Software for the yard running three-phase generators.

A three-phase generator is the unit a yard sends when a job needs balanced, motor-grade power and the grid is not there to give it. On a well site it turns pumps and control buildings off the lease; at a facility it carries the whole load through a planned outage so nothing downstream blinks. That role is also what makes these sets hard to run as a fleet. The voltage has to match the load before the truck leaves, the hour meter climbs fast when a unit runs around the clock, fuel has to be tracked in and out, and a set left idle on standby still wears in ways a forklift never does. EquipFlow handles three-phase generators the way the yard that built it does — dispatch, billing, maintenance, and return inspection on one record per unit.

Built inside Rental King, right now.

Rental King is a heavy-equipment rental yard in Odessa and Midland, TX. They run three-phase generators, manlifts, forklifts, light towers, generators, compressors, and water trucks on MSA contracts through the Permian Basin — 24/7, oilfield pace. EquipFlow was designed and first deployed inside that yard. Every feature was tested against their live operation before it shipped. The product runs there today.

Generators are where standby billing and fuel either get captured or quietly walk out the gate. A set parked at a facility as backup can sit for weeks barely running, and if those standby hours never reach the invoice, the yard earns nothing for a unit that was committed the entire time. Fuel is the other leak — a set returned near empty, or with bad diesel, becomes the next renter's hard start and the yard's cleaning bill unless the return inspection caught it. The hour meter ties maintenance and billing together, so it has to be captured the same way every time, on the inspection, against the rental record. When dispatch, billing, maintenance, and inspection all read one unit record, the dispatcher quotes the right rate, the mechanic services on real run hours, and the bookkeeper closes the month without rebuilding what happened from memory.

Three-Phase Generator specs the rental record tracks.

Every number below is a sourced specification range. The render layer is the only path these values reach the page — they live on the unit record, not in a dispatcher's head.

Prime power rating (3-phase)

36-240kW

Standby power rating (3-phase)

40-300kW

Three-phase output voltage

208-480V

Output frequency

60Hz

Fuel consumption at full load

4.7-10.0gph

Onboard fuel tank capacity

40-100gal

Rated engine speed

1800rpm

How EquipFlow handles three-phase generators on the dispatch board.

A three-phase generator is not handed off like a forklift — the voltage the customer needs is the first thing the board confirms, because a set delivered wired for one voltage when the load wants another is a dead delivery and a return trip. The dispatch record carries the output voltage, the connection type, and any cable, distribution panel, or fuel-trailer add-ons the job calls for, and the dispatcher confirms all of it before the truck leaves. Sets move between long facility holds and short construction jobs, so the board shows which units are running on location, which are staged idle, and which are due back, on one responsive screen at any hour. Because the same kilowatt class gets double-booked when two outage windows overlap, conflicts surface at assignment, not at the gate.

Billing three-phase generators — MSA, standby, and site-level tax.

Generator demand in the oilfield is largely MSA-contracted, so the negotiated rate lives on the customer record per kilowatt class rather than in a rate sheet the dispatcher keeps in their head. A rental created for that account picks up the right rate on its own. Standby is the heart of generator billing — a unit dropped at a facility as backup may sit for weeks barely running, billable the whole time, then earn active hours the moment it carries load. The dispatcher marks standby and active separately, and the invoice carries both lines without a month-end rebuild. Fuel, delivery, pickup, cable, and distribution-panel charges ride the same invoice. Tax jurisdiction is set on the delivery-site record, so a set that moved between counties still bills the right rate per location. Invoices post to QuickBooks Online on close.

Maintenance on three-phase generators.

Generator PM runs off the hour meter, not the calendar, because a set carrying a facility through an outage can run around the clock while a yard spare sits cold for a season. The hour reading posts when the return inspection records it, and the maintenance module advances the PM clock from that number so the next service lands on real run hours. The diesel engine and the alternator both need attention — oil, filters, and coolant on the engine side; load testing, brush and bearing condition, and clean cooling air on the generator end. Fuel quality and the day tank matter more here than on most gear, since a set left underloaded for long stretches needs a load check before it goes back out. Work orders, parts, and meter history live on the unit record, where a damage charge from a return inspection becomes a repair ticket.

Three-Phase Generator return inspections.

Two rhythms apply. Before a set leaves the yard, the crew confirms the voltage selector, the connection lugs, fluid levels, and a clean start under load — a generator that will not pick up the customer's load is worse than no delivery at all. The yard's controlling check is the return inspection: before a unit comes off rent, the driver runs a mobile-web checklist on a phone — no app install — captures the hour-meter reading, notes the fuel level returned, and attaches required photos that cannot be skipped. Generator-specific checks belong here: enclosure and cooling-fin condition, fuel and coolant leaks, the control panel and breaker, lug and cable wear, and any sign of wet stacking from running underloaded. The inspection ties to the rental record before the truck leaves, so a fuel shortage or damage dispute has photos and a timestamp behind it.

Common three-phase generator classes in the field.

The product, the same way it runs for three-phase generators.

The sections below are the EquipFlow modules that matter most when running three-phase generators — each links to the full feature detail.

Operator guides for running three-phase generators.

Field-tested playbooks that go deeper on pricing, dispatch, billing, and maintenance for fleets like this.

• Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Rental Rate Structure →
• Fuel and Environmental Charges on Rentals →
• How to Forecast Equipment Demand →
• How to Manage Parts Inventory for Repairs →

What you give up running three-phase generators in EquipFlow.

EquipFlow is a web app, so the return inspection needs a signal to load. On a remote lease with no coverage, the driver cannot finish the mobile inspection at the site; most yards run it at the yard on return instead, which means the fuel reading and photos land later than ideal. There is no built-in generator telematics or remote-monitoring integration today, so run hours, fuel level, and fault codes from a manufacturer's own portal are not pulled in automatically — the hour meter is captured at return. And the rate logic is built around the MSA-and-standby model the oilfield runs on, so a yard with an unusual fuel-billing or metered-power structure should bring it to the demo to be scoped honestly.