Excel / Google Sheets vs Diesel TMS
Spreadsheets got you started. A free TMS gets you paid faster, with less typing.
Last updated September 2026. Competitor pricing is taken from publicly published pricing pages and may change; always confirm with the vendor.
At a Glance
- Excel / Google Sheets: Free or nearly free (Google Sheets $0; Microsoft 365 from about $6–$12/user/month). Infinitely flexible, but every load, invoice, rate con, settlement, and IFTA mile is typed by hand and lives in disconnected tabs.
- Diesel TMS: Also $0/month, with unlimited users and loads. Loads, dispatches, documents, invoices, settlements, and mileage are connected records; documents generate themselves; drivers update loads from an app.
- Best for: Spreadsheets if you haul a handful of loads a month and enjoy bookkeeping. Diesel TMS for any fleet or brokerage that wants to stop re-typing data and start getting paid faster—for the same $0.
Overview
Spreadsheets are the most widely used “TMS” in trucking. Thousands of owner-operators and small fleets track loads in a Google Sheet, build invoices in an Excel template, log fuel receipts by state for IFTA, and settle drivers from a tab of formulas. It is free, familiar, and completely under your control.
The problem is not the spreadsheet—it is the typing. A single load might be entered in a load log, a dispatch sheet, a rate confirmation template, an invoice template, a settlement sheet, and an IFTA log. Every copy is a chance for a typo, a missed invoice, or a settlement dispute. Drivers cannot see their loads, customers cannot see their invoices, and nobody can search across it all. Most fleets eventually move to a TMS; historically the barrier was price. Diesel TMS removes that barrier by being free.
Cost Comparison
| Cost | Excel / Google Sheets | Diesel TMS |
|---|---|---|
| Software License | $0 (Google Sheets) to ~$6–$12/user/month (Microsoft 365) | $0/month (Free forever) or $40/user/month (Pro, ad-free) |
| Data Entry per Load | Typed 4–6 times across log, rate con, invoice, settlement, IFTA | Entered once (or extracted by AI from an email) |
| Rate Confirmations, BOLs, Invoices | Manual templates, saved as PDF, emailed by hand | Generated and emailed from the load in one click |
| IFTA Mileage | Manual state-by-state logging | Route-based state mileage built in |
| Driver Visibility | Calls, texts, and screenshots | Free driver app with loads, check calls, and document scanning |
| Accounting | Separate bookkeeping software or an accountant re-keying your sheets | Built-in accounting plus QuickBooks Online sync |
Note: The real cost of spreadsheets is labor. If dispatch and billing spend even five hours a week re-keying and reconciling, that is 250+ hours a year—time a free TMS gives back.
Key Differences
One Record vs Many Copies
- Spreadsheets: The same load lives in several tabs and files. Change a rate or a delivery date and you have to remember every place it appears.
- Diesel TMS: One load record drives the dispatch, rate confirmation, BOL, invoice, driver settlement, and reports. Change it once and everything downstream updates.
Cash Flow
- Spreadsheets: Invoices go out when someone remembers to build them. Missing PODs and aging receivables are discovered late.
- Diesel TMS: Invoice the moment a load delivers, attach the POD the driver scanned in the app, track aging, and sync payments to QuickBooks Online.
Drivers and Customers
- Spreadsheets: Drivers and customers have no access. Every status update is a phone call or text.
- Diesel TMS: Drivers get a free app with their loads, stops, and documents. Customers and carriers get portals. Check calls and GPS updates flow in automatically, including from Samsara and Motive ELDs.
Control and Permissions
- Spreadsheets: Anyone with the link can see—and break—everything. Formulas get overwritten; there is no audit trail.
- Diesel TMS: 500+ granular permissions control what each dispatcher, driver, or bookkeeper can see and do, with a full history of changes.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Excel / Google Sheets | Diesel TMS |
|---|---|---|
| Free to Use | ✅ | ✅ |
| Unlimited Users, Loads, and Trucks | ✅ | ✅ |
| Load & Dispatch Management | Manual | ✅ (drag-and-drop planning board) |
| Rate Confirmation & BOL Generation | Manual templates | ✅ |
| Invoicing & Driver Settlements | Manual | ✅ |
| Built-in Accounting (GL) | ❌ | ✅ |
| QuickBooks Online Integration | ❌ | ✅ |
| IFTA Mileage by State | Manual | ✅ |
| Driver Mobile App | ❌ | ✅ |
| AI Email to Quote / AI Search | ❌ | ✅ |
| Load Board & ELD Integrations | ❌ | ✅ |
| FMCSA Carrier Lookup & Import | ❌ | ✅ |
| Customer / Carrier Portals | ❌ | ✅ |
| Granular Permissions & Audit History | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom Reports & Dashboards | Manual pivot tables | ✅ |
| Import Existing Spreadsheets | — | ✅ (smart CSV importer) |
The Bottom Line
Spreadsheets are a fine way to start, and the reason most small fleets stay on them is cost—paid TMS software has historically run $50 to $1,000+ per month. That trade-off no longer exists. Diesel TMS is free with unlimited users and loads, so the only thing you give up by switching is the re-typing.
Import your existing sheets with the CSV importer, hand your drivers the free app, and let rate confirmations, invoices, settlements, and IFTA mileage generate themselves. Keep Excel for the analysis you love; let a free TMS do the bookkeeping you don’t.
Excel / Google Sheets vs Diesel TMS: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a trucking company on Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes, many owner-operators and small fleets start with spreadsheets for load logs, invoices, and IFTA mileage. It works for a truck or two, but every load, invoice, rate confirmation, and settlement is typed by hand, and nothing updates automatically. A free TMS like Diesel TMS replaces the spreadsheets with connected records, generated documents, and a driver app at no cost.
Is a TMS worth it for a small fleet if spreadsheets are free?
Spreadsheets are cheap in license cost but expensive in time and errors: duplicate data entry, missed invoices, manual IFTA mileage, and no visibility for drivers or customers. Because Diesel TMS is free with unlimited users and loads, the usual cost objection to a TMS does not apply.
What is the best free alternative to spreadsheets for trucking?
Diesel TMS is a free transportation management system for trucking companies and freight brokers. It includes load management, dispatching, rate confirmations, invoicing, driver settlements, IFTA mileage, a driver app, AI email-to-quote, and QuickBooks Online integration at $0/month.
Can I import my existing spreadsheets into Diesel TMS?
Yes. Diesel TMS includes a smart CSV importer that maps your spreadsheet columns to customers, carriers, drivers, trucks, and loads, so you can move off spreadsheets in minutes rather than re-keying your history.
Do I still need Excel or Google Sheets after switching to a TMS?
Most fleets keep a spreadsheet tool for ad-hoc analysis. Diesel TMS exports any list to CSV and offers custom reports and dashboards, so day-to-day operations no longer depend on a shared workbook.
Compare Other TMS Solutions
Or see the full ranking of the best TMS software for small fleets and freight brokers.
Ready to switch to Diesel TMS?
Start free today. No credit card required. No contracts. No risk.
