Gearbelt tracks every asset location change automatically, logging a timestamp each time equipment moves between sites. By combining those location logs with per-asset hire rates and the Gearbelt Excel template, operations teams can calculate exactly how long each piece of equipment was on each project — and generate accurate internal cost allocations without manual timesheets. This guide covers the full workflow from setting hire rates to exporting summarised costs per project.
Video Walkthrough
Prerequisites
Before you begin make sure you have the following:
Plan: All Plan Types
Permission: Gearbelt Contributor
Subscription: Gearbelt, Microsoft Excel
Have this prepared:
An up-to-date asset list
A location list for your projects
A day rate or weekly rate set for each asset
Step-by-Step Instructions
Create the location logs of your assets
Gearbelt automatically creates a location log with a timestamp every time an asset changes location or when an moves between sites or projects.
Set hire rates of an asset
Go to Assets
Select the asset
In Overview → Rate, enter a day or weekly rate
Click Save
This rate is used to calculate internal hire costs.
Export location logs
Go to Locations → Location Logs
Filter the Created Date column for your desired time period (e.g. current month or past 7 days)
Click Download CSV above the Asset column
The export includes:
Asset
Category
Location
Created Date
Rate
Created By
Created Time
Upload data into the template
Import the exported dataset into the Gearbelt Excel template
The template includes the following tabs:
Source Dataset - where you will paste your exported Gearbelt data
Integrated Dataset - where you can calculate the cost of this asset in a specific time period
Calculate hire costs
Once your data is loaded into the integrated dataset tab, the template calculates hire costs automatically.
Filter by asset, location, or time period (weekly/monthly)
Review the rate column and time at each location
Sum the rate values to calculate total hire costs per location
Keep the data up to date.
Add new exported data regularly (e.g. weekly) to the excel template. Then use the filters in the integrated dataset to recalculate costs for the updated period.
Notes
Location logs are created automatically — users do not need to manually record when an asset moves
If an asset stays at one location for the entire period, it will appear as a single row with the full duration
Hire costs are calculated as: duration at location × daily or weekly rate
The Excel template supports both weekly and monthly views; switching between them does not affect the underlying data
Assets without a hire rate assigned in Gearbelt will show a zero cost in the template — assign a rate in the asset profile to fix this
FAQ
What happens if I forget to set a hire rate?
The template will calculate a cost of zero for that asset. Set the day rate or weekly rate in the asset's profile in Gearbelt, then re-export and reload the data.
How often should I update the Excel template?
Weekly updates are recommended. Infrequent updates create gaps where location durations may span export periods, making cost calculations less precise.
Can I track costs across multiple projects at once?
Yes. The integrated dataset includes all projects in your exported period. Use the location filter to view one project at a time, or remove the filter to see a combined total across all projects.