Contents - Index

Log Entry Edit Load

This screen is accessed from the Edit link on a load entry on the Log File Entry & Maintenance screen.

Screen Layout
This screen is used to store all load-related information. You may also create an invoice for your services from this screen.

Saving your data on this screen is a bit different from the other maintenance screens. Use the button at the top of the screen to save your changes. This will not exit the screen; use the Close Screen button to exit.

You may import a load from your upcoming loads list. To do this, click on the Import Load from Upcoming Loads button. That will pop up a list of your upcoming loads. Choose the load from that list and that information will be imported into this load. You will then be asked if you wish to delete the upcoming load from the upcoming loads list. It is recommeded to delete the upcoming load after it has been imported into a load. This will keep your upcoming loads list short and accurate.

Enter a meaningful title for the load and an I.D. for the load, if it has one. This information will be displayed in the log file to help you identify the load. If you attempt to enter a Load I.D. that has already been used, the field will turn red and a message will be displayed that will tell you where the I.D. has already be used. Duplicate Load I.D.s are allowed, but not recommended.

If you are using automatic load numbering and you have not yet supplied a load i.d., then you will see a Get Next Load Number button. Click that to fill in the load i.d. with the next load number.

The next four boxes are used to identify the addresses associated with the load. Origin, destination, bill to, and broker information may be kept here. These four boxes work exactly like the Chain and Store boxes on fuel entries.

The Load Specifications is a notepad that you could copy and paste an e-mail into. You may type whatever you want into this box. A paste button and a print button are available to assist you.

Additional fields to further define the load are present next, followed by an estimated mileage and cost per mile (or km) field. Estimated cost is calculated for you are you enter information into these two fields. (Note: the Miles (Km) field contains a calculator to assist in calculating mileage. Please note that only whole numbers (integers) may be entered and calculated with this calculator.)

Load Charges, Invoicing, and Settlement
The Load Charges box is only used if you plan on sending out your own invoices for loads. This section is really for Owner/Operators only. Leased Operators and Company Drivers should NOT use this area. Rather, use the main Settlement screen that is accessed from the main menu.

The Load Charges box is where you will enter charges to the customer for services rendered. Charges would include detention, tarping, fuel surcharge, mileage fee, line haul, special equipment, lumpers, etc. You can set up a default set of charges (that would be added to each new load) on the Load Charges Defaults screen. To refresh the calculations, either save your edits or press the refresh button located just above the calculations.

To the right of the Load Charges grid, there are two fields that may be used to deduct amounts from the Load Charges. The Deduction Percent field will calculate an amount that is based on the total of the amounts entered into the Load Charges grid. The Deduction Amount field will subtract a fixed amount from the load charges. Use the refresh button to update your calculations when using these fields. (Note: If you have a Deduction Percent specified and you select a broker who has a deduction percentage specified, you will be asked if you wish to use that broker deduction percentage instead of what is already on the screen.)

The Load Charges grid is edited directly. Instructions for editing this grid are to the right of the grid. Reimbursable expenses are listed in the box underneath the grid. These expenses are entered via income & expenses and are marked as reimbersable. When you are ready to invoice the customer for your charges and expenses, click the preview button in the Invoice box in order to review what your invoice will look like. There are a few things you can do to improve the look of your invoice:
  • Add a logo. On the Company Information screen, you can specify a logo file.
  • Use the Company Information screen to set up your default name and address, and remit-to information. The remit-to fields on the load screen will be used on the invoice. There are buttons for clearing and setting these fields. You may also type in the desired remit-to name and address information. Whatever shows in the fields on the load screen will print on the load invoice (in the remit-to areas only).

    Once your invoice looks right, you may use the button to send the invoice directly to your printer, or the button to send the report as a PDF attachment to an e-mail address. (See the e-mail send screen for more details.)

    Load invoice numbers are assigned sequentially. When you view or print your very first invoice, you will be asked for the starting invoice number. (This number is an integer between 1 and 2,000,000,000.) Each load after that will be assigned the next invoice number. If you need to change this number after it has been assigned, you may click on the number and specify the number that you would like. If the number has not already been assigned, it will be used and the next load will get the next available number after that.

    When you receive a payment for the load, click the Payment Settlement button above the grid. This will take you to the Load Settlement screen, where you can input the payment and indicate what got paid or reimbursed. You may reprint/resend the invoice as many times as needed; it will reflect all of the charges and all of the payments received.

    Once a load is deemed to be paid in full, please check the Paid In Full box.

    To the right of the Load Charges box is the Income & Expenses box. This will show what the current to-date income and expense totals are for this load. Click the Income and Expenses button to go directly to the Income & Expenses screen, which will show all income and expenses for this load.

    Load Documents
    Load Documents allows you to "attach" files on your PC to a specific load. It does not store the file in the load; all it does it allow you to reference the file from the load. A load document can be any PC file desired: a scanned image, a document, a spreadsheet, an email, etc. 

    In order to keep your files organized, you should create one folder on your PC as the sole place to store these files. This will keep them together. Then, give each file a meaningful name so that you can tell what load it belongs to without being in Rig Expense Tracker. For example, say you have 3 files for load number 56789. If you named them, "56789-BOL.pdf", "56789-MessageFromDispatch.eml", and "56789-DeliveryReceipt.jpg" then you would be able to tell that you have a bill of lading, an email, and a scanned image that all belong to load 56789.

    Use the buttons to the right of the box to add, view, remove, and rearrange these entries. There is also a button for emailing the file(s). (Note: Removing the files does NOT delete the files from the PC. It merely removes the reference from the load.)

    Load Termination
    The last box at the bottom, left of the load screen is used to terminate (complete) the load. Enter the odometer, state or province, and date, and then click the Terminate This Load button. If the load is already terminated, this box will show the actual load termination information, but may not be edited. To reactivate a load, go back to the Log Entry screen and delete the load termination entry.

    Load Report
    You can view, print, or email the load report at any time. However, odometer calculations for total mileage cannot be calculated until the load has been completed. The load report will report roads travelled on and miles/kilometers per state/province. Partial load pickups and dropoffs are also reported.