United Rentals scales Manual Assist AI with AWS as part of a broad effort to integrate generative AI into field service and equipment support, rolling out the web-based application across its technician workforce to speed diagnostics and reduce equipment downtime.
Built in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the Manual Assist AI tool now supports over 4,000 monthly users, giving service teams rapid access to manufacturer manuals, smart procedural summaries, and targeted technical guidance whether they’re in the shop or out on a jobsites.
A Strategic Push Toward AI-Enabled Field Service
For United Rentals, field service operations sit at the heart of its business. The company manages a massive fleet of equipment spanning construction, industrial maintenance, utilities, and specialty applications. Ensuring that equipment is available, reliable, and quickly repairable is critical to both revenue performance and customer trust.
Historically, technicians relied on printed manuals, static PDFs, and legacy systems to diagnose issues and perform repairs. While effective, these methods could be time-consuming—especially when technicians were working on unfamiliar equipment models or dealing with complex mechanical or electronic issues under time pressure.
Manual Assist AI was created to address these challenges by applying generative AI to one of the most common pain points in field service: finding the right information at the right time. Built using AWS’s scalable cloud and AI services, the solution transforms how technicians interact with technical documentation, turning vast libraries of manuals into easily searchable, actionable intelligence.
How Manual Assist AI Works in Practice
At its core, Manual Assist AI serves as an intelligent gateway to United Rentals’ extensive repository of equipment documentation. The application allows technicians to search across thousands of manufacturer manuals using natural language queries rather than keyword-based searches.
Instead of scrolling through lengthy documents or navigating multiple files, technicians can ask targeted questions—such as how to diagnose a specific fault code or perform a particular repair—and receive concise, AI-generated summaries that point them to the most relevant procedures.
The system is powered by AWS services including Amazon Bedrock, which provides access to large language models, and Amazon OpenSearch, which enables fast and accurate retrieval of relevant content. Together, these technologies allow Manual Assist AI to analyze, summarize, and contextualize technical information at scale.
Key capabilities of the platform include:
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Instant access to manuals: Technicians can quickly locate the correct documentation for specific equipment models, even when working in the field or at remote job sites.
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AI-generated procedural summaries: Rather than reading full manuals, users receive step-by-step guidance tailored to the issue they are addressing.
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Context-aware troubleshooting: The system highlights the most relevant sections of manuals based on the technician’s query, helping reduce guesswork and unnecessary steps.
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Consistent service outcomes: Standardized guidance helps ensure repairs are performed correctly and consistently across locations and teams.
Improving Productivity Where It Matters Most
According to United Rentals, one of the most immediate benefits of scaling Manual Assist AI has been improved technician productivity. By reducing the time spent searching for information, technicians can focus more on hands-on work and complete repairs more efficiently.
Tony Leopold, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology and Strategy Officer at United Rentals, has emphasized that the tool helps service teams get more equipment back into service faster. That improvement directly impacts fleet utilization—a key performance metric in the equipment rental industry.
Even small reductions in diagnostic or repair time can translate into significant operational gains when applied across a fleet of hundreds of thousands of assets. Faster repairs mean less downtime, better equipment availability, and fewer delays for customers operating on tight project schedules.
Supporting Technicians in the Field and the Shop
Manual Assist AI has been designed with flexibility in mind, supporting technicians whether they are working in centralized service centers or at active job sites. The web-based application allows access from multiple devices, making it easier for field technicians to retrieve guidance without returning to a shop or calling for additional support.
This accessibility is particularly valuable in environments where conditions are unpredictable and time is limited. Technicians can quickly verify procedures, confirm torque specifications, or review safety steps before completing a repair—helping reduce errors and improve overall service quality.
The result is a more confident and empowered technician workforce, supported by AI-driven insights rather than constrained by static documentation.
Why AWS Plays a Critical Role
Scaling Manual Assist AI to support thousands of users requires a cloud infrastructure that can handle fluctuating demand, large data volumes, and strict security requirements. AWS provides the foundation that enables United Rentals to deploy the application reliably across its entire service organization.
