Carpools
A carpool schedule every parent can see and swap
Put each run (school mornings, practice pickups, tournament drives) on one sheet. Drivers claim days, get a reminder the day before, and swap through their own link instead of the group chat.
Free for 3 open sheets. No ads, and no account needed for the people signing up.
Carpools run on trust and memory, and memory is the weak part. A carpool schedule that everyone can see removes the “wait, was it my day?” text at 7:40 a.m.
The simplest working setup is one slot per run with capacity 1, plus a backup-driver slot each week. The backup is the difference between a carpool that survives a sick parent and one that doesn’t.
How it works
- 1
Add one slot per run
“Mon morning drop-off, 7:45” and “Wed practice pickup, 5:30” as separate slots, each holding one driver.
- 2
Add a weekly backup
A “backup driver this week” slot with capacity 1 or 2 gives you someone to call when plans change.
- 3
Share with the carpool families
Parents claim runs with a name and email. Use the note field for car seats or how many kids they can take.
- 4
Reminders the day before
Drivers get an email about 36 hours before each dated run, or 24 hours on Organiser plans if you prefer a tighter window.
What the sheet looks like
| Run | When | Drivers | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning drop-off | Mon · 7:45 | 1 | Seats available? |
| Morning drop-off | Tue · 7:45 | 1 | Seats available? |
| Practice pickup | Wed · 5:30 | 1 | Field 3 lot |
| Backup driver | This week | 1 | On call if someone’s out |
Agree the rules once
Write the carpool rules in the sheet description: pickup spot, how long to wait, booster-seat expectations, and what to do on snow days or early dismissal. New families read it before they claim a day.
Sports and activity carpools
Practice and game carpools change more than school runs, so keep them on a separate sheet from the weekday school schedule. Put the field or venue in each slot, and add the return trip as its own slot. The parent who can drop off at 5:30 isn’t always the one who can pick up at 7:00.
Keep it fair across a term
With four families and ten runs a week, each family drives two or three times. If one family can only do mornings, that’s fine. The sheet shows the balance, so nobody has to keep score in their head. Organiser plans can generate the same weekday runs for a whole term at once.
Make yours in a couple of minutes
The starter sheet opens with example slots filled in. Change the dates and names, then share the link.
Questions
How do I make a carpool schedule for school?
Create a sheet with one slot per run (date, time, capacity 1), add a backup-driver slot, and share the link with the carpool families. Each parent claims their days.
Can drivers swap days?
Yes. A driver can switch to another open run or cancel from the link in their confirmation email. If they cancel, the waitlist for that run is notified.
Does it track kids’ names or addresses?
No, and you shouldn’t add them. The sheet holds the driver’s name and email. Keep addresses in your carpool chat.
Can I repeat the same runs every week?
Organiser plans generate repeating slots by weekday between two dates. On the free plan you can copy runs by hand.
Is it free?
Yes for up to 3 open sheets, with reminders and waitlists included. No ads on any plan.