Linking a Claim to a Maintenance Task

From damage claim to repair in one click

Every damage claim eventually needs a repair. TrailerBase keeps the two tightly linked so nothing falls through the cracks — and so you have one clean record of what happened, what was fixed, and what it cost.

The Create repair task button

On any damage claim in Approved or Repair status, you will see a Create repair task button in the top actions bar. Click it and TrailerBase opens a new maintenance task pre-filled with data pulled from the claim:

1. Trailer — auto-selected from the claim
2. Description — copied from the damage description
3. Photos — all claim photos automatically attached
4. Priority — inferred from severity (severe = High, moderate = Medium, minor = Low)
5. Estimated cost — copied from the claim's cost estimate
6. Category — set to Damage repair

Review and save

Because fields are pre-filled, creating the task takes about ten seconds:

1. Review the description and tweak wording if needed.
2. Assign the task to a mechanic or outside shop.
3. Set a target completion date.
4. Click Create task.

What links together

Once created, the claim and the repair task are bidirectionally linked:

• On the claim page, a Linked repair task card shows the task's status.
• On the task page, a Source claim card shows which damage claim created it.
• Status changes on either side notify the other.

Status sync

When you mark the repair task complete, TrailerBase prompts you to also move the claim to Resolved. You can accept or decline — sometimes there are still open payment or insurance items before the claim closes.

Costs flow back to the claim

As you log labor and parts costs against the repair task, those costs flow back to the claim as the actual repair cost (replacing the initial estimate). This gives you accurate claim-level profitability and keeps insurance reimbursement math honest.

Photos stay in sync

If the mechanic uploads repair-in-progress or repair-complete photos to the task, they are automatically mirrored into the claim's Photos section, categorized under Repair. This gives you the full visual story from damage to resolution.

Unlinking

Rarely, you might want to unlink a task from its source claim — for example, if it turns out the damage was not the renter's responsibility after all. Open either record and click Unlink. Both records remain but no longer reference each other.

Multiple tasks per claim

A single damage claim can have multiple linked tasks if different types of repair are needed (body work, electrical, structural). Click Create repair task again to add more. All tasks contribute their costs to the claim's total.

Outside shops

If your repair is done at an external shop:

1. Create the task as above.
2. Assign to a virtual team member named after the shop (e.g., "Bob's Trailer Repair").
3. Upload the shop's invoice to the task's files.
4. Log the invoice total as the actual cost.

The claim sees the shop's invoice as the source of truth.

Tips

• Always create the task from the claim rather than creating a standalone task — the link saves you admin time later.
• Use the priority field to put severe repairs at the top of your mechanic's list.
• Close the claim only after the task is complete and all costs are recorded.