How to Plan a Multi-Stop Delivery Route
A step-by-step method for planning a multi-stop delivery route: time windows, stop order, time per stop, vehicle space, and which tools handle how many stops.
To plan a multi-stop delivery route, list every stop with its delivery window, put the stops with the tightest windows first, order the rest so the route doesn’t double back, and add time for each drop-off, not just the drive. Then check that the whole load fits in the vehicle. Software can do the ordering, but the inputs decide whether the route works.
This guide walks through that method for a delivery day: meal prep subscribers, wholesale accounts, flower orders, or catering drops.
Key takeaways
- Collect five things per stop: address, delivery window, entrance and instructions, contact, and what’s being delivered.
- Schedule time windows first, distance second. The shortest route that misses a café’s 6:30 a.m. window is the wrong route.
- Budget time at each stop for parking, walking in, and handing off, on top of drive time.
- Google Maps handles up to nine stops including the final destination; Shopify’s free app plans up to 100.
- Leave a buffer before the tightest windows and keep the stop order you send to the courier.
Step 1: Collect the stop details
Before you put anything on a map, write down for every stop:
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Full address, including suite or unit | A missing suite number costs a phone call at every building |
| Delivery window | Sets the order of the route |
| Entrance and instructions | Back door, loading dock, door code, leave with front desk |
| Contact name and phone | For the courier to call if something’s wrong |
| Items and size | Decides vehicle space and loading order |
For B2B accounts, include the receiving contact and any paperwork. Our B2B delivery guide covers what business receivers expect.
Step 2: Sort stops by delivery window
Group stops into three kinds:
- Fixed times: “by 6:30 a.m.,” “at 11:45 for a noon lunch.” These anchor the route.
- Windows: “between 9 and 12.”
- Anytime that day: most home deliveries.
Fixed times go in first. Then fit windows around them, then fill the gaps with anytime stops in the order that keeps the route moving forward.
Step 3: Order the stops so the route doesn’t double back
With the fixed points placed, order the remaining stops so the vehicle keeps heading the same way. A few rules that work in practice:
- Work outward or inward, not back and forth. Start near the pickup and move out, or drive to the far end first and work back.
- Cluster by neighborhood. Finish one area before moving to the next.
- Respect one-way streets and bridges. A stop across the river may belong at the end of the route even if it’s close on the map.
- Avoid known traffic at the wrong time. Put the downtown stops before or after rush hour, not during.
Step 4: Add time for each stop
Drive time is only part of the route. Each drop-off also takes time to park, unload, walk in, find the receiver, take the photo, and get back to the vehicle. A front-door home delivery is quick. A downtown office tower with a freight elevator can take much longer.
Estimate a time per stop for each kind of stop you make, and check it against your actual routes after a week. Then add it to the drive time between stops. A 20-stop route at a few minutes per stop adds an hour or more before any driving.
Step 5: Check the load fits
Total the volume and make sure it fits the vehicle you’re booking, with room to reach each order without unloading the rest. Load in reverse: the last stop goes in first, the first stop goes in last, by the door.
| Load | Vehicle to consider |
|---|---|
| Bags and small boxes for home delivery | SUV or minivan |
| Trays, catering pans, many cases | Minivan or cargo van |
| Large wholesale orders, event setups | Cargo van |
Step 6: Add buffers and send the route
Put a buffer before each fixed-time stop. If the route runs early, the courier waits a few minutes; if it runs late, the buffer absorbs it. Then send the route with stops in your chosen order, each with its window, instructions, and contact.
Which tools can plan a multi-stop route?
| Tool | Stop limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | Up to 9 stops, including the final destination | Free. You set the stop order yourself and can drag to reorder; it works for driving, walking, and cycling, not transit (Google Maps Help) |
| Shopify Local Delivery app | Up to 100 stops | Free for Shopify stores. Automatic or manual route planning, with customer status emails (Shopify App Store) |
| Dedicated route planning software | Varies by product | Built for daily routes with many stops and drivers |
| A courier service | Handles the routing | You send the stops and windows; the courier runs the route |
If you sell through Shopify, our guide to Shopify local delivery covers setting up zones and the app.
When should you hand the route to a courier?
When the planning works but the driving is the bottleneck. A multi-stop route lets one vehicle carry a morning’s orders to many addresses, and routes of 20 or more stops are common for meal prep and wholesale. You keep control of the order and windows and get live tracking and a photo at every stop.
Recurring routes, like weekly meal prep or weekday café runs, can be booked once and repeat. Our guide to scheduled versus on-demand delivery explains the difference.
We run multi-stop routes in 100 US metro areas, including a courier service in Nashville, Raleigh, and Tampa. See our meal prep delivery service and wholesale delivery service, or enter a pickup and a typical stop in the delivery cost calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I plan a delivery route with multiple stops?
List every stop with its address, delivery window, and instructions. Place the fixed-time stops first, order the rest so the route moves in one direction, add time for each drop-off, and check the load fits the vehicle.
How many stops can Google Maps handle?
Up to nine, including the final destination (Google Maps Help). For more, use route planning software or split the route.
What is the best free multi-stop route planner?
For up to nine stops, Google Maps. Shopify stores can use Shopify’s free Local Delivery app, which plans routes of up to 100 stops.
How long should I allow per delivery stop?
It depends on the stop. Measure your own: a front-door home drop is quick, while an office building with a front desk or freight elevator takes much longer. Track a week of routes and use your real averages.
Should the closest stop always go first?
No. Stops with fixed delivery times go first. Distance decides the order only among stops with flexible windows.
The Bottom Line
A good multi-stop route starts with good stop details. Anchor the route on fixed delivery times, keep the vehicle moving in one direction, budget real time at each stop, and load in reverse. Free tools cover small routes; past nine stops you need route software or a courier who runs the route for you. To price a route, use the delivery cost calculator.