Amazon Bedrock allows United Rentals to leverage generative AI models without building or managing them from scratch, accelerating development while maintaining flexibility as models evolve. Amazon OpenSearch ensures that search queries return relevant results quickly, even as new manuals and data sets are added.
AWS’s security and compliance capabilities also play a key role, ensuring sensitive operational data and proprietary documentation are protected while remaining accessible to authorized users.
From AWS’s perspective, Manual Assist AI illustrates how cloud-native AI solutions can deliver measurable value in industrial and field service environments—areas that have historically lagged behind digital transformation efforts due to complexity and scale.
A Broader Vision: Worksite Performance Solutions™
Manual Assist AI is part of United Rentals’ broader Worksite Performance Solutions™ strategy, which focuses on integrating digital tools, advanced analytics, and AI into workflows that support both customers and internal teams.
This strategy reflects a shift from equipment rental as a transactional service toward a more comprehensive solutions-based model. By combining physical assets with digital intelligence, United Rentals aims to help customers operate more efficiently, safely, and sustainably.
Within this framework, AI tools like Manual Assist AI are not standalone experiments but building blocks in a larger ecosystem designed to optimize performance across worksites, fleets, and service operations.
Addressing Industry-Wide Challenges in Field Service
The challenges United Rentals is addressing are not unique to its organization. Across industries such as construction, manufacturing, energy, and utilities, field service teams face growing complexity as equipment becomes more advanced and documentation volumes increase.
At the same time, many organizations are grappling with workforce shortages and the retirement of experienced technicians. AI-powered tools that capture institutional knowledge and make it accessible to newer workers can help mitigate these challenges by shortening learning curves and preserving expertise.
Manual Assist AI demonstrates how generative AI can serve as a digital knowledge companion—augmenting human skills rather than replacing them and enabling teams to perform at a higher level with fewer barriers.
Measurable Impact on Downtime and Customer Experience
Reducing equipment downtime is a critical objective for United Rentals and its customers. When equipment is unavailable, projects can stall, costs rise, and deadlines are missed. By accelerating diagnostics and repairs, Manual Assist AI helps minimize these disruptions.
Customers benefit from faster turnaround times and improved reliability, while United Rentals strengthens its reputation as a responsive and technologically advanced service provider. Over time, these improvements can translate into higher customer retention and competitive differentiation in a crowded rental market.
Looking Ahead: Expanding AI Capabilities
United Rentals has indicated that Manual Assist AI will continue to evolve as part of its long-term technology investment roadmap. Future enhancements may include deeper integration with maintenance systems, expanded predictive capabilities, and broader use of AI-driven insights across the service lifecycle.
As usage grows and feedback from technicians informs development, the platform is expected to become even more intuitive and powerful—further embedding AI into everyday operations.
The company’s approach highlights a pragmatic path to AI adoption: start with a clearly defined problem, deploy AI where it delivers immediate value, and scale thoughtfully as results are proven.
Setting a Precedent for AI in Industrial Operations
United Rentals’ success with Manual Assist AI offers a compelling example for other industrial organizations exploring how to apply generative AI in practical, high-impact ways. Rather than focusing solely on customer-facing applications, the company has prioritized internal productivity and operational excellence—areas where AI can deliver rapid returns.
By combining domain expertise with cloud-native AI services from AWS, United Rentals has transformed a traditionally manual process into a streamlined, intelligent workflow that supports technicians at scale.
Conclusion
The expansion of Manual Assist AI marks a significant step forward in United Rentals’ journey toward AI-enabled field service and fleet operations. By leveraging AWS’s generative AI and cloud infrastructure, the company has equipped thousands of technicians with faster access to critical information, improved troubleshooting capabilities, and consistent guidance—driving measurable improvements in productivity and equipment availability.
As competition intensifies and customer expectations continue to rise, investments like Manual Assist AI position United Rentals to operate more efficiently, serve customers more effectively, and lead the equipment rental industry into an increasingly digital future.
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