Before diving into territory creation and optimization, it’s essential to have all your data in order. The first step is making sure that your dataset includes critical information like the total weight of each order. This is crucial because the weight of your deliveries will directly impact how you distribute jobs across your drivers and how you configure their territories.

With accurate weight data at your fingertips, you’re set up to create balanced, efficient operational territories that keep your drivers running at peak efficiency without overloading them. Once your data is in place, you’re ready to move on to the next step: creating territories that make sense for your operations.

Each driver needs a territory that not only makes geographical sense but also evenly distributes the workload. This way, no driver is overburdened, and each territory is manageable in terms of distance, time, and weight.

Start by creating a territory for each driver based on their assigned locations. In Mapline, you can create territories directly from pins on your map. This allows you to draw boundaries around each driver’s specific area, ensuring that every location is covered and that your drivers aren’t criss-crossing each other’s routes.

From your delivery map, click the ADD menu, hover over TERRITORIES and select USING MAP LAYER PINS. Select the map layer containing your drivers’ start locations, then choose CREATE EACH TERRITORY SURROUNDING A SINGLE PIN from the drop-down menu.

Customize your territory settings, then click PREVIEW, edit your settings if needed, then click SAVE to apply your changes.

The beauty of this approach is that it balances the load geographically, making sure that your drivers are operating within logical, contained areas. This minimizes travel time, reduces fuel costs, and ensures that each driver can complete their deliveries without unnecessary delays.

But there’s more to creating efficient territories than just geography. It’s also important to consider the weight of each delivery. With Mapline, you can create territories that not only balance the geographical distribution of jobs but also the total vehicle load. This is where you can really fine-tune your operations.

By grouping pins based on the total weight of deliveries, you can create territories where the combined weight does not exceed a manageable threshold—say, 10,000 lbs. This ensures that no driver is overloaded and that each territory is balanced in terms of both distance and workload.

Click the ADD menu again, hover over TERRITORIES and select USING MAP LAYER PINS. This time, for the territory type, select TERRITORIES SURROUNDING GROUPS OF PINS, customize your filter criteria–for example, where WEIGHT is less than 10,000 lbs. When you’re done, click PREVIEW and SAVE.

As an added bonus, you can pull this total weight data into your territories, giving you a clear view of how the load is distributed across your fleet. This kind of detailed planning is what keeps your operations running smoothly, even during the busiest times.

Creating territories is just the start. To truly optimize your operations, you need the flexibility to edit, reshape, and merge territories as needed. Maybe you’ve added a new driver, or perhaps a certain area is no longer worth covering. Whatever the case, Mapline gives you the tools to easily adjust your territories to match your evolving needs.

If you find that one territory is too large or too small, you can quickly reshape your territories to better balance the workload. You can also merge territories if you’re down a driver or if two territories overlap too much. This level of customization ensures that your territories are always aligned with your current resources and objectives.

Not every area is worth covering, especially if it isn’t generating enough business to justify the effort. Mapline allows you to use historical data to determine whether certain areas are worth servicing. By analyzing past sales and delivery data, you can identify zones that consistently underperform and decide whether to cut them from your service area.

For instance, if you’ve only serviced two customers in a particular zip code over the last three years, it might not be worth keeping that area in your delivery rotation. Let’s categorize your customers into zones that show you which areas are most profitable and which are costing you money.

Click the ADD menu again, hover over TERRITORIES, and click USING MAP LAYER PINS. Select TERRITORIES SURROUNDING GROUPS OF PINS and group your pins based on how many pins there are within a delivery radius– for example, 50 miles.

Configure your filter criteria to customize which customers you want to include–for example, where DELIVERY DATE is within the past year. Click APPLY to apply your filters, then click PREVIEW and SAVE.

This is a powerful way to optimize your delivery zones to focus on areas that offer the best return on investment, all while ensuring that your resources are used in the most efficient way possible. This not only improves your bottom line but also streamlines your entire delivery operation, making your team more effective and your customers happier than ever.