Backhaul Planning Spreadsheet for Excel: Free Template for 2026

Review cost and timing assumptions

Begin on Settings by reviewing the user-entry cells from B4 through B14. Confirm the diesel price per gallon, average fuel economy in miles per gallon, non-fuel variable cost per mile, driver wait cost per hour, maximum preferred deadhead, and the remaining target and timing values used by the formulas. These assumptions should reflect the fleet's own planning estimates.

Cells B16 and B17 are calculated rather than entered. B16 divides diesel price by fuel economy, and B17 adds that result to the non-fuel variable cost per mile. Equipment, trip-status, opportunity-status, and state lists on this sheet support drop-down selections elsewhere in the file.

Enter outbound trip availability

Next, open Planner and replace the populated sample records in rows 6 through 15 when appropriate. Enter operating records in the input columns A:P and use AL for dispatcher notes. Required planning details can include Trip ID, truck number, driver, equipment, outbound customer, destination, delivery schedule, available schedule, base location, baseline empty return miles, Trip Plan Status, and Selected Load ID.

Planner provides rows 16 through 205 as 190 blank operating rows. Formulas and validation continue through row 205, so preserve the calculated columns Q:AK. Date, time, state, equipment, mileage, status, and ID fields have validation suited to their field types.

Record and evaluate load opportunities

Then, use Opportunities to replace the sample loads in rows 6 through 15 or begin entering records in the 190 blank rows from 16 through 205. User inputs occupy columns A:Y. They cover Load ID, Target Trip ID, status, broker or customer, pickup and delivery details, equipment, weight, route miles, planned idle hours, revenue components, broker fee, contact, quote expiration, and notes.

Each opportunity should reference an existing outbound trip in Planner. Columns Z:AM are calculated outputs, including gross revenue, revenue per loaded mile, actual return miles, baseline empty return miles, empty miles avoided, incremental miles, fuel gallons, fuel cost, variable cost, wait cost, estimated net contribution, contribution per actual mile, recommendation, and data check.

Select a return load and verify the plan

Finally, return to Planner and choose a Load ID in column P for the applicable trip. Columns Q:AG retrieve the matching opportunity information, while AH:AK calculate pickup wait hours, pickup feasibility, empty miles avoided, and the Selection Check.

Once a load is selected, review the displayed feasibility result and any warning before changing the trip to Booked or Completed. Possible checks include duplicate Trip ID, missing Load ID, trip mismatch, duplicate selection, and other conditions requiring review. Trip statuses also support Searching, Tentative, No Backhaul, and Canceled records.

Outbound planning starts with the location and time at which the truck becomes available. Planner records the outbound destination, delivery schedule, available schedule, base city and state, and baseline empty return miles. That mileage baseline provides the direct empty-return comparison used in later opportunity calculations.

Status choices separate trips still being searched from tentative, booked, completed, no-backhaul, and canceled records. Equipment and state lists help keep entries consistent between Planner and Opportunities. The Trip ID also acts as the connection between an outbound movement and its candidate return loads.

Candidate loads are entered with deadhead miles, loaded miles, empty miles to base, planned idle hours, and three revenue components. Route and schedule details remain visible beside the financial entries, allowing dispatch to compare more than the quoted linehaul amount alone.

Gross Revenue adds linehaul revenue, fuel surcharge, and accessorial revenue. Actual Return Miles combine deadhead, loaded, and remaining empty miles to base. The assigned trip supplies the baseline empty-return distance, which allows formulas to estimate empty miles avoided and incremental miles.

Calculated fuel gallons use actual return miles and the fuel-economy assumption. Fuel cost applies the diesel price, variable cost applies the combined per-mile assumption to incremental miles, and wait cost applies the hourly rate to planned idle hours. Estimated Net Contribution subtracts broker fee, incremental variable cost, and wait cost from gross revenue.

Opportunity formulas produce a Recommendation based on status and the configured deadhead, revenue-per-loaded-mile, and contribution targets. The Data Check can identify duplicate Load IDs, missing Trip IDs, schedule problems, and negative values. Planner separately evaluates whether pickup timing is too tight, feasible, or likely to involve a long wait.

Management summaries appear on the Dashboard. Calculated figures include total outbound trips, booked or completed backhauls, backhaul coverage, open trips, gross revenue, estimated net contribution, empty miles avoided, estimated fuel gallons, loaded miles, and weighted revenue per loaded mile.

Pipeline reporting shows active opportunity counts, potential gross revenue, potential net contribution, and active opportunities meeting targets. Separate Action Checks identify booked or completed trips missing a load, selection issues, pickup timing issues, booked or completed loads below the contribution target, opportunity data errors, and active quotes expiring soon. Two charts summarize trip counts and financial results by trip status.