---
title: "Edit Route Optimization Defaults"
slug: "edit-route-optimization-defaults"
updated: 2024-12-04T09:47:51Z
published: 2024-12-04T09:47:51Z
canonical: "help.bringg.com/edit-route-optimization-defaults"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.bringg.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Edit Default Optimization Settings

You can edit Bringg's default route optimization (RO) settings for planned routes to suit your business priorities and ensure the best possible service for your customers. Adjust and refine preferences that activate when you or your dispatchers optimize routes in **Dispatch** or **Planning** to accommodate evolving business priorities.

For example, your default RO settings may initially define the **max. route distance** allowed for any route as 100 miles. But you may decide to limit it to 80 instead, managing any orders outside that limit by exception. Or, you may need to increase the **default clustering level** if you want each of your drivers to stay focused in their own geographic areas.

Once you adjust the default optimization settings, you can create override settings for specific teams or use cases. For example, set a wider **max. order radius** for teams working in more expansive rural areas. [Learn more](/v1/docs/customize-route-optimization-settings).

	
	Note
	Bringg's RO engine considers many sensitive parameters. To configure settings not available here, contact your Bringg customer service representative. [Learn more.](/v1/docs/optimization-settings-overview)

## Before You Begin

- Confirm you have a user account of type **Admin**.
- Verify your list of requirements like distance, capacity, or timing limitations for optimization.
- Contact your Bringg customer service representative to configure your initial optimization settings. [Learn more.](/v1/docs/optimization-settings-overview)
- Define the shifts and allocation of resources, by creating delivery blocks. [Learn more](/v1/docs/define-shifts-and-availability-of-resources-with-delivery-blocks).
- Set up your delivery options with delivery slots. [Learn more](/v1/docs/delivery-slots).
- (Optional) Add vehicle profiles and assign them to your specific vehicles.  [Learn more](/v1/docs/add-vehicle-profiles).

## Update Default Optimization Settings

**Step 1:** Access the configuration settings page by selecting your username > **Settings > Optimization Settings**

This page displays any optimization policies you have created.

**Step 2:** Open the **Optimization Default** settings by selecting **Edit**.

	
	Note
	You can edit default optimization settings, but not delete them entirely.

**Step 3:**Adjust the default parameters of your route optimization. These settings determine the primary rules Bringg's RO engine follows in assigning drivers and vehicles to routes. Tailor the optimization outputs to fit your most common routing needs.

**For example, to save unforeseen costs, you can set your optimization to avoid toll roads.**

**Step 5:** Adjust the settings as needed.

**For example, to save unforeseen costs, you can set your optimization to avoid toll roads.**

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Maintain consistency** | When enabled, the optimization preserves a consistent solution each time using the same priorities. Otherwise, it may offer you alternative optimal solutions, prioritizing different elements, to help you find the one that best suits your priorities. |
| **Driver fairness** | If enabled, this setting ensures equitable distribution among drivers with respect to the duration of each route (including ETOS). In this case, the optimization selects the route with the lowest standard deviation among drivers for the total route time, but does not consider whether the number or orders assigned to each one is distributed equitably. |
| **Use all drivers** | If enabled, the optimization will prioritize assigning orders to all the drivers who are on shift and available instead of creating fewer routes with fewer drivers. |
| **Limit absolute orders on route** | When enabled, the optimization engine understands the maximum number of orders allowed on a route as the total number allowed, not just the maximum allowed at any point along the route. For example, when a driver is contracted based on a maximum number of orders they can deliver on a route or shift. |
| **Consider capacity limitations** | When enabled, the optimization considers the maximum handling units and weight capacity that the vehicle can transport at a time. |
| **Max. order radius** | The aerial distance limit (km) of any route from the driver start location. The optimization excludes any order outside this radius. |
| **Force earliest departure** | When enabled, the optimization requires drivers to begin routes at the earliest time they are available, whether or not this will cause waiting time later on. Note This setting may override **Willingness to wait** for the first stop on a route. |
| **Force delivery within the time window** | Selecting this option means the ETA and estimated time on site (TOS) of an order's fulfillment cannot extend beyond the order's time window. For example, if an order that requires assembly has an ETOS of 30 minutes, RO will exclude it from a route if it will arrive within a half hour of the end of the time window. |
| **Max. route distance** | The maximum distance (km) that the optimization can assign to a route. |
| **Initial loading/unloading time (minutes)** | The standard time (minutes) the optimization adds to the start or end of a delivery block to account for either loading or unloading the vehicle. |
| **Squash time (minutes)** | The time (minutes) added for every order after the first one, which is delivered to the same address and customer as the first. For example, if you are sending two orders to Customer X, each with an independent estimated time on site (ETOS) of 15 minutes, and a **squash time** of 5 minutes, the total ETOS for both orders together is now 20 minutes instead of 30. This setting does not consider differences in order type, such as time required for pick up time as opposed to drop off. Note This setting does not consider differences in order type, such as time required for pick up time as opposed to drop off. |
| **Exclude ferries** | When enabled, the optimization will exclude routes requiring transport via ferry. Use to avoid delays due to congestion at docks. |
| **Exclude alleys** | When enabled, the optimization will not propose routes requiring travel through alleys. Recommended if you use larger vehicles. |
| **Avoid toll roads** | (Outside USA only) Indicate whether or not you want the optimization to avoid toll roads and thereby save costs. In the USA, this setting is automatically required. |
| **When rerunning optimization: Preserve sequence or Reshuffle** | Select which method to use when adding new orders to an already optimized route: - **Preserve sequence** maintains the same order of priorities and inserts new orders where they slot into those priorities. Consider applying this option when orders are already prepped and staged ready for loading. - **Reshuffle** can change the priority of any of the orders now in the route . |
| **Willingness to wait** | For stops along a route, indicate using the slider scale to what extent it is an issue for a driver to arrive ahead of schedule and need to wait before fulfilling the order. This setting is not considered by the optimization on the first stop, especially when **Force earliest departure** is enabled. Note Apply this setting only when all orders in the route have the same time window. For example, if they all must be delivered on Tuesday between 8:00-17:00. |
| **Default clustering level** | The default rank you set for the route clustering process. A higher rank means less often that drivers will crisscross with one another during a shift. |
| **Default start/end location** | Select which option from the dropdown menu to set as the default start or end location of your routes. |
| **Traffic variable** | (Default traffic) The percent of added time to the route due to anticipated traffic. For example, set a +50% anticipated traffic delay in the morning and evening throughout the week and a +125% delay on the day of a major town event that involves road closures. Note Not applicable when using advanced traffic integration, or when traffic variables are applied to specific service areas. [Learn more](/v1/docs/add-traffic-variables-to-service-areas). |
| **Allow flexible reloading** | Selecting this option gives drivers permission to complete multiple routes in one day by returning to the fulfillment center to pick up more orders. Reloads depend on capacity limitations. If preset reload times are already defined in delivery blocks, this setting allows for additional reloads. |

