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What you will accomplish

You will mark a vehicle as at an outside vendor so your team knows the car is not in your building—even though you still track it in Car Storage Software. When you finish:
  • The car record shows Vendor: and the company name (for example Elite Transport Co.).
  • The vehicle no longer counts as parked in A1, Outdoor Lot, or another facility spot.
  • The parking report can show a Vendor row for billing or history reviews.

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When to use this guide

Use this when a vehicle physically leaves your property for work done elsewhere. Good examples:
  • Enclosed transport to another city or storage facility.
  • Detail or paint work at a partner shop down the road.
  • Mechanical repair at a dealership or specialty garage.
  • Any off-site location where the car is not in your numbered spot or zone.
Vendor location is not the same as a zoneZone means the car is still on your property in a flexible area (for example Outdoor Lot). Vendor means the car left your facility. Pick the option that matches where the vehicle actually is.

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Before you start

  • The car already exists in Cars.
  • The outside company exists as a vendor in Contacts > Vendors. If not, add one first—see Manage vendors.
  • You know the car is leaving (or has already left) your building.
  • Your team understands this is a location update—not the same as paying a vendor invoice.
Location vs vendor invoiceSending a car to a vendor updates where the vehicle is. Paying a vendor bill happens in Payments > Invoices under the Vendor tab. You can do one without the other, but many shops update location when transport picks up the car.

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Step 1: Open the car record

1

Go to Cars

Open Cars from the left sidebar.Expected result: You see your facility’s vehicle list with make, model, year, and customer columns.
2

Open the correct vehicle

Search by customer name, plate, VIN, or make and model. Click the row to open the car detail page.Why this matters: Sending the wrong vehicle to a vendor is hard to fix during a busy morning. Read the year, make, model, and plate before you continue.
3

Find the parking location button

Near the top of the page, look for Spot:, Zone:, Vendor:, or Assign location.Expected result: You see where the app thinks the car is right now—inside your facility or already at a vendor.
Car detail page showing Spot A1 on the parking location button near the top of the page
Before the car leaves, the parking button usually shows Spot: or Zone: with the current facility location.

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Step 2: Choose the vendor in the location picker

1

Click the parking location button

Click Spot:, Zone:, Assign location, or the current location label.Expected result: A window opens with a search field labeled Select zone, spot, or vendor… (or similar wording).
2

Search under Vendors

Click the search field and type part of the vendor name (for example Transport or Elite).Expected result: A Vendors section appears in the list with matching companies.
3

Select the correct vendor

Click the vendor row. Read the company name one more time before you save.Why this matters: Multiple transport or detail partners may look similar in search results.
4

Click Send to vendor

The save button may read Send to vendor when you picked a vendor (instead of Update location for spots and zones).Expected result: A short success message appears. The car record now shows Vendor: and the vendor name near the top of the page.
Move location dialog on a car record showing a search field with Vendors section listing Elite Transport Co.
Type in the location picker to find Vendors. Pick the company that has the vehicle, then click Send to vendor.
Car detail page for a Lamborghini showing Vendor Elite Transport Co. on the parking location button
After you save, the car record shows Vendor: and the company name—not Spot: or Zone:.

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Step 3: Confirm the facility map looks right

1

Open Parking Spots

Go to Parking Spots.
2

Check the old spot or zone

If the car was in A1 or Outdoor Lot, that space should now look Available or Open—not still occupied by this vehicle.Why this matters: Staff should not walk to a spot looking for a car that left on a transport truck.
3

Use search if needed

Search for the customer or vehicle on the Parking Spots page. The car should not appear as Present in a facility spot.Expected result: The map matches the real building—the car is gone from your floor plan.

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Bring the car back to your facility

When the vehicle returns, update the location again—do not leave it on the vendor forever. A car that still shows Vendor: on its record looks off-site even when it is sitting in your building.
1

Open the car record

Go to Cars and open the vehicle. You should still see Vendor: and the company name near the top of the page.Why this matters: Staff searching the map for an empty spot will not find a car that is still marked at a transport company.
2

Open the location picker

Click the Vendor: button. The window may remind you the car is currently at that vendor.
3

Pick a spot or zone inside your facility

Search under Spots or Zones and choose where the car is parked right now (for example B3 or Indoor Bay). Do not pick another vendor unless the car left again.Expected result: The list shows numbered spots and zones from your floor plan—not the vendor section.
4

Click Update location

Save the change. The vendor label should disappear and Spot: or Zone: should appear instead.Expected result: Parking Spots shows the car as Present in your facility. The parking report records the end of the vendor stay and the start of the new facility assignment.
5

Spot-check the map

Open Parking Spots and search for the vehicle. It should appear in the spot or zone you chose—not still listed as off-site.Expected result: Front desk staff can answer “where is this car?” without calling the transport company.
For step-by-step help assigning a numbered spot or zone, read Assign a parking spot.

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See vendor history on the parking report

Managers and billing staff can confirm how long a car was off-site.
1

Open the parking report

Go to Parking Spots Report or click Actions, then Report, on Parking Spots.
2

Set the date range

Choose the weeks or months you want to review.
3

Look for Type = Vendor

In Table view, read the Type column. Vendor rows mean the car was at an outside company during that period. Location shows the vendor name.Expected result: You can explain off-site time without guessing from memory.
Parking Occupancy Report table showing a row with Type Vendor and location Elite Transport Co.
Vendor rows on the report show when a vehicle was off-site. Use them for billing reviews and customer questions. For full report help, read Review the parking report.

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You can also send a car to a vendor from the map

If you are already on Parking Spots, you do not need to open the car record first.
1

Click the spot that holds the car

On the map, click the spot where the vehicle is parked now (for example A1).Expected result: A dialog opens showing the car currently in that spot.
2

Start Move Vehicle

Click Move Vehicle or use the destination search field at the top of the dialog.Why this matters: This is the fastest path when a transport truck is waiting and you are already looking at the map.
3

Pick a vendor under Vendors

Type the vendor name in the search field. Click the company under the Vendors section—same as on the car record.
4

Confirm the move

Click Send to vendor (or Update location). The spot should look Available on the map. The car record should show Vendor: and the company name.
Move Vehicle dialog on the Parking Spots map showing a search field with Vendors section listing a transport company
From the map, click the occupied spot → Move Vehicle → search under Vendors → Send to vendor.

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Common mistakes to avoid

  • Do not leave Vendor: on the record after the car returns—assign a spot or zone the same day when possible.
  • Do not pick a zone when the car left the property entirely—use Vendor instead.
  • Do not skip creating the vendor first—add transport and detail partners in Contacts > Vendors so names stay consistent.
  • Do not confuse this with scheduling transport on Schedule—update location when the car actually leaves.

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Troubleshooting

I do not see any vendors in the search listAdd the company in Contacts > Vendors first. You only need a name and contact person to start. Read Manage vendors.
The button still says Update location instead of Send to vendorYou may have selected a spot or zone by mistake. Clear the search field and pick a row under Vendors, not Spots or Zones.
The map still shows the car in a spotRefresh Parking Spots. If the old spot still looks occupied, open the car record and confirm Vendor: appears. Try the move again from the car page if needed.

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What to do next