Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet for accounting

[PinballWizard]

Does anyone here use an Excel spreadsheet to do their daily, weekly, monthly accounting as an owner operator ? If so, anyone willing to share their file ? I love using excel, but I'm terrible when it comes to creating a spreadsheet from scratch. I know there are lots of software packages out there for the trucking industry and also things like Quickbooks, but I really feel that they are all way too complicated for a simply Owner / Operator of a Solo Unit.

Thanks

-Brandon

 

[Jayman]

If you dont get any feed back...let me know. I am pretty good at creating worksheets in Excel. Just let me know specifically what you need.

Jay

 

[simon says]

Ditto to message 2. I have been refining my Excel spreadsheet to the point where I can now put my gross income and net and all the add-0ns for Comdata advance, & fuel, weekly deductions, etc. My sheet also has all my personal stuff- but I know my business side down to the c.p.m. I can send you a blank copy of mine with formulas if you want it. Or I can send you my older style just using net income...
Just send me a personal message. (I went to the new style to match entries in Peachtree that I use for the accountant).

 

[Jayman]

Simon,

Can you send me a blank copy of yours? I have one from OOIDA that I modified. But, I like to get other peoples input.

Thanks,
Jay

 

[ktrucking1]

Ditto to message 2. I have been refining my Excel spreadsheet to the point where I can now put my gross income and net and all the add-0ns for Comdata advance, & fuel, weekly deductions, etc. My sheet also has all my personal stuff- but I know my business side down to the c.p.m. I can send you a blank copy of mine with formulas if you want it. Or I can send you my older style just using net income...
Just send me a personal message. (I went to the new style to match entries in Peachtree that I use for the accountant).

I am wondering if you are still willing to share this spreadsheet. I have been searching for a simple owner operator program but have not found much. I feel an excel spreadsheet would be the best, but due to limited excel background, a spreadsheet that was already created would be awesome.

 

[ATeam]

Since there are at least a couple people willing to share spreadsheets (I have one too), what would you think about working together to produce a one-truck owner-operator spreadsheet that can be freely shared with the EO community and general public on the uexpedite.com site?

A while ago, I produced a small spreadsheet and discussed it in the Expedite NOW article, "Do You Sit or Do You Move?" EN staff created the uexpedite.com web site where the spreadsheet could be viewed and downloaded by readers of the print publication (notice the uexpedite.com link in the article).

I plan to add other spreadsheet tools to uexpedite. A spreadsheed like the one being discussed in this thread might be the next thing to add.

The problem is that different expediters see the business in different ways. One might think it best to include health insurance and retiirement plan contributions as a business expense, another may not. One might think it wise to list depreciation as an expense on the spreadsheet, another may not. One might like to spread the expense of eight new drive tires over three years. Another may wish to list the total amount in the month the expense was incurred. One might have an expense category named "communications" into which cell phone, internet access, postage, faxes, scanning, etc. are grouped. Another may wish to have separate lines for each of these.

What's the right way? I'm not sure, so let me offer this:

For those of you who have spreadsheets that you are willing to share, what would you think about starting a Google group and using Google Docs to privately post and discuss our spreadsheets? The idea would be to take the best of all of them and combine them into one, and then make that finished product available to for all expediters and the general public to view and download free of charge.

Price of admission into this private group would be the spreadsheet you have to share. No screen names. Participants will be real people involved in a real project. After the finished product is announced and posted on uexpedite, the private Google Docs group will be disbanded and the discussions and associated documents will be deleted.

Your thoughts?

 

[usafk9]

I'm in. Working on one now. But sloooooowly.....

 

[SWTexas1]

I'll add mine to the mix. Just let me know when you have it set up

 

[ATeam]

The group is set up now. For those who have a spreadsheet to add to the mix and wish to participate, the next step is to send me a private message with your email address. When it is received, I will send you an invitation to join the Expediter Spreadsheet group.

Your spreadsheet does not need to be a highly polished master product. Having one (even unfinished) that you have used in the real world is good enough. That tells the other group members that you have put some thought into this and have experienced views to contribute. This is less about spreadsheet skill than it is about working together to develop a basic document that others can use.

Three people are on board so far. That's enough to do what we intend to do but more are welcome. Again, the price of admission is the spreadsheet you contribute.

