is there a custom field type that I cna put on a transaction that would function like a log?

What is your use case? What's missing from the built-in logging?

its fairly common to use a custom record for logging

@battk thanks - I am having trouble getting it to display. Not getting an error but not either saving.

var custRec = record.create({
                        type: 'customrecord_ups_tracking_updates',
                    });
                    custRec.setValue('name','test name');
                    custRec.setValue('custrecord_ups_tracking_update_date', dtUpdated.toString());
                    custRec.setValue('custrecord_ups_tracking_status', empValue);
                    custRec.setValue('custrecord_ups_tracking_status_details', latestAction.status.description);
                    custRec.setValue('custrecord_ups_tracking_item_fulfillment', result.id);
                    custRec.save();

I tried to set custrecord_ups_tracking_item_fulfillment to the item fulfillment record as well not just the ID which is the parent record for this custom record

It's usually the date handling

figured it out. empValue was not accessible. Thanks so much!