Glossary of routing termsCopy link
A reference for the terms used throughout Routing24 and these docs.
Order (stop)Copy link
A single place a vehicle needs to visit, such as a delivery address, a pickup, or a service call. Orders are listed on the Orders page. An order can carry extra details: a time window, service time, priority, load, and tags.
DepotCopy link
The location a vehicle starts and ends its day, usually a warehouse, store, or office. Routes are planned as round trips from the depot, unless a vehicle's finish depot is left empty for an open-ended route. A plan can have more than one depot.
VehicleCopy link
A truck, van, car, or person that covers a route. Each vehicle carries limits such as capacity and shift hours, and the optimizer assigns orders to it. One fleet row can stand for several identical vehicles via its Available count.
RouteCopy link
The ordered sequence of stops one vehicle drives in a day. Optimizing produces one route per vehicle used, and each route can consist of one or more trips.
TripCopy link
One depot-to-depot loop within a route. A vehicle that returns to the depot to reload and heads out again has driven two trips on one route.
Time windowCopy link
The span of time during which an order can be served, for example 9am to 12pm. The optimizer schedules visits so each order is reached inside its window. An order can have up to four alternative windows.
Service timeCopy link
How long a vehicle spends at a stop once it arrives, separate from driving time: unloading, signatures, or the work of a service call itself. Service time shifts the ETAs of every later stop on the route.
Driver breakCopy link
A mandatory rest pause the optimizer plans into a route, taken at the previous stop's location. Breaks follow a rule you pick per vehicle: the EU preset (45 minutes before exceeding 4.5 hours of driving), the US preset (a 30-minute interruption after 8 hours), or a custom rule, plus optional fixed windows such as lunch. See Driver breaks and driving-time limits.
Capacity (load)Copy link
The most a vehicle can carry, paired with the load each order adds. A delivery load is carried from the depot to the stop; a pickup load is collected at the stop and carried back. The optimizer keeps every route within its vehicle's capacity.
Transfer (pickup & delivery)Copy link
A linked pair of orders: pick up at one address, deliver to another, on the same route, pickup first. Used for point-to-point courier work rather than depot-based delivery. Part of the Pro tier.
PriorityCopy link
A number from 1 to 1000 (default 1) that tells the optimizer which orders to keep when not everything fits. Higher-priority orders are dropped last.
TagsCopy link
Vehicle-order compatibility labels. An order that requires the tag "freezer" can only be served by a vehicle carrying that tag. Part of the Pro tier.
ConstraintCopy link
Any real-world rule a valid route must respect: time windows, capacity, shifts, tags, transfers.
OptimizationCopy link
The search across many possible plans for the most efficient one that satisfies your constraints. It decides which vehicle serves which orders, and in what order, to cut total cost, time, and distance.
Unassigned orderCopy link
An order the optimizer could not fit into any route, usually because a constraint could not be met. Routing24 lists these in a red section with the reason for each and a suggestion for where the order would fit best.
ETACopy link
Estimated time of arrival, the time a driver is expected to reach a given stop. ETAs come from drive times, service times, and time windows, and update as a route changes.
Shared routeCopy link
A link you send a driver that opens their route on their phone: stops in order, ETAs, and one-tap handoff to their navigation app. The driver does not need to install an app.