4fleet or an Excel workbook: where does a fleet spreadsheet break?
A workbook is the default for most small fleets, and for a handful of cars it works. The question is what happens when the list grows and more than one person edits it.
Short answer
- Excel works for a few vehicles kept by one person who checks the file regularly.
- It breaks when a date passes without anyone noticing, because a workbook does not warn you on its own unless you build that yourself.
- It also breaks when several people edit the same file and the versions disagree.
- 4fleet keeps the records per vehicle and shows the due-date list in the panel. It does not send alerts by e-mail, SMS or push.
Workbook or app, by need
Comparison by need, not by price
| Need | Excel workbook | 4fleet |
|---|---|---|
| Warning before a due date | Only if you build a formula or a reminder | Due-date list in the panel |
| One vehicle, one record | Depends on how the sheet is laid out | Yes, one record per vehicle |
| Several people editing | Versions can diverge | One account, one set of records |
| Cost per vehicle | Formulas you write | Calculated from the entries |
| Location of the car | Not possible | Not possible: no GPS |
When Excel is still the better choice
- You have only a few cars and one person who keeps the records.
- You want to build your own layout and calculations.
- You do not need the records shared, or a warning list in an app.