Grounds ToolkitRoutes and Capacity
Is Consolidating to a Tighter Route Worth It?
Enter your current route setup and a tighter drive-time scenario. This shows the weekly stop capacity gain from consolidating.
How this is calculated
This runs the same stop-capacity formula (see Weekly Route Capacity) twice, once at the current average drive time per stop and once at a tighter hypothetical, with service time held fixed. The difference in weekly stop capacity is the potential gain from consolidation.
Worked example
A 40-hour week at 1 hour service and 20 minutes drive per stop fits 30 stops. Cutting drive time to 10 minutes raises hours per stop from 1.33 to 1.17, fitting 34 stops, 4 more a week at the same hours.
Guide: The Drive-Time and Route Density Guide, what tightening a route actually buys back, worked out in stops per week.
Frequently asked questions
Does this tell me how to build a tighter route?
No, it shows the capacity gain if drive time per stop were reduced, it does not solve the routing problem of which properties to keep or drop.
Where would a tighter average drive time come from?
Dropping distant outlier properties, better sequencing, or focusing growth in a denser service area. This calculator shows the payoff, not how to achieve it.
Is this the same as Drive-Time Burden?
Drive-Time Burden measures your current drive time share. This calculator compares two scenarios, current versus a tighter hypothetical, to size the potential gain.
What if service time also changes with a tighter route?
This calculator holds service time per stop fixed and only varies drive time. If service time would also change, that is a separate factor to consider alongside this result.