Scheduling Services

Keeping your fleet in the best condition is essential for safety and efficiency. This article explains how to set up and manage maintenance schedules in Motive so you never miss a critical service.

Overview

Motive’s services scheduling automates service intervals for your fleet, reducing manual effort and minimizing downtime.

  • Automate service intervals: Set recurring maintenance schedules to ensure vehicles receive timely upkeep without requiring extra manual tracking.
  • Centralized management: Manage and track maintenance tasks for your entire fleet in one convenient location, helping you stay organized.
  • Timely alerts: Receive advance notifications before service is due, allowing you to plan ahead and avoid unexpected downtime.
  • Multi-condition triggers: Configure schedules using any combination of Miles, Days, and Engine Hours. Reminders trigger based on whichever condition is met first.
  • Vehicle and asset support: Manage maintenance for both your vehicle fleet and powered/unpowered assets in one place.

Services

The Services tab serves as the central hub for tracking and managing the real-time maintenance status of your entire fleet.

To manage your fleet's active maintenance tasks, navigate to Maintenance > Services

Tracking Maintenance Status

The main table provides a snapshot of all active service requirements:

  • Vehicle or Asset: Identifies the specific unit by ID and Year/Make/Model.
  • Type & Service: Displays the category of maintenance (e.g., DOT Annual Inspection) and the specific frequency (e.g., 365 days).
  • Last Completed: Shows the date the service was last performed, helping you track the lifecycle of each asset.
  • Next Due: Shows the next service deadline based on the schedule’s frequency (Time, Distance, or Engine Hours). 

2. Using Search and Filters

  • Search Vehicles/Assets: Quickly locate a specific unit by its ID or name.
  • Service Name: Search by entering the service name.
  • Type: Narrow your view to specific tasks, such as "Oil Change" or "Brake Inspection."
  • Status: Filter by Overdue or Upcoming to prioritize the most critical repairs first.

3. Recording Completed Service 

When a service is performed, you must log it to reset the schedule:

  • Click + Add service note in the top-right corner or select the three dots (...) next to a specific vehicle.
  • Submitting a service note moves the task to the Service History tab and automatically resets the countdown for the next interval.

4. Managing Vehicle Availability

Beyond maintenance tracking, you can communicate a vehicle's operational status:

  • Select Change availability from the three dots (...) menu to indicate if a vehicle is currently in the shop or otherwise unavailable for dispatch.

Managing Schedules

Creating a Service Schedule

  1. Log in to the Motive Fleet Dashboard and click Maintenance in the left-hand menu.
  2. Select the Service Schedules tab. 

  3. Click the + Create Service Schedule button in the top-right corner.
  4. In the General section, select the Type (e.g., Tires, 90-day inspection) and enter a Service name. 
  5. Choose whether this schedule Applies to Vehicles or Assets. 

  6. In the Frequency section, check the box for your preferred interval:
    • Time: Set the number of days between services.
    • Distance: Set the mileage/kilometer interval.
    • Engine Hours: Set the hour interval.
    • Optional: Enter a value for Mark as "Upcoming" to receive early notifications.
  7. In the Alert section, select the alert Type and click Select to choose recipients (Groups or specific Users).
  8. Choose your Delivery method (Email, Notification, SMS, or WhatsApp).
  9. Click Save

  10. A green banner will confirm the schedule has been successfully created. 

Assigning Vehicles to a Schedule

Once a schedule is created, you must assign specific vehicles to it:

  1. From the Service Schedules list, click the three dots (...) next to the desired schedule.
  2. Select Managed assigned vehicles

  3. In the pop-up, search for and check the boxes for the Groups or individual Vehicles you wish to include.
  4. Click Select

  5. You can also manually adjust the Next Service Due date for each vehicle if needed. 
  6. Click Save in the top-right corner. 

Customizing Service Due Dates and Readings

After selecting vehicles for a schedule via Maintenance > Services Schedules, the Assign vehicle to service schedule screen allows you to manually set the initial trigger points for maintenance. 

Maintenance (3).png
  1. In the Next Service Due (YMD) column, use the calendar picker to select the specific date for the vehicle's first scheduled service.
  2. Review and adjust Mileage/Kilometer thresholds.
    • Current Reading: View the vehicle's latest synced odometer data.
    • Next Service Due (MI/KM): Enter the exact odometer reading at which the service should trigger (e.g., if the current reading is 10,586, set the next due at 11,586).
  3. In the Next Service Due (HRS.) column, enter the specific engine hour reading that will trigger the maintenance alert.
  4. Click the X icon at the far right of any row to remove a specific vehicle from the assignment.
  5. Review assignment tabs.
    • Assigning Now: View vehicles currently being added.
    • Assigned Earlier: View vehicles already attached to this schedule.
  6. Click the Save button to activate the customized schedule for all listed vehicles.
Note: Manual entries are only required for the first service cycle. Once the first service note is logged, the system will automatically calculate all future Next Due points based on your schedule's frequency.

Editing or Deleting a Schedule

  1. Navigate to the Service Schedules tab.
  2. Click the three dots (...) icon beside the Assigned To column for the schedule you wish to modify.
  3. Select Edit schedule to change frequency or alert settings, or Delete schedule to remove it entirely. 

  4. If editing, make your changes and click Save

Adding a Service Note  

  1. Log in to the Motive Fleet Dashboard and click Maintenance.
  2. Click the Services tab to view a complete list of vehicles and assets that require maintenance.
  3. Click the three-dot menu for any vehicle. Click Add Service Note

  4. Mark all services that were completed for the selected vehicle.
  5. Add the Reference, Date, Note, Odometer, and Engine Hours for the service completion to ensure the next reminder is accurate. 

  6. Enter the specific amounts for the following fields to improve your fleet’s financial tracking:
    1. Labor Cost: The cost of the technician's time.
    2. Part Cost: The cost of materials (oil, filters, etc.).
    3. Tax: The total tax amount for the service.
    4. Total Cost: Enter the final invoice total.
    5. Miscellaneous: This field is automatically calculated by subtracting the Labor, Part, and Tax costs from the Total Cost.
  7. Click Drag and drop to upload or browse to add any additional images or documents. The Maximum size of an attachment that can be uploaded is 5 MB. You can add up to a maximum of 10 files only.
  8. Click Save

Note: You can also add services that are unrelated to your schedule by selecting the Service History tab and clicking Add Service Note.

Completing Service and Resetting Cycles

When a maintenance task is performed, recording a Service Note marks the reminder as complete and automatically calculates the next service interval based on your schedule’s multi-parameter rules.

  • Granular Cost Tracking: You can now capture a detailed breakdown of expenses for every service. Enter specific costs for:
    • Labor
    • Parts
    • Tax
    • Misc (e.g., shop supplies or disposal fees)
  • Automated Calculations: The system automatically calculates the Total Cost based on your granular entries, providing more accurate data for your fleet.
  • Cycle Reset: Once the Service Note is saved, the current reminder is cleared, and the Next Service is immediately projected using the frequencies (Miles, Days, and/or Engine Hours) defined in the Service Schedule.

FAQs

How do I change an existing scheduled service interval?

Select the schedule from the list, edit the trigger settings, and save your changes.

What happens if a service is missed?

Motive will continue to send reminders until the service is marked as complete.

Can I upload historical service records?

Yes. You can import past service records into the system to maintain a complete service history.

Who receives automated reminders?

You can configure notifications for drivers, fleet managers, or both.

Is it possible to pause scheduled services temporarily?

Yes. You can deactivate a schedule at any time and reactivate it when needed.

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