Route Planning workflow overview

Overview

Maven Route Planning ingests shipments, builds efficient pickup and delivery routes, and sends those routes to dispatch and drivers. This article walks through a typical planning day—from new orders to dispatched routes in the Maven Driver App.

Use this workflow as your blueprint, then reference more detailed articles for specific pages and tools.

Who this article is for

• Route planners

• Dispatch supervisors who help with planning

• Operations leaders who want a clear view of the planning flow

Step 1: Prepare the planning day

Before you build routes, confirm that the data you need is ready and clean.

1. Choose the planning time period

   • Decide what you plan today:

     • Same‑day P&D

     • Next‑day outbound

     • Multi‑day linehaul or regional runs

   • Align with dispatch on cutoff times for adding new orders.

2. Confirm orders are available

   • Open the Inbound Shipments or Orders page.

   • Filter by service date (today or tomorrow) and status.

   • Check that:

     • All expected orders are present.

     • No major customer or lane is missing.

3. Validate data quality

   • Spot‑check:

     • Addresses and geocodes.

     • Service dates and time windows.

     • Required shipment tags (HAZ, LFGT, 26FT, etc.).

   • Fix obvious address or geocoding issues before you start planning.

   • For detailed steps, see: Fixing address and geocoding issues in Maven Route Planning.

Step 2: Organize and prioritize orders

Once orders are in the system and clean enough, organize them so planning is faster and more accurate.

1. Group by geography or territory

   • Filter by territory, zone, or terminal.

   • Assign each planner a clear region or set of territories.

2. Identify special‑handling freight

   • Filter by shipment tags to find:

     • Appointment‑only customers (APPT).

     • Liftgate or specific trailer requirements (LFGT, 26FT).

     • HAZ or temperature‑controlled freight.

   • Decide which of these orders need:

     • Dedicated routes, or

     • Priority sequencing on shared routes.

3. Set priorities

   • Mark:

     • Must‑go orders (service failures if missed).

     • Optional or overflow orders you can shift to the next day if needed.

   • Use tags, flags, or internal notes to keep priorities visible while planning.

Step 3: Build routes

Use a mix of static templates, dynamic routes, and optimization to build your plan.

1. Build or maintain static routes

   • Use Static Route Creation for stable patterns:

     • Set milk runs.

     • Fixed lane coverage.

   • Anchor key customers or recurring stops on these static routes.

2. Create dynamic routes for variable work

   • Use Dynamic Route Creation for:

     • P&D work that changes daily.

     • Overflow work not covered by static routes.

   • Assign orders by:

     • Territory or region.

     • Capacity and equipment.

     • Shipment tags for required skills and equipment.

3. Use the optimizer

   • From your planning or board view:

     • Select the relevant orders and routes.

     • Run Optimize for the chosen region or planning set.

   • The optimizer:

     • Honors capacity and time windows.

     • Applies skills and tag constraints.

     • Reduces miles, travel time, and deadhead.

Step 4: Review routes and fix issues

Review routes before dispatch and fix obvious problems.

1. Review each route

   • Check:

     • Total stops, miles, and hours.

     • Start and end times and locations.

     • Utilization against vehicle capacity.

   • Flag routes that:

     • Look too long for a realistic day.

     • Leave equipment under‑utilized.

2. Review key stops

   • Drill into stops with:

     • Tight or overlapping time windows.

     • Long deadhead or out‑of‑pattern travel.

     • Special‑handling requirements.

   • Move stops between routes or adjust sequence when needed.

3. Handle unassigned orders

   • Look for orders that still show as unassigned.

   • Check:

     • Time windows and service dates.

     • Location/address quality.

     • Tags and skills.

   • Fix data or constraints, or decide whether to hold the order.

   • For guidance, see: Route planning troubleshooting guide.

Step 5: Re‑optimize after changes

Use re‑optimization whenever conditions change.

• Re‑run optimization when:

  • New orders arrive after initial planning.

  • Drivers or equipment change.

  • Routes look unbalanced or inefficient.

• Lock critical routes or stops (if your configuration supports locking).

• Re‑optimize the remaining work and review changes.

• For details, see: Re‑optimizing routes in Maven Route Planning.

Step 6: Dispatch routes to drivers

After you finalize routes, dispatch them.

1. Move routes into dispatch

   • Open the Plan & Dispatch or equivalent page.

   • Mark routes as Ready or Approved.

   • Push routes into Maven Dispatch so drivers see them in the Maven Driver App.

2. Confirm the driver experience

   • Verify that drivers see:

     • The correct list of stops and sequence.

     • Addresses, time windows, and notes.

     • Shipment tags that indicate handling requirements.

3. Monitor and adjust

   • Coordinate with dispatch as the day unfolds.

   • Use re‑optimization and manual edits to handle exceptions.