What is a plant hire register?
A plant hire register lists every machine you hire in: who it is from, what it costs, when it arrived, when you asked for it to go and when it was collected. On a busy project it answers three questions that cost money when nobody can answer them: what is on hire right now, what should this month's hire invoices come to, and which machines are standing idle while the hire clock runs.
The on-hire and off-hire form protects you at both ends. Damage that is not written down at delivery is hard to dispute at collection, and a defect reported late may be charged to you.
How to use the register and form
- Set up the days per month, default notice, days to report defects, idle days, weekend, companies and sites on Settings.
- At delivery, check the machine with the hire company's driver, complete the On-hire columns of the form with photos, and open a row in the register.
- During the hire, update the hours run and the last activity date; idle machines are flagged.
- To off-hire, request it in writing, get the off-hire number and enter the date, number and notice.
- At collection, complete the Off-hire columns, note any damage, enter the collection date.
- Every month, compare the estimated charge per company on the Summary with its invoice.
How does the register work out the hire charge?
On-hire checks are counted in working days with the weekend on Settings (Friday and Saturday by default), using NETWORKDAYS.INTL.
Worked example: five hires on 21 October 2026
- A wheel loader on hire since 20 August at $6,200 a month has run 300 hours, but tracking shows no activity since 9 October: 12 days idle, flagged. Its on-hire check was done 5 working days after delivery, later than the 3-day example, so that is flagged too.
- A generator was off-hired on 19 October with 7 days' notice, so hire runs to 26 October: 29 days, or 4.14 weeks at $450, plus $300 delivery and collection, $2,163. There is no off-hire number from the company yet.
- A mobile crane hired by the day was collected with damage noted on the form: the row is flagged so the damage claim is followed up.
- The excavator has run 540 hours over 2.67 months against 260 included a month, within the allowance, so no extra hours are charged.
What hire contract terms should you check?
Hire terms in the Gulf vary by company and are often based on international model terms. The CPA Model Conditions for the Hire of Plant (UK, July 2011) are a useful checklist of what to look for:
- When hire starts and ends: under clause 1(b) the hire period starts when the plant leaves the owner's depot and ends when it is back.
- Defects on delivery: clause 5 gives the hirer 3 working days to report defects without an operator, 4 with one; after that the plant is deemed in good order.
- Breakdowns: clause 9 requires immediate notice confirmed in writing; breakdown time counts from when written notice is received.
- Off-hire notice: clause 24 sets 7 days' written notice for hires with no fixed end.
- Minimum hours: clauses 18 to 21 cover hours qualifications, such as a weekly minimum.
Enter your own contract's figures on Settings; the template uses them as examples only.
Common mistakes with hired plant
- No condition record at delivery. Existing damage becomes yours at collection.
- Off-hire by phone. Without a written request and an off-hire number, the hire clock may keep running.
- Machines kept "just in case". A loader standing idle for two weeks costs the same as one working.
- Invoices paid without checking days and hours. Delivery, extra hours and the end date are where differences hide.
What the template does not do
The charge is an estimate from the figures you enter; it does not include VAT or the breakdown, standby and damage terms of your contract. The notice and reporting days are examples from the CPA Model Conditions, not rules in your country. The register uses the hours and last activity you copy into it; it does not read tracking data. To reconcile daily hours and billing rules, use the Equipment Timesheet template; to decide whether to hire or buy, use the Equipment Rent vs Buy Calculator.