Guides, templates and tools for route distributors
Free templates, calculators, software comparisons and how-to guides for snack, candy, jerky, chip and beverage distributors who run their own routes. Everything here works without signing up.
Templates
Fill in on screen, print, or download for Excel or as a PDF.
Printable and ExcelRoute invoice templateAn invoice with separate credit lines, amount received and balance left, so counts and payments are on paper.
Printable and ExcelRoute settlement sheetClose a truck at the end of the day: list each invoice, count the cash and checks, see over or short.
Printable and ExcelCredit memo and stale return logWrite each credit with its reason, then total credits by store, product and reason.
Editable and PDFProduct order formAn order sheet with your logo and colors that stores fill in, printed or saved as a PDF.
Printable, PDF and ExcelDaily route sheetThe day’s stops grouped by city, with the invoice, payment and credits at each store and a done box.
Calculators and tools
Put in your own numbers. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
CalculatorSnack markup and margin calculatorCost per unit, markup, your margin and the store’s, and what expired credits take out of profit.
CalculatorRoute profit per stopWhat a route day earns per stop and per mile, and which stores sell below break-even.
CalculatorSnack route value calculatorEstimate a route’s price from weekly sales or owner earnings, with the loan payment and payback.
State tableSnack sales tax by stateWhether candy, soda, chips and grocery food are taxed in each state and DC, with official sources.
Self-checkRoute business checkupTwenty questions on cash, credits, pricing, stores and records, with a score per area and what to fix first.
State mapExpired snack rules by stateWhether stores can sell snacks past the date: federal law and every state’s date rules, with official sources.
State checklistWholesale food license by stateThe state food license, sales tax registration and FDA registration a snack distributor needs, state by state.
DecoderSnack date code decoderTurn day-of-year date codes into real dates, check a list against your pull rule, and print a calendar.
Choosing route software
Prices, comparisons and when it’s time to move off paper or a spreadsheet. Written by Tallysnack, so not independent reviews.
RoundupBest route accounting softwareEight products for snack distributors with 1 to 20 drivers: who each fits, public prices and trials.
PricingWhat route sales software costsPublic prices, how vendors charge, setup and add-on costs, and a calculator for your driver count.
ExplainerRoute accounting for snack distributorsHow route accounting software runs a route day, from the order to the end-of-day cash close.
ComparisonPaper invoice books vs route softwareWhat paper costs in office time and errors, where it still works, and what to ask vendors.
ComparisonRoute software vs ExcelWhere a spreadsheet works, where it breaks with more trucks, and an eight-question check.
ComparisonTallysnack vs inSitu SalesTopic by topic, with what each costs for your number of drivers.
ComparisonTallysnack vs LaceUpTwelve questions answered for each, and a checklist to take to your demos.
ComparisonTallysnack vs The Full TruckOrdering by text or running the whole store visit, and which fits one driver or a team.
Running a route
Plain-language guides to the day-to-day problems on a DSD route.
How-toHow to start a snack distribution routeRegistration, sales tax, food rules, the truck, suppliers, pricing and getting into stores.
GuideExpired product creditsHow credits and swaps get lost between the shelf and the invoice, and what they cost a year.
GuideRoute cash doesn’t match the invoicesNine places the money goes missing, and a gap finder that tests a difference against your invoices.
GuideHow to scale a snack distribution routeGrowing from one truck to several: sales, margin, cash, drivers, trucks, financing and insurance, with sources.
No guides match that search. Try a shorter word, such as “credit” or “cash”.
Who we are. Tallysnack makes route software for direct store delivery (DSD) snack, candy and beverage distributors. It’s built by a family that has run snack routes for more than 30 years, and it is in development. See how it works