Importing driver data allows for the bulk creation of drivers, both internal and those belonging to subcontractors. This is a crucial step in preparing the Qargo system for dispatch and order management. This article outlines the specific requirements, best practices, and common issues related to importing driver data.
📖 Glossary of Key Terms
For clarity throughout this guide, the following terms are defined.
Driver: An individual who operates a vehicle for transport jobs.
Internal Driver: A driver directly employed by your company.
Subcontractor Driver: A driver employed by a subcontractor.
Subcontractor Name: The name of the company the driver is linked to. This must be an exact match to a company already in the Qargo system.
✅ Critical Import Requirements for Drivers
Prior to importing driver data, the following requirements and warnings must be considered to ensure data integrity.
Subcontractor Prerequisite: Before a driver belonging to a subcontractor can be imported, the subcontractor's company record must already exist in the Qargo system. The import will fail if the specified subcontractor cannot be found.
Mandatory Fields: The Full Name is a mandatory field. Qargo identifies existing drivers primarily by their Full Name. An import will fail if this is left blank.
🛠️ Step-by-Step Data Import Process
Step 1: Download Template
A specific Excel template is available to upload Driver data:
📚 Always use a blank template downloaded directly from the Qargo platform or provided by the Qargo team. Re-using an old template may lead to import errors.
Step 2: Fill in the Excel Template
Open the template and populate it with the required data. The template contains column headers that correspond to the fields in Qargo.
Required Fields: Make sure to fill out all the required fields (a comprehensive list of required fields can be found in the next section of this article). An import will fail if these fields are left blank.
Formatting: Close attention should be paid to the specified data format (e.g., dates, numbers, text).
Step 3: Submit for Upload
During Onboarding: Work directly with your onboarding manager to upload your initial business data. They will guide you through the process and ensure a successful import.
After Onboarding: For all future data updates and imports, contact your account manager. They will assist you with the upload process and provide ongoing support.
📝 Details of the Driver Import Template
The following provides a detailed, field-by-field explanation of the Excel template for driver import, including data formats, required fields, and best practices for populating each column.
Column name | Required/optional | Remarks | Example |
name | Required | Driver name displayed in Qargo | Steve Johnson |
code | Optional | Unique code | 12 |
first_name | Required |
| Steve |
last_name | Required |
| Johnson |
phone_number | Optional |
| +334717727 |
date_of_birth | Optional |
| 27/12/1991 |
email_address | Required if driver app will be used. |
| |
note | Optional |
|
|
subcontractor_company | Optional |
|
|
archived | Optional |
| TRUE or null |
locale | Optional | Drivers language | en |
custom_fields__example | Optional | To import custom field values. Remark: 2 underscores are used in the column name. |
|
absence_planner_object_id | Optional |
| TRUE or FALSE |
absence_planner_active | Optional |
|
|
generic_object_id | Optional |
|
|
generic_active | Optional |
| TRUE or FALSE |
generic_integration_code | Optional |
|
|
sage_hrm_object_id | Optional |
|
|
sage_hrm_active | Optional |
| TRUE or FALSE |
🔎 Troubleshooting Common Driver Import Errors
This section addresses specific errors that may arise during the import of driver data.
Subcontractor Record Not Found: This is the most common error for subcontractor drivers. It occurs when the Subcontractor Name in the template does not exactly match an existing company in Qargo. The subcontractor must exist in the system before their drivers can be imported.
Duplicate Drivers: If two drivers have the exact same Full Name, it can cause conflicts.
Sheet name: The sheet name in the Excel template file must be named exactly 'Import'. Any other name will cause an error when uploading the file.
Phone Number Format: The phone number should reflect the country code followed by the number without any spaces (e.g., +3212345678). In Excel/Google Sheets, the format of the column should be Text and in the formula cell you should add a ' before the country code and phone number (ie. '+3212345678) for the phone number to show up correctly. See example below:
Custom Fields: The column name must follow the convention custom_field__[ID], with the specific ID retrieved from the Qargo organisation settings. Click the copy button next to the custom field to copy its ID:
✨ Best Practices for Importing Drivers
To ensure a smooth and accurate import, consider the following best practices.
Ensure Subcontractor Data is Complete: Before attempting to import subcontractor drivers, verify that all associated subcontractors have already been successfully imported into the system as companies.
Maintain Data Consistency: Pay close attention to the Subcontractor Name and Code fields. Any spelling mistakes or different capitalisation will cause the link to fail.
Utilise the Code field: Although optional, using the Code field is highly recommended. It provides a reliable way to update driver records and prevents conflicts that can arise from duplicate names.
➡️ What to Do Next
Once drivers have been successfully imported, they can be assigned to vehicles and combinations. The next logical steps include:
Importing Vehicles: The fleet can be populated by importing vehicles owned by the company or its subcontractors.
Configuring Combinations: Drivers can be linked to vehicles in bulk by creating combinations.
📈 Use Cases for Driver Import
Importing driver data is an invaluable tool for several key business processes.
Initial Fleet Setup: The primary use case is to populate a Qargo tenant with an entire fleet of drivers, including both internal employees and regular subcontractor drivers.
Onboarding a New Fleet: When a new business unit or fleet of drivers is acquired, their details can be added in bulk to the Qargo system.