Tool Checkout
Tool Checkout helps your team track company-owned tools, ladders, diagnostic gear, and equipment as they move between the shop, trucks, and crew members.
When to use this
Use Tool Checkout when technicians borrow shared tools and you need a clear record of who has each item, when it is due back, and what condition it returned in. It is especially useful for expensive diagnostic equipment, safety gear, specialty tools, and truck inventory that should not disappear between jobs.
Before you start
- Confirm Tool Checkout is included in your ToolbagCRM plan.
- Enable Tool Checkout from Settings → Features or the Marketplace.
- Make sure your team members are set up, because checkouts are assigned to crew members.
- Decide on an asset-tag pattern before adding many tools, such as truck number plus a short sequence.
Add a tool
- Open Tool Checkout from the ToolbagCRM navigation.
- Select Add Tool.
- Enter the tool name and asset tag.
- Add the category and home location so the team knows where the item normally lives.
- Add manufacturer, serial number, purchase price, and notes when they help identify or protect the asset.
- Save the tool. New tools start as available; use the checkout action when a crew member takes the item.
Check a tool out
- Find an available tool in the list.
- Select Check Out.
- Choose the crew member who is taking the tool.
- Add a due-back date and notes when the item is tied to a specific job, truck, or planned use.
- Save the checkout so the tool moves out of the available list.
The tool list shows totals for all tools, available tools, checked-out tools, and overdue checkouts. Use those cards and tabs during morning dispatch or end-of-day closeout to spot missing items quickly.
Return a tool
When a crew member brings a tool back, select Return on the checked-out item. Review the item before returning it to service and use notes for damage, missing cases, dead batteries, or anything the next technician should know.
Tool statuses
Each tool has a status that reflects its current state:
- Available — the tool is in its home location and ready to be checked out.
- Checked Out — a crew member has the tool. The list shows who holds it and when it is due back.
- Maintenance — the tool is out of service for repair, calibration, or inspection. Move a tool to Maintenance when it should not be checked out until fixed.
- Lost — the tool is missing. Use this status during inventory reviews when an item cannot be located.
- Retired — the tool is permanently out of service. Use Retire when a tool is damaged beyond repair, sold, or replaced. Retired tools stay in the list for history but cannot be checked out.
Use the Maintenance tab to see all tools in Maintenance, Lost, or Retired status in one place. This is useful during inventory reviews or when planning equipment purchases.
Tips
- Label physical tools with the same asset tag you enter in ToolbagCRM.
- Use categories such as diagnostics, power tools, ladders, safety, and specialty tools to make filtering easier.
- Add home locations like Truck #4, Yard, or Shop cage so the expected return point is obvious.
- Keep purchase price and serial number on higher-value tools for insurance, warranty, and replacement decisions.
- Review overdue checkouts during weekly inventory instead of waiting until a tool is urgently needed.
- Use the Maintenance tab during inventory reviews to see tools that are out for repair, missing, or retired. This helps you decide whether to repair, replace, or reorder equipment.
Troubleshooting
The tool list is empty
After enabling the plugin, add the first tool from the Add Tool action. If checkouts cannot be assigned, confirm the team member exists and that the Team feature is available for your account.
I cannot check out a tool
A tool can only be checked out when its status is Available. If the tool is already Checked Out, Maintenance, Lost, or Retired, the checkout action will not succeed. Return the tool first, or change its status back to Available from the tool detail view.
A tool shows as overdue
The overdue list displays tools whose due-back date has passed but have not been returned. Check with the crew member who last checked out the tool, update the due-back date if the job is still in progress, or record the return with a condition note so the next technician knows what to expect.
Creating a tool with "Checked Out" status
If you create a tool and set its status to Checked Out without a matching checkout record, the system automatically resets it to Available. Always create the tool first, then use the Check Out action to assign it to a crew member.