Plan New Route Settings – Configure Route Optimization Settings & Parameters

Route Name

Input text

Names the planned route(s) and identifies them across your account, including on your Routes page, in Route Snapshots, and in the Route4Me mobile app.

NOTE: Route Name is required.

NOTE: In "Multiple Drivers" mode, Route4Me applies your Route Name to every planned route and appends a part number to each one, such as "Route Name (Part 001)".

Optimization Mode

Select one:

• Single Driver
• Multiple Drivers
• Disable Optimization

Determines whether Route4Me plans a single route or splits your Destinations across several, and whether it optimizes the Destination sequence at all.

• Single Driver: Plans one optimized route.
• Multiple Drivers: Distributes your Destinations across multiple optimized routes.
• Disable Optimization: Plans routes that keep your Destinations in the same sequence as your selected or uploaded addresses.

NOTE: Your selected Optimization Mode determines which other settings are available.

Facility

Toggle: Use Facilities As Depots
(not available in "Single Driver" mode)

Select (depending on mode):

• Single Driver: one Facility
• Multiple Drivers: one or more Facilities
• Disable Optimization: one or more Facilities

Click "Manage Facilities" to add and edit Company Facilities.

Associates the planned route(s) with one or more Company Facilities, such as a warehouse, distribution center, or office.

"Depot" is one of Route4Me's supported Facility Types, defined as a centralized Facility where assigned vehicles can be located and from which routes usually begin.

NOTE: When you plan routes manually without an Optimization Profile and select no Facility, Route4Me associates the planned route(s) with every Facility assigned to the route's User.

NOTE: Enabling "Use Facilities As Depots" uses your selected Facilities as the route start locations, so you don't enter a separate departure address.

Departure

Select one:

• Single Depot
• Multiple Depots
  (not available in "Single Driver" mode)
• Use Depot From File

Input either a:

• Custom Departure Address
  or
• Existing Company Facility

With "Multiple Depots", click "Add depot" to add each departure point.

Defines where the planned route(s) start.

• Single Depot: All planned routes start from the same address.
• Multiple Depots: Route4Me uses each depot you add as a route start location and distributes your remaining Destinations into optimized routes accordingly.
• Use Depot From File: Route4Me verifies the depot addresses marked in your upload file and uses them as route start locations, with no further input needed here.

NOTE: To mark depots in your upload file, add a "Depot" column and enter "Yes" or "1" for each depot address. You don't need to mark your other addresses.

NOTE: The Maximum Number of Routes Business Rule caps how many routes Route4Me can plan from your depots. Route4Me may plan fewer routes than the maximum, but never more.

Route End

Select one:

• End Route At Any Address
• End Route At Departure Address (Round Trip)
• End Route At Specific Address

With "End Route At Specific Address", use the "Find Address" search field to enter the route end location.

Defines where the planned route(s) end.

• End Route At Any Address: Route4Me ends the route at whichever Destination produces the most optimized result.
• End Route At Departure Address (Round Trip): The route returns to the address it started from.
• End Route At Specific Address: The route ends at an address you specify.

NOTE: If you select "End Route At Specific Address" and leave the field empty, Route4Me uses the last address you entered or uploaded as the route end.

Assignment

Select:

• One User
• One Crew

Click "Manage Users" and "Manage Crews" to add and edit Users and Crews.

Assigns the User responsible for running the planned route(s), and the Crew they belong to. The assigned User receives the route when you dispatch it.

A Crew groups Users into delivery teams, field crews, and similar units, so you can assign a whole team to a route instead of naming its members one at a time.

NOTE: The "User" field is required.

NOTE: Crews are currently available on request only. Contact Route4Me Support to enable them for your account.

Routing Profile

Select one:

• Routing Profile

Click "Manage Routing Profiles" to add and edit Routing Profiles.

Shows the recommended routing settings for the selected profile, so you can compare them against the values you've configured.

NOTE: Selecting a Routing Profile doesn't change any of your settings. The routing fields in the categories below stay editable and keep your own values, and the profile's values appear for reference only.

NOTE: To apply a saved set of settings instead of only viewing recommendations, use an Optimization Profile.

