system automatically calculates one value from the other. If you enter business km, private km is automatically calculated = (km end status - km start status) - business km. And vice versa. If you manually change both values, a mismatch can occur. First enter km end status, then business km (or private km) and let the system calculate the other value.
Cannot Add Trip - Driver Missing
Problem: The form displays the error "no driver is set for this vehicle" and the Save button is not available.
Solution: No driver is assigned to the vehicle. Go to vehicle settings (or contact the administrator) and assign at least one driver to the vehicle. Then it will be possible to record trips.
Cannot Find Vehicle in All Overview
Problem: Some vehicle is missing in the "All Vehicle Logbooks" overview.
Solution: The overview displays only trips, not vehicles. If no trip was recorded for the vehicle in the displayed period, it will not appear in the table. Try changing the period filter to "All" or to another month. If the vehicle has no trips at all, the table will be empty - you need to first record at least one trip.
Some Trips Missing in Project Overview
Problem: I know I drove more trips for the project, but only some are displayed in the overview.
Solution: The Project Overview displays only trips of vehicles that have invoicing enabled (parameter "Use invoicing price"). Check the vehicle settings. Also verify that the filters are set correctly (especially date from-to) and that you filled in the "Project" field in all trips with exactly the same text (the system is case-sensitive and space-sensitive).
Invoicing Price Not Displayed
Problem: The invoicing price columns are not visible in the table.
Solution: Invoicing price columns are displayed only for vehicles that have the "Use invoicing price" parameter enabled in settings. If it is disabled, the columns are not displayed. It can be enabled in vehicle settings.
Tips for Efficient Work
Use Address History
Instead of constantly manually entering addresses, use the dropdown list with history. The system remembers all addresses you have ever used, and also offers addresses of companies from the CRM module. If you regularly drive to the same places, you save time and additionally kilometers are automatically filled in.
Use Consistent Project Designation
For easier invoice preparation, maintain a consistent project number format (e.g., P2025-001, P2025-002, etc.). Avoid typos - each difference in designation will create a separate row in the project overview.
Record Trips Continuously
Do not record all trips only at the end of the month - you will remember fewer details and the probability of errors will be higher. Ideally record trips daily or at least weekly while events are fresh in memory.
Check Average Consumption
Monitor the vehicle's average consumption. A significant increase may signal a technical problem, under-inflated tires, or uneconomical driving style. Use export to Excel to create a consumption chart over time.
Use Notes
In the note field, record non-standard events - detours, passengers, reason for longer trip duration, vehicle damage, etc. This information can be useful when later resolving complaints or during audits.
Regularly Add Invoice Numbers
If you invoice trips to customers, continuously add issued invoice numbers. This makes it easier to later find which invoice which trip belongs to and avoid duplicate invoicing.
Export Data for Archiving
Once a month or quarterly, export data to Excel and archive it. In case of technical problems, you will have a data backup and additionally you can create your own reports and statistics.
Conclusion
The Vehicle Logbooks module is a comprehensive tool for vehicle fleet management. When used correctly, it provides accurate overview of vehicle utilization, transportation costs, and invoicing documents. The key to success is regular and careful recording of trips with emphasis on correct filling of mileage statuses and projects.
For more information, contact the system administrator or visit the Help section in the application main menu.