Vehicle Lifecycle

This page covers the complete lifecycle of a vehicle in the fleet — from the moment it is acquired until it is sold, scrapped, or transferred out.

Vehicle Status Flow

flowchart TD
  ACQ[Acquired / Imported] --> INS[Inspection & Prep]
  INS --> AVAIL[Available]
  AVAIL --> RES[Reserved]
  RES --> RENTED[Rented]
  RENTED --> RET[Inspection Pending]
  RET -->|No Damage| AVAIL
  RET -->|Damage| DMG[Damaged]
  RET -->|Scheduled| MAINT[Maintenance]
  DMG --> REPAIR[In Workshop]
  REPAIR --> INS
  MAINT --> INS
  AVAIL --> TRANSFER[Transfer Pending]
  TRANSFER --> AVAIL
  AVAIL --> INACTIVE[Inactive]
  INACTIVE --> DISPOSE[Disposed / Sold]

Status Definitions

Phase 1 — Acquisition

What happens: A new vehicle enters the fleet through purchase, lease, or trade-in.

Who does it: Fleet Manager

Screen: Fleet > Add Vehicle

Permission: vehicle:create

Required Information

Business Tip: Always verify the VIN against the physical vehicle before adding to the fleet. VIN mismatches cause insurance claim rejections.

Phase 2 — Inspection & Preparation

What happens: The vehicle undergoes a full inspection, is cleaned, branded (if applicable), and prepared for rental.

Who does it: Fleet Inspector, Workshop Technician

Screen: Fleet > Vehicle Detail > Inspection

Permission: vehicle:update_status, inspection:create

Preparation Checklist

• Full body inspection with photos
• Interior deep clean
• Fluid levels checked and topped up
• Tire condition and pressure verified
• All electronics tested (lights, AC, infotainment)
• First aid kit and fire extinguisher present
• Floor mats and spare tire present
• Branding decals applied (if corporate fleet)
• GPS tracker verified working
• Final wash and ready photo

Status Change: Acquired → Inspection & Prep → Available

Phase 3 — Active Rental Cycle

A vehicle cycles between Available, Reserved, Rented, and Inspection Pending throughout its rental life.

flowchart LR
  AVAIL[Available] -->|Assigned| RESERVED[Reserved]
  RESERVED -->|Checkout| RENTED[Rented]
  RENTED -->|Check-in| INSPECT[Inspection Pending]
  INSPECT -->|Clean| AVAIL
  INSPECT -->|Damage| DMG[Damaged]
  INSPECT -->|Routine| MAINT[Maintenance]

Branch Transfers

Vehicles can be transferred between branches to balance demand.

Status Change: Available → Transfer Pending → Available (at new branch)

Phase 4 — Maintenance Cycle

What happens: Vehicles undergo scheduled and unscheduled maintenance to stay roadworthy.

Who does it: Workshop Manager, Mechanic

Screen: Workshop > Maintenance Requests, Workshop > Repair Jobs

Permission: maintenance:create, vehicle:update_status

Scheduled Maintenance

Unscheduled Maintenance

flowchart TD
  A[Issue Reported] --> B[Create Maintenance Request]
  B --> C[Assess & Estimate]
  C --> D{In Workshop?}
  D -->|Yes| E[Repair Job Created]
  D -->|No| F[External Garage]
  E --> G[Repair In Progress]
  G --> H[Quality Check]
  H --> I[Return to Available]

Status Change: Available → Maintenance → Inspection & Prep → Available

Business Tip: Vehicles with repeated breakdowns should be flagged for disposal review. Track repair costs against vehicle age to make data-driven retirement decisions.

Phase 5 — Registration & Insurance Renewal

What happens: Annual renewals for vehicle registration and insurance are tracked and processed.

Who does it: Fleet Admin, Compliance Officer

Screen: Fleet > Renewals Calendar, Compliance > Document Tracker

Permission: vehicle:update, compliance:update

Renewal Tracking

Renewal Steps

1. System generates renewal alert at 60-day mark
2. Fleet admin initiates renewal process
3. Insurance renewal: negotiate policy, process payment
4. Registration renewal: schedule RTA inspection, pay fees
5. Upload renewed documents to system
6. System updates expiry dates
7. Compliance status updated to Current

Status Change: Compliance: Renewal Due → In Progress → Current

Business Tip: Never let registration lapse. Driving an unregistered vehicle voids insurance and exposes the company to fines and legal action.

Phase 6 — Disposal / Retirement

What happens: A vehicle is removed from the fleet through sale, auction, trade-in, or scrapping.

Who does it: Fleet Manager, Finance Manager

Screen: Fleet > Vehicle Detail > Dispose

Permission: vehicle:dispose, accounting:generate_entries

Disposal Criteria

Disposal Process

1. Fleet manager flags vehicle for disposal review
2. Generate vehicle financial summary (total revenue, total costs)
3. Obtain valuation (auction house, dealer, or online)
4. Approve disposal method and price
5. Process sale or auction
6. Remove vehicle from fleet
7. Generate accounting entries for disposal
8. Archive vehicle record

Status Change: Available or Inactive → Disposed / Sold

Business Tip: Maintain a disposal history for audit purposes. Regulators and investors may request fleet aging reports and disposal rationale.

Vehicle Financial Summary

Each vehicle has a financial summary tracking its lifetime economics.

Business Tip: Review vehicle financial summaries quarterly. Vehicles with negative net contribution should be evaluated for disposal.