How damage codes work
A damage code is where the damage is plus what it is: a location symbol (1–19) and a condition code, read as one line like Top, Corners: Scratched, Chipped.
Van Line Pro records pre-existing damage the way a standard descriptive inventory does: as short codes that say where the damage is and what the damage is. Once you understand the two halves, every code on the inventory reads the same way.
A code is where plus what
Each piece of damage is made of two parts:
- Where — a location symbol, a number from 1 to 19 that marks a part of the item (leg, top, corner, drawer, and so on).
- What — a condition code, a short letter code for the kind of damage (scratched, chipped, dented, and so on).
Put them together and you get a compact code:
| Code | Reads as | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 3 SC | Corner · Scratched | A scratch on a corner |
| 6 CH | Leg · Chipped | A chip on a leg |
| 10 D | Top · Dented | A dent on the top |
The location number always comes first, then the condition code.
No location means the whole item
A location symbol is optional. When a condition has no location, it applies to the item as a whole.
| Code | Reads as | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| SC | Scratched | The item is scratched (no specific spot) |
| CR | Crushed | The item is crushed |
Furniture and goods almost always get a location, because you can point to where the damage is. Cartons and boxes carry whole-item codes only (no location), since a box has no arms, legs, or drawers to mark. See Build a condition line.
One condition per line
On the inventory, related damage is grouped into one readable condition line. The format is Locations: Codes, with the location part and the condition part each listing everything that shares that damage:
Top, Corners: Scratched, Chipped
That single line means the top and the corners are both scratched and chipped. It is one thing the crew records and one phrase the shipper reads. Damage that isn't related goes on its own line. You build each line in the Item Editor, one location and one code at a time. See Build a condition line.
The full code sets
Van Line Pro uses the standard van-line sets:
- 19 location symbols (1 Arm through 19 Hardware).
- 23 condition codes (SC Scratched through MO Moth-eaten).
The editor shows the most common codes first and hides the rest behind Show all codes, so you rarely scroll. The complete tables, with every number and letter and its meaning, live in the Reference collection:
- Condition codes — all 23 codes.
- Location symbols — all 19 symbols.
Good to know
- The same pairing can appear on two lines. "Top: Scratched" and "Leg: Scratched" are separate lines if you record them separately. Grouping is about what shares a single condition.
- Plurality is for reading, not for the code. When a defect is on more than one of a part (both arms, all drawers), the line reads "Arms" or "Drawers", but the underlying numbered code doesn't change. See Build a condition line.
- A code only lands when you confirm it. Whether you tap it in yourself or accept an AI suggestion, nothing reaches the inventory until you say so. See Why damage accuracy matters.