	
	Tip
	You can revert to the original settings at any time by selecting **Restore**.  

**Step 4:** Preserve or erase your changes to the default configuration by selecting **Save** or **Discard**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/a18074ef-073a-4ab1-bcab-12625715280e/Images/Documentation/devops_optimization_savediscard.png)***Choose whether to save your default settings***

	

	
	Note
	Once you save changes to the default configurations, you can continue to edit but not delete them.

	

**Step 5:** (Optional) Create override settings for particular circumstances or teams.

For example, you can set optimization parameters to factor in more time for traffic when heading out of a city before weekends or holidays. [Learn more](/v1/docs/customize-route-optimization-settings).

Run Bringg's route optimization (RO) to reduce costs by organizing your orders into the fastest, most efficient planned routes, where each order arrives at its destination within its designated time window. If you have an Own Fleet, RO can also assign each route to a vehicle or driver who is available at that time and has the correct skills to fulfill the orders. You can configure RO with preferences like the maximum length of a route, the time on site (TOS), the time to load the vehicle, predicted and real time traffic patterns, and so on.

For example, you can ask to set route optimization (RO) to limit the number of destinations on a route, or to use the minimum number of vehicles in a route.

Each time you run route optimization on the same group of orders you may well receive a different result, as there are multiple ways to organize the same group of orders into efficient routes. Instead of reshuffling all orders each time, build on your existing plans by making focused changes where they are required using the route planner.

You can run RO manually or automatically at set days and times, for select teams or across the entire organization.

On demand orders typically use AutoDispatch (AD) instead.

The resources of your Own Fleet are your drivers and vehicles. Bringg uses the availability of these resources when creating routes with route optimization (RO) or AutoDispatch (AD).

Delivery blocks are the daily working hours (shifts) when your company delivers to its consumers. You can assign delivery blocks to your drivers and/or vehicles, so that Bringg can consider their availability when creating routes with route optimization (RO) or AutoDispatch (AD). Drivers can also sign up for shifts (delivery blocks) directly on their Bringg Driver App.

Delivery blocks are particularly useful when drivers work independently and self-register their available working times, as in the case of *crowsourced last-mile carriers*.

A time window is the time range when you intend to fulfill an order. Therefore, an order is considered fulfilled on time if it arrives within the time window. The time window is set when you schedule an order in Bringg and is usually defined by the no_earlier_than and no_later_than fields. Narrower time windows are seen as better service, like 9 to 10 am, while longer windows are more typical of larger carriers.

You can share the time window with your consumers for an improved experience. For example, if a consumer places an order for the 8:00-12:00 the following day, in the morning notify them that you intend to arrive between 8:00-9:00.

If you allow consumers to select their preferred delivery slot, the time window is scheduled accordingly.