What is Fullbay?
Fullbay is repair shop management software built entirely for heavy-duty shops. If a shop works on any kind of commercial vehicles, like diesel trucks or farming and construction equipment, we’re here for you.
Can you give us a brief overview of Fullbay? How did you create it?
What I discovered was that while shop software has come a long way for auto repair, heavy-duty mechanics had been left behind. So many diesel repair shops were using pen and paper to keep records – or, if they had some kind of software, it was outdated and would only run on a desktop computer.
There was room in the market for a robust, easy-to-use application that would make the lives of those who worked in repair shops much, much easier. As part of my research, I ended up quitting my job and working in a diesel repair shop for a year. While there, I saw what the pain points were. Techs often stood in line for assignments. A lot of work still happened on paper and had to be transferred onto a computer. Mix-ups happened when the wrong parts were ordered; sometimes shops even forgot to bill for parts.
Fullbay was created to put an end to those headaches and to help repair shops get more done and be more profitable…in way less time.
How does Fullbay work? Why is it so important for heavy-duty shops?
Fullbay creates a workflow. Any data you enter will be stored in it, so you never have to go digging through files or paperwork again. Techs can make their diagnosis and input what parts they need. The parts manager can then quote and order those parts immediately. Instead of playing phone tag with customers, Fullbay’s customer portal allows you to email or text them estimates. When the work is complete, Fullbay immediately produces an invoice, which can also be sent out over email or text.
It lives in the cloud, so you can access it from your cell, tablet, laptop, or even a desktop if that’s what you have. Because it’s always up to date, you know you’re looking at the most recent information about a vehicle in your care.
Fullbay dramatically cuts down the amount of time shops need to spend on service orders, invoices, and customer communication. Many shops run weeks behind on invoicing because it takes so long for them to transfer all their notes into their accounting software. Because Fullbay is right there with you from the start, you’ll have all the information (and the invoices) that you need exactly when you need them. Some of the shops we’ve worked with report that they’ve saved up to a week’s worth of time per month; that’s a lot of hours that can go back into repair work.
How is Fullbay useful for tracking preventive maintenance?
Breakdowns are expensive and dangerous. You can help prevent them by getting a vehicle its scheduled maintenance. When you first accept a unit, you’ll enter its relevant information. Fullbay takes it from there: It will inform you when that vehicle needs regular maintenance, such as scheduled brake checks, DOT inspections, and so on.
A big part of our mission is to make highways safer. There’s a lot of tragic accidents on the roads every year that could be avoided with proper regular maintenance.
As a bonus, handling a customer’s preventive maintenance is steady work for a repair shop, and leads to a safer vehicle out on the road.
Why are software integrations so important, and what software integrations does Fullbay have?
Fullbay is great at what it does – shop management – but we knew from the start that Fullbay isn’t the only great tool shops would need. A common complaint from shop owners using the software that existed before Fullbay was that it didn’t play nicely with the other programs they used. So we designed Fullbay to blend seamlessly with those apps – making the lives of everyone who uses them much easier.
Here are a few of our integrations:
- QuickBooks: Fullbay syncs with QuickBooks to make sure all of your financials are up to date. No more time-consuming, redundant data entry. This is a full-detail integration, which makes it just like a human entered this info into QuickBooks.
- Interstate Billing Service: If your customer has an account with IBS, you can instantaneously find out if they can pay for the repair, and then once the repair is done, you can electronically send the invoice to IBS from right inside Fullbay.
- FleetNet America: You can receive roadside emergency requests from FleetNet America directly inside Fullbay, update FleetNet automatically during the repair, then send the invoice to FleetNet electronically, from right inside Fullbay.
- FleetCross by MOTOR: Our integration with FleetCross by MOTOR lets you access industry-standard labor guides, wiring diagrams, and thousands of parts cross-reference.
How does Fullbay specifically help diesel technicians?
Techs can clock in and out of jobs using Fullbay, so the software monitors how long it takes them to complete a particular task. This feature helps them (and a shop owner) see what services they excel at, and where they’re slowing down. Once weaknesses are identified, it’s easier to solve them. Are there certain roadblocks the shop owner can move out of the way? Does the tech need more education? And so on and so forth. And this can all be done in real-time.
Why should a shop purchase Fullbay?
If a diesel repair shop wants to get out of its own way and improve its bottom line, Fullbay is the way to do it. Even if you only use it to streamline your service order and invoicing process, you’re going to save a lot of time. Our robust integrations make it even easier to provide outstanding work to your customers and obtain payment from them. If you want to grow your shop, you want to get Fullbay.
About Fullbay
Fullbay provides heavy-duty repair shop management software to streamline workflows and improve efficiency. Launched in 2015, Fullbay helps shops increase technician productivity, invoice faster, better manage parts, connect with other applications, and more. By reducing administrative and management tasks that have slowed down shops for years, Fullbay customers have better-run and more profitable businesses. For more information, visit fullbay.com.
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