For: Technicians · Permission: Technician role (assigned to the job) · Time: ~2 minutes
Quick summary
- On the job, tap Receipt or vehicle photo? and choose The vehicle.
- Pick a slot (VIN, License plate, Mileage, and so on).
- Tap the slot's camera icon to take the photo, the gallery icon to pick one you already have, or the keyboard icon to type the value.
- The app reads a photo for you. Check the value, fix it if needed, and tap Save.
Before you start
- You're the technician assigned to the job and you're on site.
- The job is in diagnosis or repair.
- Camera and photo-library access are allowed for MetaFleet on your phone.
Open the photo helper
On the job, during diagnosis or repair, scroll past the Evidence card (it's called Photos on the repair screen) and tap Receipt or vehicle photo? The app asks what you're photographing so it files the photo correctly.
Choose The vehicle (VIN, plate, mileage, or damage, kept for the shop). The other choice, A receipt or part you bought, starts a draft purchase order for the office once the job is released. See Snap a Receipt → Draft Purchase Order.
Pick a slot
The Photo of the vehicle screen says Take a photo and we'll read it, or type it in. Every vehicle has Asset tag, Damage and Other. The other slots follow the vehicle type:
| Vehicle type | Slots |
|---|---|
| Truck | VIN, License plate, Mileage |
| Heavy equipment | Serial Number, Engine hours |
| Tractor, or no type set | VIN, License plate, Mileage, Engine hours |
| Trailer | VIN, License plate |
A slot shows On file and the current value when the vehicle already has one.
Take or choose the photo
On the app, each slot has a camera icon and a gallery icon. Tap the camera icon to take a photo now, or the gallery icon to pick one you already have. On the web, click Add to pick a file from your device. Either way the photo is saved and read the same way. Its thumbnail shows so you know it captured.
To skip the photo, tap the keyboard icon on VIN, License plate, Mileage or Engine hours. The slot says Type it in, then Save:.
Check the value and save
For VIN, License plate, Mileage and Engine hours, the app reads the value from your photo while Reading… shows. It then says Read it — fix if it's wrong, then Save: and fills in the value. Confirm it, fix it if needed (for a plate, also set the 2-letter state), and tap Save. The slot then shows Saved to the vehicle. Tap Done when you've finished with the helper.
If a VIN or plate differs from the one on file, the slot warns you before you save: Different from the VIN on file. If you save, dispatch will be told. Dispatch is told only when you tap Save, and can put the old value back.
A reading can't go backwards. If you enter mileage or hours below the vehicle's last reading, the slot shows a message such as Below last reading 412,300 mi, and Save stays greyed out.
No vehicle on file? If the order was created for a truck that isn't in the system yet, the app sets the vehicle up the first time you save a VIN, plate, mileage or hours value.
If a photo won't read
If the app can't make out the value, it names the one it missed. For example: We can't read the VIN. Retake the picture or enter it by hand. The plate, odometer and hour meter show matching wording.
- An empty field opens in the slot, so you can type the value in without recapturing.
- The camera and gallery icons stay in place, so you can also retake the photo.
The message clears once the value reads or you save one by hand. The photo is saved either way, so the shop has the picture even if the auto-read missed.
The VIN fills in more than the number. When the VIN reads, the app looks up the vehicle details from it (make, model, year, engine, and more). See Auto-Fill Vehicle Details from the VIN.
These stay in-house. Vehicle info photos are kept for the shop. The customer doesn't see them, and they don't count as repair evidence. Add as many as you need.
Fix other vehicle details
If your role has the Edit vehicles permission and you're assigned to the order, an Edit vehicle button shows on the unit at the top of the job. It opens a full screen where you can change any vehicle detail.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "We can't read the VIN" (or plate, odometer or hour meter) | Glare, angle, a dirty label, or the wrong thing in frame | Type the value into the field that appears, or use the camera icon to retake the photo closer and straight-on. |
| The read came out wrong | Hard-to-read label | Edit the value before you save, or retake the photo. |
| The camera didn't open | Camera permission isn't granted | Allow camera access for MetaFleet in your phone settings, or use the gallery icon to pick an existing photo. |
| The gallery wouldn't open | Photo-library permission isn't granted | Allow photo-library access for MetaFleet in your phone settings. |
| I picked the wrong slot | Photo filed under the wrong label | Tap the × on the thumbnail to remove it, then add it again under the right slot. |
| "Different from the VIN on file" | The value differs from the vehicle record | Check the number. If yours is right, tap Save and dispatch is told. |
| "Below last reading" and Save is greyed out | The reading is lower than the vehicle's last one | Check the number and type it again. |
| "Couldn't save it." | The save didn't go through | Check your connection and tap Save again. The photo itself is already kept. |
| "Saved — reopen the order to see it." | The order hasn't refreshed yet | Close and reopen the order to see the saved value. |
| I meant to scan a receipt | You chose The vehicle by mistake | Go back and pick A receipt or part you bought. |
FAQs
Does it really read the VIN automatically?
Yes. VIN, plate, mileage and hours are read from the photo and proposed. You confirm or correct the value.
Can I choose a photo I already took?
Yes. On the app, tap the gallery icon next to the slot. A gallery pick is read the same way.
What if the app can't read my photo?
It tells you which value it missed and opens a field so you can type it in, or you can retake the photo. The photo is saved either way.
The truck isn't in the system yet. Can I still capture its VIN?
Yes. The app sets the vehicle up the first time you save.
Can I add more than one photo per slot?
Yes. Each shows as a thumbnail.
Will the customer see these?
No. They're kept for the shop and don't satisfy the repair-photo requirement.
How is this different from Evidence photos?
Evidence photos document the work. Vehicle info photos record identifiers like the VIN, plate, and mileage.