The group is private. Only members can view and post. Each member's spreadsheet (blank) will be posted for other members to view, discuss and improve. The purpose of the group is to work together to produce a one-truck, owner-operator spreadsheet that can be viewed and downloaded by all expediters and other interested people free of charge.

 

[LDB]

Phil et al,

Your idea is a good one but here's another thought.

Rather than emailing and chatting and IM'ing and whatever else and editing and tweaking and whatever else why not everyone that has a spreadsheet and wants to share it put theirs up as is along with commentary about why they designed it as is and what their primary focus and goal was? Let folks have access to each one as is to try and to play with as they choose. For some folks choice A will be best, for others B and for others it will be C with their own modifications.

Alternatively, have the conferences and do the work to build the ultimate sheet while also making each component sheet available as is.

 

[ATeam]

Phil et al,

Your idea is a good one but here's another thought.

Rather than emailing and chatting and IM'ing and whatever else and editing and tweaking and whatever else why not everyone that has a spreadsheet and wants to share it put theirs up as is along with commentary about why they designed it as is and what their primary focus and goal was? Let folks have access to each one as is to try and to play with as they choose. For some folks choice A will be best, for others B and for others it will be C with their own modifications.

We can discuss that. It would all depend on people being willing to share their spreadsheets and commentaries as is in public. I have tried open groups before on EO and they have failed because there are people who can be reliably counted on to shoot down the good work and intent of others. That has a chilling effect on people being willing to share.

This Expediter Spreadsheet group is private to avoid the negative influence of negative people, and to give people who are willing to make positive contributions a place to do so in peace.

Alternatively, have the conferences and do the work to build the ultimate sheet while also making each component sheet available as is.

I suppose we could post any and all spreadsheets we receive and do so without identifying the people who developed them. Instead of calling it Madsen's spreadsheet, call it spreadsheet C. And if someone wants to retain authorship credit, we could keep his or her name attached.

I would do that on an open Google Docs site, however, and not on uexpedite.com. uexpedite.com is intended to be a place for finished spreadsheet tools that EO and EN can offer free of charge.

 

[ATeam]

The OOIDA spreadhseet is often cited in the Open Forum as a resource. I took a look at it today and it seems to have been "improved." Here is the link to it. Check it out if you are interested.

An image of the previous OOIDA cost per mile spreadsheet can be viewed here, along with the accompanying article.

 

[mshllytvet]

If anyone is still part of this forum and was able to get an excel spreadsheet they would like to share please contact me

 

[dc843]

Im working on finishing mine, except it's through Google sheets. I'm pretty proud of it, just gotta figure out the formulas for my analytics section.

Most of what I did was inspired by a YouTuber (who hasn't put out anything in a while) everything apax. Just search apax expediting and he should pull up. Go to his page and find his video on how he does his spreadsheet.

 

[mshllytvet]

ok thanks

 

[mshllytvet]

DC843 would you be willing to share the spreadsheet? i can go from there and change it to excel, thanks

 

[Steady Eddie]

DC843 would you be willing to share the spreadsheet? i can go from there and change it to excel, thanks

If you can do that, you should be able to create your own spreadsheet. I had one that was by month with a total YTD. I put my budget numbers in each month. Then I filled in actually numbers by month, giving me a rolling forecast for future months and YTD.

Create one tab, make it like you want. Copy this to 12 more tabs, one tab, the first one make that your YTD page. Months going across line items going down. Totals from each month shows on YTD VIA simple formulas.

Put formulas in your work sheet. No calculator needed, that’s why the spreadsheet works. The one over at OOIDA doesn’t work this way and it missed the point. IMO.


Sent from my iPhone using EO Forums

 

[piper1]

Using someone else's spreadsheet is a big gamble. If you don't understand how it was built and the math it contains it may not give you good or correct information. What happens at tax time if it's wrong?

 

[mshllytvet]

Thank you guys for this information. I was asking for a template to build upon but I have found some useful samples while searching. If you understand the concept of spreadsheets you would understand that a template is a building block/foundation to what you are trying to accomplish. Its ok for someone else to lay the foundation, the house will not crumble if you inspect the work thoroughly. I am willing to share my finished product with anyone.