Custom Fields for Trips
Trip Custom Fields let you add your own fields to the Trips form, to capture extra information that AdmCloud does not offer natively (for example, an internal reference code, a control date, or a classification of your own).
What are they and what are they for?
A Trip Custom Field is an extra field that you define and that automatically shows up on the Create / Edit Trip form, alongside the standard fields (transportation Vendor, Route, Equipment, Rate, Driver, etc.). Once you create it, every Trip can have its own value for that field.
This feature is useful when you need to store data specific to your transportation operation that isn't part of AdmCloud's standard Trips form, or when a developer is building a plugin or a custom integration that needs extra information on Trips.
How to use it
- Open the screen. Go to Trip Custom Fields from the Customization menu. You can also get there from the Create / Edit Trip form by clicking the Create Field link.
- Create the field. Enter the Field Name, the Label users will see, and the Data Type. Save: the system creates the field and it becomes available immediately on the Trips form.
- Fill in the value on each trip. When creating or editing a Trip, complete the new field along with the trip's other data and save as usual.
- Review or edit the field's definition. From this screen's list you can open any field to review its configuration or edit the data that can still be changed (see "What you can't change" below).
Key fields
| Field | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Field Name | The field's internal identifier (no spaces or special characters). Cannot be changed once created. |
| Label | The text users see next to the field on the Trip form. |
| Data Type | Defines what kind of information the field accepts (text, number, date, yes/no, a reference to another entity in the system, a Custom List, a Custom Record, etc.). Cannot be changed once created. |
| Custom List | Only applies when the Data Type is "Custom List": indicates which of your custom lists the options come from. |
| Custom Record | Only applies (and is required) when the Data Type is "Custom Record": indicates which custom record the field points to. |
| Required | When enabled, the field becomes mandatory when saving the trip. |
| Allow changing it in consult mode | When enabled, the field can be changed straight from the record's consult screen, without opening it for editing (see "Changing the field without editing the record" below). It only shows up for the data types that are captured with a list or a selector. |
| Owner | The user responsible for the field's definition (defaults to whoever creates it). Used together with the "Protected" option. |
| Protected | When enabled, only the Owner user can view and edit the field's structure; other users won't see its configuration details (they can still fill in its value on trips). |
Validations when saving
- Field Name is required, with no spaces and no special characters.
- Field Name must be unique: you cannot reuse the same name on two trip custom fields.
- Label is required.
- Owner is required.
- If the field is "Protected", only the Owner can save changes to its structure.
What you can't change after creating it
To protect the information already captured on your trips, once you save the field for the first time the form locks editing of these items:
- The Field Name.
- The Data Type.
If you need to change either of these, create a new field with the correct configuration instead.
Deleting a custom field
Deleting a custom field also deletes the values captured on every trip that had it filled in; this action cannot be undone.
Transferring the field to another company
If your company is part of a group of companies in AdmCloud, the field's Owner can transfer (copy) its definition — along with its associated Custom List, if any — to another company in the group, without having to recreate it manually. This option shows up on the field's Details screen and is not available in companies still in their evaluation period.
Availability, plan and permissions
- This feature requires the Enterprise plan with the Transportation Management (TMS) module active, since Trips only exist within that module. If your plan or company doesn't include it, the option won't appear in the menu and the screens will show a "not available in your edition" message.
- Access is controlled by the "Customization" permission on the user group, with separate levels for view, add, edit and delete.
- A field marked as "Protected" can only be viewed and edited by its Owner (ForTech users are not subject to this restriction).
Changing the field without editing the record
Normally, changing the value of a custom field means opening the record for editing, changing the data and saving. The Allow changing it in consult mode checkbox offers a shortcut: the field is also shown enabled on the consult screen, just like Status and Group on Service Requests.
It is useful for follow-up data that changes over time and is not part of the record's main content: the status of a task, who reviewed it, an internal classification, and so on.
What happens when you turn it on
- On the consult screen the field is no longer greyed out and is drawn with its normal control (dropdown, search box, checkbox, text box...), depending on its Data Type.
- When you pick or type the new value and leave the field, the change is saved on its own: there is no Save button and the page is not reloaded. AdmCloud shows a confirmation notice.
- If the save fails, the field goes back to its previous value and the error message is shown.
- The change is recorded in the record's log, like any other modification.
Who can use it
- Only users with edit permission on this screen. Everyone else still sees the field as read-only.
- Only on the data types captured with a list or a selector. It is not available for Rich Text or File, because those fields need their own capture flow; if you pick one of those types, the checkbox disappears from the form.
Tips and common pitfalls
Think through the Data Type before saving. Since you won't be able to change it afterward, take the time to decide what kind of information you need to capture on your trips (text, number, date, a custom list, a reference to another entity, etc.) before creating the field.
Deleting a field deletes its data. Before deleting a custom field, make sure you no longer need the captured information on your trips: deletion removes the entire column and it cannot be recovered.
Don't see the option in the menu? This feature requires the Enterprise plan with the Transportation Management (TMS) module active. If your company should have it enabled and it's not showing up, contact AdmCloud support.