Plan every stop before booking
To plan a multi-drop courier route, list every collection and delivery, record each site’s opening hours and allow time for loading and unloading. Then check the stop order and the maximum load the vehicle will carry at any point in the journey.
The shortest route on a map is not always the most practical. A customer that closes early, a timed goods-in appointment or a collection that must happen before a later delivery can all change the order.
Start with a complete stop list
Give each stop a full address and postcode, and state whether it is a collection, a delivery or both. Add the business name, goods reference, opening hours and any useful on-site contact details.
Record what moves at each location: for example, three cartons delivered to one branch, a pallet collected from another and two items returned to the starting point. This makes the route easier to price and helps avoid a return movement being missed.
If two departments share a postcode but use different entrances, explain that. A postcode alone may take a driver to the main gate when the goods-in entrance is on another road.
Separate fixed times from preferences
Identify the requirements that cannot move. A booked unloading slot is different from a customer who would prefer a morning delivery but can receive goods all afternoon.
For each time-sensitive stop, confirm when goods can actually be received and how long unloading is likely to take. “Open until 5pm” may describe office hours rather than the warehouse’s last acceptance time.
Tell ACS about fixed appointments before booking. Entering a time into a form does not confirm that the full route can meet it. A feasible schedule needs to account for the stops before and after that appointment.
Allow for time spent off the road
Driving time is only part of a multi-drop run. Each stop may involve parking, reporting to reception, finding the receiving team, unloading, checking quantities and completing paperwork.
Even five stops needing 15 minutes each would add 75 minutes before allowing for any unexpected delay. That is a planning example, not a standard unloading allowance, but it shows why a route based solely on journey times can be too tight.
Ask the individual sites what the handover involves. Include known gate queues, appointment procedures and breaks when receiving staff are unavailable. Where the schedule has very little flexibility, discuss that with ACS before committing to customer arrival times.
Check the load throughout the journey
A vehicle may leave the first address partly loaded and pick up more goods later. Its busiest point could therefore be halfway through the route, rather than at the start.
For each leg, consider the combined dimensions and gross weight of everything still on board. Include collected returns, empty packaging and any equipment travelling with the goods. A load that fits at departure may no longer fit after an additional collection.
Access matters too. The chosen vehicle must be suitable for every address, including any restricted entrance or unloading area. Use the ACS vehicle guide as a starting point and discuss anything uncertain before booking.
Prepare goods in the delivery order
Group and label the goods by destination. Make each group easy to identify, and match its delivery note to the correct address. Clear labels are particularly useful when several customers are receiving similar cartons.
Share the planned drop order with the loading team and driver. The goods for an early stop need to be accessible without unnecessary unloading of another customer’s shipment. The final loading arrangement must also suit the vehicle and allow the load to be carried securely.
If the route changes after packing, tell the transport team. Moving a stop earlier can affect both access to the goods and the timings for everyone else.
Decide how each stop will be recorded
Explain what paperwork or delivery confirmation you need at each address. Keep customer references distinct so the office can match each completed stop to the correct order.
Also agree who should be contacted if a receiver is unavailable or an item cannot be accepted. A clear instruction is more useful than leaving the driver to guess whether to wait, move to the next stop or return the goods.
Booking a one-off route or a regular run
For a standard one-off van route, start an ACS quote with your collection and delivery postcodes, then use Add Stop in the full form. Enter the stops in the required order and include the load and access details.
For a recurring route, provide the frequency and explain what stays consistent and what varies. It helps to distinguish a fixed weekly run from a route whose addresses or quantities change each time.
See our multi-drop courier service or start a van quote. Call 01234 385970 to discuss regular runs, fixed appointments or a route that needs individual planning.