Running Vin Decode

(For Incomplete Trucks)

Please Note: Some screen images below may not reflect the latest version of the software. The help screens in the software itself are up to date.

Step by Step

Starting Importing Trucks Pricing A Truck Printing and Exporting Program Settings Getting Help
Starting The program's main (and first) screen displays a list of trucks currently in your database. (View screen) It contains buttons for help, importing, changing settings, editing, reporting and exporting, and others. Screen Image
Importing Trucks To import truck records from an Excel file, click the Import button on the main screen, which brings you to the import screen. (View screen) In this screen:
  1. First verify that you have selected the correct options regarding blank VINs and truck classes.
  2. Then click on Open List from DMV.
  3. Select an Excel file containing your truck records suitably formatted.
In the review screen:
  1. Review the trucks and unselect those you don't wish to import. To the right of the list are the fields associated with the selected record. Some of those fields are simply imported from the DMV file; the others are determined from the VIN. When you select a truck record, the program also checks validity; the errors flagged are invalid length or check digit.
  2. When you are ready, click the Save button to bring the data into the program's database.
In the resulting Save dialog:
  1. Enter the correct assessment year for the import, and check Regular or Supplemental, as appropriate.
  2. You may have to fill in blanks for blank "VIN"s or those with leading hyphens. To do this, click the Fill in Blanks button to go to the "Blank VIN" screen.
  3. Click the Save Data button to finish the process.
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Pricing A Truck If you click the Edit Selected Record button in the main screen, you will see the data for that truck. (View screen) The screen includes fields that are specific to the assessment year, and others that are permanently attached to the truck. There is also a screen (View) showing data downloaded from the NHTSA.

Also see how to batch price base prices below under Program Settings.
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Printing and Exporting If you click the Reports button in the main screen, you will get a dialog to select from several types of report. (View screen) In that dialog, you will typically click the Print List of Selected Records button to go to a screen to select records to print or export. (The other buttons are for special reports.)

In the selection screen (View screen), click the Print button to preview or print a list of selected records. ( View sample report (PDF) )

If you click the Print Letters button in the main screen, you will arrive at the initial Mail Merge Setup screen. That takes you to a selection screen, from which you go to the final Mail Merge Print screen.

Click the Export button to select and export records to an Excel spreadsheet. (View screen)This export may be to your administrative vendor's preferred format, if a checkbox and pulldown are available. ( View sample exported list (Excel) )

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Program Settings If you click on the Settings button in the main screen, you get a dialog (View screen) that allows you to change the number of decimal places in your final values. It also has buttons for the depreciation and pricing table screens, to set types for trucks that aren't automatically decoded, and batch price trucks without base prices. You may also be able to select the administrative vendor for data export. Note that this gets automatically set when you import, if the program recognizes the vendor from the format.

The Depreciation Tables can be edited in the Depreciation Editing Screen. (View screen)

The Pricing Charts can be edited in the Pricing Editing Screen. (View screen)

Types can be assigned to untyped trucks using the screen for that. (View screen)

Trucks can be assigned base prices in batches. (View screen) This may be especially useful for truck fleets.
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Getting Help In most screens, you will find a button with a large green question mark (See any of the other screen images). Clicking that button displays help related to that screen.(View sample help) Screen Image

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Last Updated: June 14, 2021