Equipment

Toggle: Mixed Fleet

Select:

• If "Mixed Fleet" :
  - One Vehicle
• If "Mixed Fleet" :
  - Multiple Vehicles or Equipment Types

Click "Manage Vehicles" to add and edit Fleet Vehicles.

Assign a Vehicle or Equipment Type that carries the load on your planned route(s).

An Equipment Type is a reusable template that bundles Vehicle specifications, load limits, and required operator qualifications, so you can apply one configuration across many Vehicles instead of configuring each Fleet Vehicle individually.

With "Mixed Fleet" disabled, Route4Me applies one uniform set of capacity limits to every Vehicle. Enabling it lets Route4Me apply each Vehicle's own Capacity Profile and distribute your Destinations to use each Vehicle to its full capacity.

NOTE: "Mixed Fleet" requires the Maximum Number of Routes Business Rule to be set, and every Vehicle you select must have an assigned Capacity Profile.

NOTE: Route4Me recalculates the remaining capacity of each vehicle after every pickup and delivery as it optimizes.

Destination Distribution

Select one:

• Minimize Routes
• Balance Routes

Determines how Route4Me distributes your Destinations across the routes it plans.

• Minimize Routes: Fits as many Destinations as possible into each route without breaking your Business Rules.
• Balance Routes: Plans the number of routes you specify with an equal or nearly equal number of Destinations on each.

NOTE: With "Minimize Routes", the Maximum Number of Routes Business Rule works as a ceiling and Route4Me can plan fewer routes than the maximum. With "Balance Routes", it works as the number of routes Route4Me plans.

NOTE: The "Optimization" category is not available in "Single Driver" mode.

Business Rules

Input values:

• Maximum Number of Routes
• Maximum Destinations
• Maximum Distance (mi)
• Maximum Route Duration (h, m)
• Maximum Revenue
• Maximum Weight
• Maximum Pieces
• Maximum Volume

Sets the per-route maximum for each constraint. Route4Me plans routes that stay within every value you enter here.

• Maximum Number of Routes: How many routes Route4Me can plan from your selected or uploaded Destinations.
• Maximum Destinations: How many stops a single route can have.
• Maximum Distance: How far a single route can travel in total.
• Maximum Route Duration: How long a single route can take in total, including travel time and service time at each stop.
• Maximum Revenue, Weight, Pieces, and Volume: How much load a single route can carry. Route4Me tracks each value as Destinations are loaded and unloaded to keep routes within your fleet's carrying capacity.

NOTE: "Maximum Route Duration" is required. Leave the constraints you don't use blank for best results.

NOTE: When your Destinations don't all fit within your Business Rules, Route4Me leaves the ones it can't place as Unrouted Destinations, which you can add to your planned routes manually.

NOTE: With "Mixed Fleet" enabled, Route4Me uses each vehicle's own Capacity Profile instead of the uniform "Weight", "Pieces", "Volume", and "Revenue" limits you set here.

Route Start Date

Input date

Sets the date the planned route(s) start.

Route4Me applies your account time zone and lists the planned route(s) under this date on your Routes page and for the assigned User in the Route4Me mobile app.

NOTE: To plan the same route on a recurring basis instead of one date at a time, use a Optimization Profile with a route schedule.

Route Start Time

• Toggle: Flexible Start Time
• Input time (hh:mm)

With "Flexible Start Time" enabled, input:

• Earliest Route Start Time
• Latest Route Start Time

Sets the time the planned route(s) start, in your local time zone.

Enable "Flexible Start Time" to replace the fixed start time with an earliest and latest boundary. Route4Me then picks the departure time within that range that produces the most optimized route.

NOTE: "Flexible Start Time" is most effective when your Destinations have Time Windows, because it shifts departure to reduce the wait time and driver idling caused by arriving before a Destination is ready.

Time Windows

Toggle: Ignore Time Windows

A Time Window is the timeframe during which a Destination should be visited, such as a delivery, pickup, or service window. Route4Me sequences your Destinations so each one is reached within its Time Window.

Enable "Ignore Time Windows" to disregard the Time Windows set on your Destinations and visit them at the most optimal time instead.

NOTE: Ignoring Time Windows lets Route4Me plan a shorter route, but drivers can arrive at a Destination outside the hours it accepts service.

