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Freight pickups

How AI Turns Spreadsheet Orders into Booked Freight

Key Takeaways

  • Many manufacturers and distributors still run freight from a spreadsheet: a shared Google Sheet or Excel file where orders come in and the team books from there.
  • AI turns spreadsheet orders into booked freight by reading the sheet, creating each shipment, quoting and booking it, and writing the status back to the sheet.
  • Wilson, by Cartage, works from the spreadsheet the team already uses: Wilson reads it on a configurable schedule (for example, every 30 minutes), and updating it, such as filling in status columns, depends on scope.
  • Wilson also accepts orders as CSV or Excel files, by email, by scheduled file drop or from the ERP.
  • No new system is required to start. The team keeps the spreadsheet it already uses, and Wilson does the work behind it.

Why do so many shippers still run freight from a spreadsheet?

A distributor's sales team adds orders to a shared Google Sheet every morning: customer, address, pallets, weight, ship date. The logistics coordinator reads the sheet, emails carriers, books the loads and types the carrier and PRO number back into the sheet. When she's out, nobody knows which orders were booked.

Shippers run freight from spreadsheets because spreadsheets are flexible, shared and already in use, but the work of turning each row into a booked load still falls on a person.

A spreadsheet is a good place to list orders. It isn't a good place to:

Request and compare quotes.

Book carriers and confirm pickups.

Track loads and respond to delays.

Audit invoices and pay carriers.

That's where the hours go. And when bookings slip, delays follow: ATRI found truck drivers were detained at 39.3% of stops in 2023.

How does an AI agent turn spreadsheet orders into booked freight?

An AI agent reads new rows in the spreadsheet, turns each one into a shipment and runs it, then writes the status back so the team sees progress where it already looks. Traditional logistics software gives teams information. Wilson executes the work required to move shipments forward.

Step Trigger What Wilson does When a person steps in
1. Read Wilson checks the sheet on its schedule Reads new or changed rows Not required
2. Create A new order is found Turns the row into a shipment If details are missing or unclear
3. Quote The shipment is created Requests quotes from approved carriers and negotiates against targets Not required
4. Book The best option is clear Books the carrier, generates documents and confirms the pickup Bookings above the approval limit
5. Write back The load is booked Updates the sheet, for example the status columns Not required
6. Track and close The load moves and delivers Tracks, collects the POD, audits and pays When a customer decision is needed

Which order formats can Wilson work from?

Wilson accepts orders in 4 ways, so teams can start with whatever they already use.

Order source How it works
ERP feed Orders flow from the ERP
Spreadsheet A shared spreadsheet, or CSV and Excel files
Email Orders arrive by email
Scheduled file drop The ERP or another system exports a file on a schedule

Wilson works with SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle, Infor, Epicor, Sage, Acumatica, and other ERP environments, with the exact connection depending on the customer's data flow and scope. Many teams start with a spreadsheet and connect the ERP later. See from ERP order to booked load.

What should a freight order spreadsheet include?

A freight order spreadsheet should include the details needed to quote and book each load.

Order or reference number.

Pickup and delivery addresses.

Ship date and any delivery window.

Pieces, weight and dimensions.

Product description or SKU, used for freight class on LTL.

Special requirements, such as liftgate or appointment delivery.

Status columns Wilson can fill in, such as carrier, pickup date and delivery status.

For LTL, Wilson determines freight class from the customer's SKU catalog; the customer is responsible for the accuracy of the SKU data, weights and dimensions. See how AI automates freight class, NMFC lookups and density calculations.

How do teams stay in control when AI reads their spreadsheet?

Teams stay in control because Wilson works within the access and rules they set.

  • Access the company controls: the company decides which spreadsheet Wilson can read and can remove access at any time.
  • Configurable schedule: the company sets how often Wilson reads the sheet.
  • Approval limits: bookings and payments above the limit wait for a person.
  • Approved carriers only: Wilson only books carriers the company has approved.
  • Full record: every action is recorded on the shipment.

Standard freight with existing carriers is the fastest to set up. Most customers start on a few lanes and expand.

FAQs

  • Can AI book freight from a spreadsheet? Yes. Wilson, by Cartage, reads orders from a shared spreadsheet or CSV and Excel files, turns them into shipments, quotes and books them with approved carriers, and writes the status back.
  • Does Wilson connect to a shared spreadsheet? Yes. Wilson works from the spreadsheet the team already uses. It reads it on a configurable schedule, for example every 30 minutes, and can update it when write-back is in scope.
  • Can Wilson update my spreadsheet? Yes, when write-back is in scope. Wilson can update the sheet, such as filling in status columns.
  • Does Wilson accept Excel files? Yes. Wilson accepts orders as CSV or Excel files, as well as from the ERP, by email or by scheduled file drop.
  • Do I need a TMS to automate freight from a spreadsheet? No. Wilson replaces the TMS: it's the system of record and the execution layer.
  • Can I move from a spreadsheet to my ERP later? Yes. Wilson works with SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle, Infor, Epicor, Sage, Acumatica, and other ERP environments, with the exact connection depending on the customer's data flow and scope.
  • How is Wilson priced? There's no subscription fee. Pricing is a percentage of the carrier payments that run through Wilson. Pricing scales down as volume grows, and Enterprise pricing is custom.

Conclusion

Spreadsheets are where many freight teams keep their orders, and there's nothing wrong with that. The problem is the work after each row: quotes, bookings, confirmations, tracking, invoices and payments. Wilson, by Cartage, works from the spreadsheet the team already uses, reads new orders on a schedule, runs each shipment from quote to payment and writes the status back where the team already looks. The practical first step is to share the order sheet for a few lanes with Wilson and compare the results to how those lanes run today.

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