A jobcard is the central work order in Pistonlog. Every repair, service, or inspection starts with one. This guide walks you through creating a jobcard from scratch.
Opening a New Jobcard
Navigate to Jobcards
From the sidebar, click Jobcards to open the jobcard list.
Click New Jobcard
Click the New Jobcard button in the top-right corner. This opens the jobcard creation form.
Adding a Title
Every jobcard has a title that appears in your jobcard list and on printed documents. You have two options:
Manual title
Type a title directly into the Title field. Use something descriptive that helps your team identify the work at a glance — for example, "Full service and brake pad replacement" or "Pre-MOT inspection".
Auto-title
If you leave the title field blank, Pistonlog automatically generates one from the descriptions of the jobs you add to the jobcard. For example, a jobcard with a "Full service" job and an "MOT" job would be titled:
Full service - MOT
The title keeps updating as jobs change, until you turn auto-title off (three-dot menu on the jobcard) or type a title of your own.
When to use auto-title
Auto-title works well when your workshop processes high volumes and you need a quick way to identify jobcards. If your team prefers more descriptive titles, enter one manually — you can always edit it later.
Adding a Vehicle
The form is vehicle-first: the vehicle field sits above the customer field, because the car is usually what's in front of you. Vehicles are stored centrally so you only need to enter the details once.
Search by registration
Start typing in the Vehicle field. Pistonlog searches your existing vehicles by registration, make, or model. Select the correct vehicle from the results.
Or add a new vehicle
If the vehicle isn't in your system, click New + next to the vehicle field. Enter the registration and click Lookup to pull the make, model, year, colour, fuel type, engine size, and MOT due date from the DVSA, or fill those fields in yourself. The vehicle is saved to your database and linked to the jobcard.
Vehicles are saved for reuse
Once a vehicle is in your system, it's linked to its owner. When that customer returns, their vehicles appear automatically — no need to re-enter registration or model details.
Recommended jobs
If the vehicle has outstanding declined, postponed, or recommended work from a previous visit, a Recommended jobs picker appears under the vehicle field. Tick the ones the customer has now agreed to and they're added to the new jobcard as jobs.
Adding a Customer
Linking a customer to a jobcard lets you track work history, send invoices, and keep contact details on file.
Search for an existing customer
Start typing in the Customer field. Pistonlog searches your existing customers by name and contact details. If the customer already exists, select them from the dropdown. Customers already linked to the selected vehicle are badged Linked and sorted to the top. For fleet work, switch the picker to Business to select a business account instead.
Or create a new customer
If the customer doesn't exist yet, click New + next to the customer field. Enter their name, phone number, and email. You only need to do this once — their details are saved to your customer database automatically.
Customers are saved for reuse
When you add a new customer through a jobcard, they're saved to your customer list. Next time they visit, just search for their name — all their details, vehicle history, and past jobcards are already there.
Multiple vehicles per customer
Customers can have more than one vehicle on file. When you select a customer, their linked vehicles are grouped at the top of the vehicle picker.
Setting an Appointment Date
The appointment date tells your team when the vehicle is expected in the workshop. It appears on the dashboard calendar and helps with scheduling.
Pick a date
Click the Date field in the appointment row and select a date from the calendar picker. Once a date is chosen you can optionally add a start time, end time, and calendar colour; Pistonlog creates the appointment alongside the jobcard.
Optional: leave it blank
If the customer hasn't confirmed a date yet, you can leave this blank and schedule an appointment later. The jobcard will still be created and appear in your list.
What's Next
Once your jobcard is created, you can:
- Add jobs — individual line items describing the work to be done
- Add parts and labour — track costs and pricing for each job
- Assign a technician — allocate the work to a team member
- Print or share — generate a customer-facing document or internal work order