In this article
Overview
In field service operations, service vehicles (trucks, vans, or mobile rigs) act as mobile warehouses. Parts, consumables, and tools loaded onto a truck are actively deployed to job sites.
nbound allows you to register each vehicle in your fleet, assign primary technicians, set stock level targets, and monitor item consumption as work orders and appointments are completed on-site.
Mobile Precision: Knowing exactly which parts are loaded on Van #4 prevents technicians from driving back to the shop mid-day to fetch missing supplies.
Adding a truck / vehicle
To set up a service vehicle in your fleet:
Navigate to Inventory → Trucks from the left navigation menu.
Click Add Truck to launch the vehicle registration sheet.
Enter a unique Vehicle Name or ID (e.g., 'Truck 02 - HVAC Response' or 'Van 105').
Optionally enter License Plate, VIN, or Make/Model for fleet record-keeping.
Assign a Primary Technician or Lead Driver responsible for the vehicle's inventory.
Save the vehicle profile. It immediately becomes an active inventory destination for stock transfers and audits.
Allocating inventory to trucks
Managing mobile inventory involves transferring items from a main warehouse to a truck vault:
Checkout & Transfer
When stock is loaded onto a vehicle, record the transfer so the system deducts quantity from the warehouse and credits the vehicle's on-hand count.
Automatic Job Consumption
When technicians mark products or parts as used on an appointment invoice or work order, nbound automatically deducts those items from that specific technician's assigned truck stock.
Performing truck stocktakes
To ensure mobile inventory logs remain accurate, conduct routine truck audits:
Truck Audit Workflow
Go to Inventory → Stocktakes → Add Stocktake, choose Truck as the location type, and select the specific vehicle. The technician or warehouse supervisor counts physical stock in the vehicle bins. Any missing or surplus parts are automatically flagged in the stocktake report for reconciliation.