Stovebolt.com Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Logging your truck repairs

How do you make notes as to what you’ve done, when and what was the mileage?

In the glovebox of all my rigs I have a small memo pad which I note the date, brief description of what was done and what the odometer was showing then.

Yes I still have the typical folder in my office that contains receipts and more details of each repair, but having these little memo pad helps me quickly remember what I did and when.

What I've been doing is sending a text message (on cell phone) and use the "take picture" button. Take photo of what doing -- click. Screen says "ok." Then before I send, I add text to 'spain a few things or details.

Have it all in one place. Makes it nice if download later since all the data is there, including the date and time.

I keep a spreadsheet on my computer, with all that info, along with brand and part numbers, where I got them, and if they were off a different vehicle, I put that info as well, (like the backup switch I used on my SM420, it is off a 1985 C20)

I'm logging all my time on the '51 3100 restoration on a spreadsheet (I started out manually in a notebook), including date, what I worked on, and how much time was spent. I'm real close to 1500 hours now.

I also have a spreadsheet of every part I've bought so I can refer to it when trying to remember if I have the part already. (It's been more than once that I bought the same item again when I couldn't find it in the box.)

I also have a fuel mileage spreadsheet for my daily drivers, logging date, gallons added and mileage between fill-ups. That one also shows me current and lifetime mpg and a running average of mpg over the previous 4 fill-ups (helps see if something has gone wrong.)

After the EMP happens, I have a pencil and notebook.

Like 69 Cuda and Kevin, I keep an XL spreadsheet for all of my vehicles. Date, mileage, work done, cost.

Cost? I don't keep track of the costs for an obvious reason. (Mrs. Wally is the obvious reason.)

I also use an XL spreadsheet to keep track of parts I bought. It includes cost, date of purchase, part numbers and where I bought it from. I know exactly how much I have invested.

...Invested! You're funny!

I keep a note pad with the date, service and part numbers for what I did so the next guy will have part numbers to help with repairs. I don't track my time or the money, that's to depressing...lol

Mike B

For my' 59 I have a project journal from Gearz Nation that wife gave me. It has tabs for everything. My daily driver has a memo pad to record repairs and maintenance.

I track what I've spent on my truck along with other expenses, but I haven't looked at the total.

Who here said in his signature something like:
"If I go first, I hope she doesn't sell the things for what I said I paid"?

Best signature!

Oil changes, etc. are on a note pad in the glove compartment with date and mileage listed. The actual receipts for those and all other work are in a file folder in the filing cabinet.

I'm still young enough to keep it all in my head. 5 vehicles.

LOL! Those days are LONG gone!

And in the blink of an eye you'll be wondering why you never kept notes...LOL. So, tell me what the rear brake shoe part number is on vehicle #4 ???

Mike B

Wayne: Wayne67vert

Ran a long period of time without a working gas gauge, so tracking miles since last gas became a necessity that eventually grew into the complete maintenance notebook into which everything is logged. Lives in glovebox.

cmayna Sorry to say I just remember it,my fleet of 7(Iguess) 2 modern the rest 48 to 51 I just wing it !! My DD is 51 6400 always ready to go and gets the most attention. The 48 dump truck with less than 51,000 actual miles I,m getting ready to haul driveway rock now.

Well, hopefully you have reliable memory......unlike me LOL

Only one I will need to get that specific is this 66 C10 cause everything has been changed. Rest of the vehicles are off the shelf parts.

cmayna Well most of the problems glare out anyway,I don't aim to be bothered by some petty problem ,want to fire-up and truck not worry with some antiquated wore out age old unobtainable trouble maker. Just got in from a 25 mile round trip coffee run,gonna zing under the 51 6400 and look at my PTO.

A man has to know his limitations….

One of my many personal weaknesses is logging/ archiving this kind of information. I admire those who can keep spreadsheets. My brain isn’t wired that way.

I have a few notes scribbled in my shop manual, but have done way more work than is reflected there. The search function on this website is handy when I need to remember a part number or some detail from past repairs.

I have a stack of sketches on note paper documenting things like dimensions of mounting holes on running boards for when I needed to replace the mounting brackets. Some stuff just can't be added to a spreadsheet.

No, but it can be scanned and attached to the spreadsheet.

And if you have an iPhone you can scan into a Folder/Note using the supplied “Notes” app. I’m betting Androids have something similar.

I have an Android and I put written notes into an app called TASK. I think it was on the phone when I got it.

Hopefully this thread has caused some to start thinking about logging some of their repairs, if they haven't been doing it in the past. Anything is better than nuttin'

FWIW .... Here's some screen shots of the Spreadsheet I did to track our maintenance at work. It is the same format and design as the one I developed to track our POV's, collector vehicles and farm equipment here at HQ. It's Excell and consists of a master sheet connected to individual folders/sheets for each vehicle. The work one is grouped by type of vehicle -- trucks, equipment (tracked and wheeled), trailers (king pin, pintle and ball hitch) and misc (pumps, plate tampers, walk-behind sweeper, etc).

The spreadsheet is out of date as I turned the record keeping over to our lead mechanic to manage over a year ago. Presumably he's been keeping it up ...

Primary input is done from a notebook kept in the shop. End of each week, we input the data from the notebook.

It helps to keep track of oil changes, lube and adjustments, registrations, battery ages and tire wear. All good things to keep an eye on when scheduling equipment for job sites. Mark may have something better from his shop.

No screen shots......yet

And as soon as I say this, the screen shots appear. LOL

The big boss got bit by the same photo glitch as everyone else. But he got it fixed up.