The Porter Management System handles vehicle delivery and pickup logistics. Porters are your delivery drivers — they transport vehicles between your lot and the renter's location.
How the System Works
The porter workflow follows this cycle:
- Admin assigns a porter to a rental's delivery or pickup on the Rental Detail page
- Porter receives notification in the Pocket Rental app on their phone
- Porter claims the job — confirms they'll handle the delivery
- Porter drives to pickup location — navigates to your lot or the renter's address
- Porter completes the job — marks delivery as done with photos and notes
- Admin reviews and pays — reviews completed jobs and sends payouts
Key Components
| Component | Who Uses It | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Porter Settings | Admin | Settings → Rentals → Porters |
| Porter Assignment | Admin | Rental Detail → Porter tab |
| Porter Dashboard | Porter | Reports → My Porter |
| Porter Mobile App | Porter | Pocket Rental app |
| Check-In/Out Grid | Admin | Rental List → Check-In/Out Grid |
Why It Matters
For rental operators offering delivery (especially on Pocket Drives), the porter system automates what would otherwise be manual coordination — who's driving which car where, when they need to be there, and how much they're earning.
What Makes It Powerful
- Mobile-first — Porters manage everything from their phone
- Real-time tracking — Know when jobs are claimed, in-progress, and completed
- Expense tracking — Porters log fuel, tolls, and parking for reimbursement
- Automated payouts — Calculate earnings and send payments through Mercury
- Calendar sync — Porters subscribe to their job calendar in Google/Apple Calendar
Frequently Asked Questions
Do porters need to be employees?
No. Porters can be independent contractors. The system tracks their jobs and earnings for 1099 purposes.
How many porters can I have?
There's no limit. Add as many porters as your operation needs.