FLO vs spreadsheets and group chats.

Scheduling

Spreadsheets: rules like a seventh consecutive day or weekly overtime are checked by eye, if at all, and changes reach drivers by text.

FLO: a seventh consecutive day is blocked as you place it, hours past 40 are flagged while you build, and drivers accept or decline each shift from their phone.

Dispatch

Spreadsheets: several copies of the day's assignments, van swaps retyped across columns, and paperwork filled in by hand.

FLO: one published Daily Timesheet pairs every route with a driver, van, phone and power bank, with transfers and DVIC forms built in.

Fleet and equipment

Spreadsheets: a fleet list that is out of date by Tuesday and a notebook for phones and power banks.

FLO: one fleet list with statuses and totals, equipment tracked by kind, and an assignment history for every hand-off.

Incidents, coaching and write-ups

Group chats: photos on one phone, report numbers on a sticky note, and coaching that lives in someone's memory.

FLO: numbered incident records with photos and follow-up, and coaching and write-ups recorded with the same structure every time.

When spreadsheets are still enough

A very small operation with one dispatcher who never takes a day off can run on spreadsheets for a while. The cost shows up as you add drivers, managers or a second station: more copies, more rules to check by hand, and more of the day that only one person understands. That is usually the point to move to a shared system. FLO offers a 30-day free trial, so you can run a real week in it before deciding.