Service Time

• Toggle: Override Service Time
• Input time (h, m, s): Service Time per Destination

Service Time is the time spent at each Destination on a route, covering parking, unloading, and interacting with the customer. Route4Me adds it to travel time to calculate route duration and the ETA of every stop.

Enable "Override Service Time" to apply one Service Time to every Destination on the planned route(s), replacing their individual values.

NOTE: Per-Destination Service Times come from a "Service Time" column in your upload file, the "Destination Service Time" value in an Optimization Profile, or manual entry in the Route Editor.

NOTE: Service Time counts toward the Maximum Route Duration Business Rule, so raising it reduces how many Destinations Route4Me can fit on one route.

Breaks

Toggle: Insert Breaks
(only available in "Multiple Drivers" mode)

Select one Break Type:

• After Elapsed Time
• After Specified Number Of Destinations
• After Elapsed Service & Travel Time

Input values:

• Insert Break After
• Break Duration
• Repeat Count (1–99)

Click "Add Break Rules" to add more break rules.

Enable "Insert Breaks" to schedule driver breaks automatically as Route4Me optimizes.

• Break Type: What triggers the break — total elapsed route time, a number of completed Destinations, or accumulated service and travel time.
• Insert Break After: The interval that triggers the break, in minutes or Destinations depending on your selected Break Type.
• Break Duration: How long the break lasts.
• Repeat Count: The maximum number of times Route4Me can apply the rule on a single route.

NOTE: Route4Me adds each break to the planned route as an additional stop at the address of the preceding Destination, marked with a Coffee Mug Icon.

NOTE: Add a separate break rule for each break with different conditions, such as a short morning break and a longer lunch break.

Pre-Trip Time

Input time (h, m, s)

Adds time at the start of the planned route(s) for preparation, inspections, loading, and similar tasks.

Route4Me adds this time to the route's start location instead of inserting a separate stop.

NOTE: When you select an Equipment Type in the "Resources" section, Route4Me fills this field with that Equipment Type's "Pre-Trip Time". Click the Equipment Type to open its details and see its "Extra Time" values.

NOTE: This field takes priority over the Equipment Type default.

NOTE: On a planned route, you can see the "Pre-Trip Time" value in the Route Properties Panel and in the route start location's Destination Info in the Route Editor.

NOTE: To reuse the same Pre-Trip and Post-Trip Times across routes, set them in the "Schedule" section of an Optimization Profile.

Post-Trip Time

Input time (h, m, s)

Adds time at the end of the planned route(s) for unloading, paperwork, vehicle checks, and similar tasks.

Route4Me adds this time to the route's last stop instead of inserting a separate stop.

NOTE: When you select an Equipment Type in the "Resources" section, Route4Me fills this field with that Equipment Type's "Post-Trip Time". Click the Equipment Type to open its details and see its "Extra Time" values.

NOTE: This field takes priority over the Equipment Type default.

NOTE: On a planned route, you can see the "Post-Trip Time" value in the Route Properties Panel and in the last stop's Destination Info in the Route Editor.

Directions

Select one Navigate By:

• Distance
• Time
• Time With Traffic

Select one Travel Mode:

• Driving
• Cycling
• Walking

"Navigate By" sets what Route4Me optimizes the route for.

• Distance: The shortest total driving distance.
• Time: The shortest total travel time.
• Time With Traffic: The shortest total travel time with traffic conditions factored in.

"Travel Mode" sets the type of transport, which determines the roads and paths Route4Me can route over.

• Driving: Roads, accounting for road types and parking availability.
• Cycling: Bike lanes and shared roads.
• Walking: Pedestrian paths.

NOTE: Commercial vehicles aren't a Travel Mode. Route4Me applies commercial vehicle restrictions when the Vehicle you assign in the "Resources" section has "Is Commercial Vehicle" enabled.

Highways and Tolls

Toggles:

• Avoid Highways
• Avoid Tolls
• Avoid Ferries
• Avoid Tunnels

Plans routes that avoid the enabled road types. Each toggle applies independently.

NOTE: When a route can't avoid a road type completely, Route4Me minimizes it in the driving directions instead of leaving Destinations out.

Border Crossing

Toggle: Avoid Cross-Border Routing

Keeps the planned route(s) inside the country of the departure address.

NOTE: Route4Me moves Destinations in other countries to Unrouted Destinations. To route them, plan a separate route with a departure address in their own country.

Turn Restrictions

Select one Turn Avoidance:

• None
• Allow Left Turns
• Allow Right Turns

Sets which turn direction Route4Me can use and avoids turns in the opposite direction.

• None: No turn restrictions.
• Allow Left Turns: Route4Me avoids right turns.
• Allow Right Turns: Route4Me avoids left turns.

Avoiding turns can reduce fuel consumption, idle time, and accident risk, but it can also increase route distance.

NOTE: Although the setting is called "Turn Avoidance", its options name the turns Route4Me allows, not the turns it avoids.

NOTE: When a Destination can't be reached without an avoided turn, Route4Me minimizes those turns instead of leaving the Destination out.

U-Turn Avoidance

Toggle: Avoid U-Turns

Plans routes that avoid U-turns as much as possible.

Avoidance Zones

Toggle: Enable Avoidance Zones

Plans routes that navigate around the Avoidance Zones defined on your account, such as restricted areas, low-clearance areas, or high-traffic areas.

NOTE: Route4Me omits Destinations that fall inside an Avoidance Zone from the planned route(s).

NOTE: Add and edit zones in "Settings" > "Organization Settings" > "Admin" > "Avoidance Zones". This setting has no effect until your account has at least one zone.

Service Time Slowdown

Input percentage

Increases the Service Time at every Destination by this percentage. A 25% Slowdown adds 2.5 minutes to a 10-minute Service Time, for 12.5 minutes per stop.

NOTE: Route4Me applies the Slowdown to the whole route, not only to the hours when you expect heavy traffic.

NOTE: Slowdowns increase total route duration, so a high percentage can push Destinations past the Maximum Route Duration Business Rule and leave them unrouted.

Travel Time Slowdown

Input percentage

Increases the travel time between Destinations by this percentage. A 25% Slowdown extends a 60-minute drive to 75 minutes.

NOTE: Route4Me applies the Slowdown to the whole route, not only to the hours when you expect heavy traffic.

Optimization Priority

Input percentages:

• Prioritize Distance
• Prioritize Travel Time
• Prioritize Waiting Time

Adjust route optimization factor priorities. A higher percentage prioritizes that variable over the others.

• Prioritize Distance: Plans the shortest route, which can include longer waiting periods.
• Prioritize Travel Time: Plans the fastest route through more efficient directions, which can cover more distance.
• Prioritize Waiting Time: Reduces the time drivers spend idle waiting for a Time Window to open.

NOTE: Without fine-tuning, Route4Me prioritizes distance.

Depot/Resource Matching

Toggles:

• Use Depot as Advanced Constraint
• Match Driver Skills to Depots
  (requires "Use Depot as Advanced Constraint")
• Match Driver Skills to Vehicles
  (requires "Use Depot as Advanced Constraint")

Matches the Driver Skills and Vehicle Attributes of your resources against the requirements of your Destinations and Facilities.

• Use Depot as Advanced Constraint: Matches the skills a depot requires against the skills your Destinations require.
• Match Driver Skills to Depots: Assigns each route to a User whose Driver Skills meet the requirements of its depot.
• Match Driver Skills to Vehicles: Pairs each User with a Vehicle when their Driver Skills meet the required operator qualifications.

NOTE: Set Driver Skills on each User's "Driver Info" tab and Vehicle Attributes on each Vehicle's "Details" tab in "Team & Equipment". Destinations declare what they require with a "Required_Skills" column in your upload file.

NOTE: The "Advanced" category is not available in "Single Driver" mode.

Email Route

Input text

Separate multiple email addresses with commas.

Emails the planned route(s) to the addresses you enter as soon as Route4Me plans them. Recipients get view-only access and don't need a Route4Me account.

NOTE: Route4Me shares the route as a public link. Anyone who receives or forwards the email can view the route and its addresses.

NOTE: Emailing a route only grants view access. To let a team member manage, edit, or complete the route, assign a User in the "Resources" section.