Route Planner Inputs
Example Data Table
| Location | X | Y | Demand | Service Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Depot | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stop A | 9 | 14 | 18 | 20 |
| Stop B | 17 | 11 | 12 | 15 |
| Stop C | 20 | 22 | 10 | 25 |
| Stop D | 6 | 24 | 9 | 18 |
Formula Used
Segment distance: For Euclidean routing, distance = √((x₂ − x₁)² + (y₂ − y₁)²) × scale. For Manhattan routing, distance = (|x₂ − x₁| + |y₂ − y₁|) × scale.
Total route distance: Sum all optimized segment distances, plus the final return leg when return-to-depot is enabled.
Travel time: Total distance ÷ average speed.
Working time: Travel time + total service time.
Fuel used: Total distance ÷ fuel efficiency.
Total cost: Fuel cost + driver cost + maintenance cost + handling cost + carbon cost + fixed trip cost + tolls.
Optimization logic: The calculator uses exact dynamic programming for smaller stop sets and nearest-neighbor plus 2-opt improvement for larger lists.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your depot coordinates and choose a distance model.
- Set route assumptions like speed, fuel efficiency, labor, and fixed costs.
- Add every stop with coordinates, demand, and service time.
- Enable return to depot if the vehicle must close the loop.
- Click Calculate Route Plan to show the best route above the form.
- Review the route sequence, schedule, cost breakdown, and graph.
- Download the final output as CSV or PDF for dispatch sharing.
FAQs
1. What does this route planner optimize?
It minimizes total route distance first, then converts that route into cost, time, and schedule outputs using your operational assumptions such as speed, fuel, labor, tolls, and handling charges.
2. Can I use latitude and longitude?
Yes, but this calculator treats inputs as flat coordinates. For local delivery zones that approximation may be acceptable. For long-haul geodesic routing, use projected coordinates or a map-routing engine.
3. Why are there Euclidean and Manhattan distance options?
Euclidean fits straight-line distance between points. Manhattan fits grid-style urban movement where vehicles mostly travel along right-angle streets. Choose the option that best matches your operating network.
4. Does the calculator include stop service time?
Yes. Each stop can include unloading or handling minutes. Those minutes are added after arrival and affect driver cost, departure time, and total working hours.
5. What happens if total demand exceeds vehicle capacity?
The calculator shows a warning when total demand is above capacity. It does not automatically split the job into multiple vehicle runs, so you should adjust loads or create separate plans.
6. Is the route always exact?
For smaller stop counts, yes. The calculator uses exact dynamic programming. For larger stop lists, it switches to a faster nearest-neighbor plus 2-opt improvement approach to keep performance practical.
7. What costs are included in the total?
Total cost includes fuel, labor, maintenance per kilometer, handling per stop, carbon cost per kilometer, fixed trip cost, and tolls. You can zero out any component you do not need.
8. Can I export the route plan?
Yes. After calculation, use the CSV button for spreadsheet work or the PDF button for sharing a printable route summary with dispatchers, drivers, or clients.