A routing model, not a sort.
Re-ordering pins is a sort. Deciding which van serves which stop, in what order, inside windows and shifts and capacity, is a different problem with a different engine behind it.
What goes into the model
| No. | Constraint | Applies to | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Time windows | Stop | Arrival must fall inside the window; the sequence bends around it |
| 02 | Service time | Stop | Door time is spent, not assumed away — the day fits what it actually fits |
| 03 | Capacity | Vehicle | Weight and volume cap the load; overflow moves to another van or run |
| 04 | Shift length | Driver | Start, finish and breaks bound the route rather than trailing off it |
| 05 | Skills and vehicle type | Both | Tail-lift, refrigeration or a licence class restricts who can serve a stop |
| 06 | Depot and end point | Route | Start from the depot, finish at the depot or at the driver’s home |
Constraints are hard by default. A stop that cannot be served inside them is reported back, not quietly dropped from the run.
How the route is found
Road, not radius
Travel between stops is measured along the network, not as the crow flies. Two addresses either side of a river are not close, and a straight-line model cannot know that.
Construct, then improve
A first feasible route is built quickly, then improved by moving and swapping stops between vehicles for as long as the time budget allows.
The day moves
A stop added at eleven does not append to the end. The remaining sequence is re-solved around it, and the completed stops stay where they are.
Where it stops
Vehicle routing is NP-hard. Nobody proves an optimal route on a real day at real size, and anyone claiming otherwise is either solving a smaller problem than yours or not proving it.
What a solver gives you is the best route it can find inside a time budget, against constraints it can actually express. That is a different and more useful promise than optimality.
| Stops in a single solve | 500 (Team) |
| Vehicles per solve | 50 |
| Typical solve time, 200 stops | Under 20 s |
| Re-solve on the road | Remaining stops only |
| Optimality guarantee | None — best found in budget |
Asked before signing
What is delivery route planning software?
Delivery route planning software helps drivers and dispatch teams create multi-stop delivery runs, organize stops, and prepare routes for execution. The best tools also include route optimization so planning results in the most efficient sequence possible.
Is delivery route planning software the same as route optimization software?
They overlap, but route planning software can be more basic if it only helps you map or order stops manually. Route optimization software goes further by calculating a better sequence and often connects that planning step to dispatch, tracking, and delivery execution.
Can RouteMate plan routes for multiple drivers?
Yes. RouteMate supports multi-stop delivery planning for individual drivers and team dispatch workflows, with optimization, assignment, and live route visibility built into the platform.
Does RouteMate handle delivery intake and proof of delivery too?
Yes. RouteMate combines route planning with AI label scanning, CSV import, dispatch workflow, status tracking, and proof-of-delivery capture so teams can manage the full delivery run.
Run your worst day through it
Send a round you already drove and we will solve it and return both sequences, yours and ours, so you can compare them on ground you know.