Onfleet Task Creation from Local Spreadsheets - n8n Workflow

• Logistics Managers needing to bulk-import tasks from spreadsheets.


• Dispatchers looking to automate the creation of daily Onfleet manifests.


• Teams receiving task lists via non-integrated sources (like email attachments).


• n8n users seeking robust examples of spreadsheet parsing and system integration.

This specific n8n workflow solves the problem of manual data entry for logistics and delivery management systems, specifically Onfleet. If your operations rely on receiving daily task lists as spreadsheet files (such as Excel or CSV), this n8n automation provides an efficient solution. By leveraging key n8n nodes, you can transform structured spreadsheet rows into individual, fully populated Onfleet tasks. This powerful n8n template ensures that addresses, recipient details, and task notes are accurately mapped from the spreadsheet columns. It uses a file read operation instead of a traditional scheduled n8n trigger, making it ideal for processes that require manual initiation after a file is saved locally, drastically reducing dispatch time and ensuring data accuracy across the entire n8n workflow.

The entire n8n workflow operates sequentially, turning a local file into API calls. The automation begins by using the Read Binary File n8n node to access the specified local spreadsheet (Excel) file path on the host machine. The raw binary output of the file is then passed directly to the Spreadsheet File n8n node. This essential n8n node intelligently parses the rows of the spreadsheet into a collection of individual JSON items. Crucially, each item processed represents one task to be created in Onfleet. Finally, the structured data is sent to the Onfleet n8n node. This node is configured with the 'create' operation and iterates through every incoming item. It dynamically maps various spreadsheet column headers (e.g., AddressLine1, RecipientPhone, Task_Details) to the appropriate fields within the Onfleet task structure. This seamless integration ensures the high efficiency of the n8n template, streamlining logistics operations from data input to task deployment.

1. Import the n8n Workflow: Copy the provided JSON code and paste it into your n8n instance using the 'New' -> 'Import from JSON' function.


2. Set Credentials: Locate the Onfleet n8n node and set up your 'Onfleet API Key' credential. This requires obtaining an API key from your Onfleet dashboard.


3. Configure File Path: Update the 'Read Binary File' n8n node parameters. Change the File Path parameter (/Users/jamesli/Downloads/Onfleet Import Google Sheet.xlsx) to the absolute path where your template spreadsheet file is located on the machine hosting or accessing n8n.


4. Data Mapping Check: Verify that the column headers in your spreadsheet exactly match the variable names used in the 'Onfleet' n8n node expressions (e.g., AddressLine1, RecipientName). If your spreadsheet headers differ, you must update the expressions in the n8n workflow accordingly.


5. Activate and Run: Since this n8n workflow starts with a file read, it's typically executed manually or triggered by a scheduled n8n trigger.

Read Binary File n8n Node

• Function: Serves as the initial data source, reading the raw binary content of a file stored locally on the n8n host or accessible drive.


• Key Configuration: File Path is set to the specific local location of the Excel file (/Users/jamesli/Downloads/Onfleet Import Google Sheet.xlsx).

Spreadsheet File n8n Node

• Function: This specialized n8n node receives the binary file data and parses the spreadsheet content (Excel or CSV) into structured JSON objects, making each row available as a separate item for downstream processing.


• Key Configuration: Uses default settings for parsing the input binary stream.

Onfleet n8n Node

• Function: The core action node. It consumes the structured data provided by the spreadsheet parser and creates new tasks within the Onfleet logistics system.


• Key Configuration: