Keeping tabs on dozens or hundreds of pieces of rental equipment on a jobsite, including what’s in use, what needs to be returned and what’s awaiting delivery or pickup, is a big job. Doing it well can lead to significant cost savings and increased worker productivity.

Digital technology such as the cloud-based equipment management solution Total Control® gives contractors a huge leg up. But when you’re out in the field, you want to be able to work from the phone in your pocket or the tablet in your bag, not the computer back in the office or trailer.

The United Rentals Mobile App was designed for exactly that. It puts all your equipment data at your fingertips and enables a host of easy-click actions that help you do more, in less time, when you’re out and about.

See the status and location of all your equipment

When you log in to the app, the dashboard provides an overview of your company’s activity with United Rentals. You can see at a glance:

• What equipment you have on rent
• What equipment you’ve reserved
• Pickups you’ve requested
• Service requests you’ve made

Use the dashboard filters to show the equipment by jobsite, by the person who rented it (so you can find what you ordered) and by purchase order. The filters are especially helpful when you’re managing a large job or multiple jobsites.

By drilling down into equipment details, you can see the location of every piece of equipment on any jobsite. Location details help you find what you need on a large jobsite and also reduce or eliminate hoarding.

Rent and return faster

The United Rentals Mobile App provides 24/7 access to the world’s largest equipment rental fleet and makes it easy to rent and return equipment right from your phone or tablet. Convenience is the name of the game when you’re juggling multiple tasks.

The app can potentially save you money by helping you improve your consumption management. You can easily:

• See which rentals are due back soon or overdue
• Extend your rental duration
• View leniency windows
• Request equipment pickups

If you have multiple scissor lifts on rent and work is winding down, seeing your leniency windows can help you decide which ones to return in order to minimize your rental costs. If you’re wrapping up a job and about to start another one, you can save money by moving equipment from one job to another, especially if you've already paid for it through the end of the month.

Get order delivery status

Many contractors know all too well the “communication chasm” that typically occurs between the moment they order a piece of equipment and the moment it arrives on site. The United Rentals Mobile App fills in the gap, providing visibility into order delivery status from pending to en route to delivered.

If your delivery is due within 24 hours, you can check the app to get an ETA and plan accordingly so you don’t have workers waiting around to receive the equipment or to use the units they need.

Make service requests

When a critical piece of equipment breaks down, productivity drops like a rock. With the United Rentals Mobile App, you will soon be able to quickly and easily place a service request right from your phone or tablet, saving you a phone call.

You’ll even be able to upload relevant photos to help the service team address the problem faster so your crews can get on with their work. A service tracking feature is also being developed so you can see the status of your service request at a glance.

Right-size your rental fleet

Use the app to check the utilization of each piece of equipment you’re renting. How many hours per day on average is the unit being used?

If a boom lift is sitting idle, request a pickup via the app so you don’t pay for more days than necessary. Or dedicate the idle lift to another part of the project that needs one rather than renting another lift.

Are your loaders being overworked? Order more to guard against project delays.

When you’re in the field, having data at hand — literally — helps you make faster, better decisions. Being able to take action with just a click or two lets you get things done on the spot and keep yourself, and your project, moving forward.