Blog · Fleet Operations · April 20, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Import a Parts List from CSV Without Making a Mess
A bad import is worse than no import. You will spend a year merging “CAP 45/5” and “45-5 CAP” while techs scan the wrong cousin.
One part number to rule them
The part number column must be unique and stable. Not the description. Not the vendor’s marketing name. If two rows share a number, stop and fix the file. Do not hope the importer “figures it out.”
If you have no numbers, make them: CAP-405, VALVE-12-BALL. Ugly and unique beats pretty and duplicated.
Minimum columns that actually matter
Part number, name, cost, price, min stock. Vendor and category if you have them. Quantity does not belong in the item import if quantities live on trucks — stock is a second step.
Shops that import on-hand qty into a single bucket just built a folder system inside a fleet tool. Do not do that.
Clean the file like a grown-up
Trim spaces. Kill empty rows. Normalize inches and fractions. Merge obvious duplicates before you upload. Excel will hide a trailing space that creates a second SKU. Show that space. Destroy it.
Import twenty rows first. Look at them in the master list. Then import the rest. Prideful full-file uploads are how you restore from nothing.
Photos are a second pass
Do not delay go-live because the CSV has no images. Go live. Photo the confusing parts this week with a phone. The catalog gets better while you are already scanning.
FleetStock accepts a photo on the item. That is enough. You do not need a DAM.
After import, freeze nicknames
Publish the official name. Techs can search, but they should not invent a parallel catalog in Slack. If a nickname is beloved, put it in the description so search still works.
The import is the last moment you have cheap cleanup. After scans start, every rename is a training event.
FAQ
Can we import from Sortly or Excel?
Export CSV, map columns, clean duplicates, then import. Do not expect a magic one-click that understands your folders.
What about vendor catalogs with 30,000 rows?
Do not import them. Import what you stock. You can add a vendor part later when you buy it.
Can we re-import to update prices?
Yes if part numbers match. Test on five rows. A price update that creates duplicates is a bad day.
See what is on every truck this week
14-day free trial. Then one yearly invoice — $129, $197, or $249.