Create linked pick up and delivery orders

OptimoRoute lets you link pickup and delivery orders so they are planned together. In this article, you’ll learn how linked pickup and delivery orders work and how to create them.

Who can use this feature
	Custom plans
	All users
	All regions

What is pick up and delivery (PnD)?

Pickup and delivery (PnD) lets you link a pickup order to a delivery order. The pickup and delivery are planned together so the item or person can move directly between the two locations without returning to the depot.

Common uses include:

• Courier services: Pick up an item from one location and deliver it directly to another.
• People transportation: Pick up a person from one location and drop them off at another.
• Equipment rental: Pick up equipment from one customer and deliver it to another location.
• Parts delivery: Pick up a replacement part from a supplier or warehouse and deliver it directly to a job site.
• Interoffice transfers: Pick up documents, packages, or equipment from one office and deliver them to another.
• Furniture or appliance delivery: Pick up an item from a store or warehouse and deliver it to the customer.

When you create an order, the default order type is “Delivery.” You can choose other order types when the work requires a different type of stop.

Standard and linked pickup and delivery orders

Before using pickup and delivery, it helps to understand the difference between standard pickup and delivery orders and linked pickup and delivery orders.

• Standard pickup order: The driver picks up an order from a customer and returns it to the depot or the driver's start location.
• Standard delivery order: The order starts at the depot or the driver's start location and is delivered to the recipient.
• Linked pickup and delivery orders: The driver picks up an order at one location and delivers it to another location without returning to the depot in between.

Create pickup and delivery orders

You can create linked pickup and delivery (PnD) orders in two ways:

• Import them from a spreadsheet.
• Create or link them in the OptimoRoute web app.

Import pickup and delivery orders

You can import PnD orders using either the Standard Template or the PnD Template.

Standard Template

For the Standard Template, include these three columns:

• Order ID
• Related Order ID
• Order Type

To set up this file: 

1. Set each order type to “P” for pickup or “D” for delivery.
2. For each pickup order, enter the related delivery order ID in the “Related Order ID” column.

You need one order for the pickup and one order for the delivery. The “Related Order ID” connects the two orders.

In the example below, the item is picked up from Candiworks and delivered to Farm Corp.

PnD Template

With the PnD Template, you can include the pickup and delivery in the same row.

Include these columns:

• Pickup Name
• Pickup Address
• Delivery Name
• Delivery Address

The column names do not need to match these examples exactly.

You can also include information for each stop, such as notes, custom fields, loads, and phone numbers. Use “Pickup” or “Delivery” in the column name to show which stop the information belongs to.

When mapping your import:

1. Turn on “Pickup & Delivery mapping” at the top of the mapping window.
2. Map each pickup and delivery column to the matching field.

Create or link orders manually

You can also link existing pickup and delivery orders in the OptimoRoute web app.

To link existing orders:

1. Open or create a pickup or delivery order
2. Find “Choose pickup/delivery”
3. Select the order you want to link
4. Click “Save”

The dropdown shows the “Order ID” and location name for each available order.

You can also create the related order from the same window:

1. Go to “Choose pickup/delivery.”
2. Click the “+” button.
3. Enter the details for the new order
4. Save the order

Routing results

When linked pickup and delivery orders are set up correctly, OptimoRoute plans them so that:

• The same driver is assigned to both orders.
• Both orders will be on the same route.
• The pickup is scheduled before the delivery.

You will be able to see which items are pickup and delivery and how they are connected within the web application.

In “Plan & Optimize,” open the “Orders” tab to see which pickup and delivery orders are linked.

When in the "Timeline" tab, any PnD orders will reveal themselves as linked when you hover over them. It will also make sure that when you move the pick up order, the delivery will also shift to always be after the pickup.