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Converting Time Zones in Excel

When you export your submitted forms, you may notice that the time zone is set to UTC. Here's how we'll help you convert to your preferred time zone!

When exporting reports from your submitted Forms section of Cargosnap, you may notice that the time zone is set to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) instead of the time zone of when the data was collected.

As Logistics is a global business, we have a standard reference of time for teams all across the globe. However, we understand that you might want to analyze your data considering your local time. That's why we have this article for you!

Step 1: Understand the Time Difference

First, find the time difference between UTC and your target time zone. Here are a few common time zone offsets:

  • Eastern Time (ET - New York, USA) → UTC -5 (Standard Time) / UTC -4 (Daylight Saving Time)

  • Pacific Time (PT - Los Angeles, USA) → UTC -8 (Standard Time) / UTC -7 (Daylight Saving Time)

  • Central European Time (CET - Berlin, Germany) → UTC +1 (Standard Time) / UTC +2 (Daylight Saving Time)

  • China Standard Time (CST - Beijing, China) → UTC +8

  • Brasília Time (BRT - São Paulo, Brazil) → UTC -3

  • Central Time (CT - Mexico City, Mexico) → UTC -6 (Standard Time) / UTC -5 (Daylight Saving Time)

💡 Note: Pay attention to Daylight Saving Time (DST) changes in areas that implement it.

 

Step 2: Insert a New Column

Next to the column where you see the date/time in UTC, add a new column (for example, in Column B), and create a formula to adjust the time

Use this formula:

= A2 + TIME(hours_difference ; 0 ; 0)

  • Replace hours_difference with how many hours ahead (+) or behind (-) your time zone is relative to UTC.

 

Example:

To convert UTC to Central European Time (CET), you should consider UTC+1:

=A2+TIME(1;0;0)

If you need UTC-3 (like for Brazilian Time -BRT):

=A2-TIME(3;0;0)

 

 

Step 3: Apply the Formula to All Rows

After entering the formula in the first row, drag the Fill Handle (a small square at the bottom right of the cell) down to apply the conversion to all rows.

 

Step 4: Format the Result as Date/Time

After applying the formula, the result might appear as a number. To display it correctly:

  1. Select the column with the converted times.

  2. Go to Format Cells (Ctrl + 1 on Windows or Cmd + 1 on Mac).

  3. Choose Date or Custom Format and select a format that includes both date and time.