Glossary
Brand names, technical terms, and domain vocabulary that should — and shouldn't — be translated.
Translation glossary
A reference for terms that come up repeatedly in Fleetbase translations. The default rule: translate everything that has a clear local equivalent. The exceptions below are documented because they tend to cause confusion.
Brand names — never translate
These are proper nouns. They stay in their original spelling in every locale.
| Term | Notes |
|---|---|
| Fleetbase | Always one word, capital F |
| FleetOps | The fleet management extension. Hyphenated form Fleet-Ops may appear in older copy — both refer to the same product |
| Storefront | The e-commerce extension |
| Pallet | The warehouse extension |
| Ledger | The finance extension |
| Navigator | The driver mobile app |
| IAM | Identity & Access Management module |
When the surrounding sentence needs a translatable noun, treat the brand as a proper noun:
✅ "Fleetbase ist eine Open-Source-Logistikplattform." (German) ✅ "プラットフォームのFleetbaseは…" (Japanese) ❌ "Base de flotte est une plateforme…" (translates the brand)
Technical terms — usually keep in English
Most logistics and software industries use these terms in English globally. Translating them adds friction for users who are already familiar with the technical vocabulary. Default to keeping them in English unless your locale has a strongly established equivalent.
| English term | Default | Translate when... |
|---|---|---|
| API | Keep | Never — universally English |
| Webhook | Keep | Never — no good local equivalent in most languages |
| Token | Keep | If your locale has an established cryptography term |
| OAuth, JWT, HMAC | Keep | Never — security standards |
| WebSocket | Keep | Never |
| Endpoint | Keep | If a clear API/networking term exists |
| Geofence | Keep | If your locale has a GIS term in common use |
| Waypoint | Translate | Most languages have a navigation term |
| Dispatch | Translate | Has clear equivalents in every language |
| Dropoff / Pickup | Translate | Has clear equivalents in every language |
| POD (Proof of Delivery) | Spell out as "Proof of Delivery" then translate | The acronym is opaque in most languages |
| SDK | Keep | Universally English |
| CLI | Keep | Universally English |
Logistics vocabulary — translate, but consistently
These are domain terms with clear local equivalents — but they need to be consistent across the locale. Pick one translation and use it everywhere.
| English | Notes for translators |
|---|---|
| Order | The unit of work. Pick the local term you'd use on a freight invoice. |
| Driver | The person operating the vehicle. Distinct from "operator" (which means the platform user). |
| Dispatcher | The person assigning orders. Often distinct from "driver" — make sure your translation preserves the distinction. |
| Fleet | A group of vehicles. |
| Vehicle | The physical asset. Should not be translated as "car" — it can be a truck, van, motorbike, etc. |
| Route | The path between waypoints. |
| Stop | A single waypoint on a route. |
| Manifest | The list of orders/items on a vehicle for a given trip. |
| Tracking number | Unique identifier for an order. Don't translate the field name; "tracking number" is universal. |
Statuses — match your locale's conventions
Order statuses appear constantly. They need to be short, clear, and consistent.
| English | Convention |
|---|---|
| Created | Initial status, "just made" |
| Preparing | Pre-dispatch state |
| Dispatched | Assigned to a driver |
| In Progress | Driver actively working |
| Completed | Successfully delivered/finished |
| Canceled | Cancelled before completion (US spelling — Cancelled with two L's also acceptable) |
Use the past-tense or stative form your locale would naturally use on a status badge — short labels, not full sentences.
Tone
Fleetbase aims for a professional but plain tone — not corporate-stiff, not casual.
- Formal vs. informal "you": most locale files default to the polite form (German
Sie, Frenchvous, Spanishusted). Stick with this — operators are often using Fleetbase in a workplace context. - No slang or regional idioms: copy that reads naturally in Singaporean English shouldn't lose meaning when read by a Mexican operator. Translation is similar — pick the version that's universally understandable in your locale's main reading region.
- Imperative for buttons:
Save,Cancel,Delete— short, direct verbs. Mirror this in your locale.
Capitalization
Match your locale's natural capitalization rules:
- English: Title Case for headings (
New Order), sentence case for descriptions - German: Capitalize all nouns — including in mid-sentence
- French / Spanish / Italian: Sentence case for headings (only the first word + proper nouns)
- CJK: No case, but match spacing/punctuation conventions of the script
Don't transliterate English title-case rules — translate as your language would naturally write the phrase on a UI.
Numbers, currencies, and dates
These are formatted programmatically — don't translate them, don't change them, don't reformat:
- Numbers:
{count},{total}— passed throughIntl.NumberFormat - Currencies:
{amount}— formatted at runtime based on the user's locale - Dates:
{date}— formatted viaIntl.DateTimeFormat
If you see a literal date or currency in en-us.yaml (e.g., January 2024, $100), translate it normally. Programmatic formatting uses placeholders, not literals.
Edge cases
"Order" vs. "command" / "purchase"
In some languages, the word for "delivery order" (logistics) overlaps with "command" or "purchase". When in doubt, pick the term most associated with freight or delivery contexts, not retail purchases.
"Driver" in places where the term is gendered
Use the neutral form your locale defaults to in professional UI. Most locale files default to a gender-neutral or masculine-as-default convention — match what's already in your locale.
"Customer" vs. "client" vs. "contact"
Fleetbase has all three:
- Customer — buyer in a Storefront context
- Client — business relationship in FleetOps
- Contact — generic person/organisation record
Preserve the distinction. Don't collapse them into the same word.
Got a term not on this list?
Open a discussion in #translations on Discord or comment on your PR — the maintainers will help you settle on the right call and add it here.