How to Plan Fuel-Efficient Delivery Routes With Route Optimization
To make delivery routes more fuel-efficient, cut the kilometres driven for the same stops with route optimization, reduce stop-start driving and idling, decide on tolls by comparing the toll with the time and fuel it saves, and keep vehicles in good condition. The fuel you save is roughly the kilometres saved multiplied by your vehicle's fuel use per kilometre.
This guide focuses on fuel specifically. For all delivery costs, including driver time and failed deliveries, see total delivery costs.
Where delivery fuel goes
Fuel use on a delivery route depends on:
- Distance driven. The biggest lever, and the one route optimization targets directly.
- Stop-start driving. Accelerating from a stop uses more fuel than cruising. Dense suburban routes with many stops are inherently stop-start.
- Idling. Engine running while parked, waiting or loading.
- Speed and congestion. Crawling traffic and very high speeds both increase fuel per kilometre.
- Load and vehicle. A heavier load and a less efficient vehicle use more per kilometre.
- Vehicle condition. Tyre pressure and servicing.
Fastest, shortest or most fuel-efficient?
Most route optimizers, including MiliRoute, minimise driving time, because time is usually the scarcest resource for a delivery driver. The fastest route is often also short, but not always:
- A motorway detour can be faster but longer.
- A direct suburban route can be shorter but slower, with more stops and starts.
On a real 24-stop Sydney route we tested, two stops 177 m apart in a straight line were about 3.1 km apart by road, which is why distance on the map is a poor guide to fuel or time; see time vs distance on a real route. Differences between the fastest and the shortest good route are usually small compared with the gap between an optimized and an unoptimized route.
Rule of thumb: optimize for time unless fuel is your dominant cost (for example long regional runs in a heavy vehicle); then check distance too.
Estimate your fuel saving
Litres saved per year = km saved per day × working days × (litres per 100 km ÷ 100)
The free fuel cost per route calculator does these sums for you: enter the distance, your litres per 100 km and the fuel price.
Example with stated assumptions (replace with your own):
- Van fuel use: 10 L/100 km (check your model's official figure in the Australian Government's Green Vehicle Guide, and your real-world use).
- Distance saved by better ordering: 15 km a day.
- 220 working days a year.
- Fuel price: A$2.00 a litre (assumption; prices vary by week and region).
15 × 220 × 0.10 = 330 litres a year, about A$660 at A$2.00 a litre. That is fuel only; servicing, tyres and depreciation also scale with kilometres.
Tolls: fuel, time and money
Toll roads complicate fuel efficiency. A tolled motorway can be longer in kilometres yet use less fuel per kilometre (steady speed, no lights), and save driver time. Decide with numbers:
| Compare | Toll route | Toll-free route |
|---|---|---|
| Toll cost | Your toll | A$0 |
| Extra driving time | Usually less | Usually more |
| Value of time | Minutes × your hourly cost | Minutes × your hourly cost |
| Fuel | Distance × L/km (steady speed) | Distance × L/km (more stop-start) |
Run the same day with tolls allowed and tolls avoided, and compare total time and kilometres. For local context, see Australian toll roads.
Seven ways to cut fuel on delivery routes
- Optimize every route, not only the long ones. Small detours add up over a year.
- Set the right end point. A route that must return to the depot is longer than one that ends at the last stop; choose what is true.
- Group stops by area across days if customers allow it, so each route is denser.
- Avoid the worst of peak hour for cross-city legs; see peak-hour traffic.
- Switch off while parked for drops, where it is safe and practical.
- Check tyre pressure and servicing on schedule.
- Record failed deliveries with reasons, so you can avoid repeat trips to the same closed business.
How to measure fuel efficiency honestly
- Track litres per 100 km and kilometres per stop, from fuel receipts and odometer readings.
- Compare similar weeks before and after optimizing.
- Do not count kilometres saved on days you would not have driven badly anyway; a fair baseline is the order you really drive.
How MiliRoute helps
MiliRoute is an AI route optimization app for couriers, delivery drivers and small delivery fleets.
- Optimizes stop order on estimated driving time from Google's road-routing data; the same data gives each route's total distance.
- Avoid tolls setting, applied to both the optimization and the final route, so you can compare tolled and toll-free versions of a day.
- Distance saved per route: analytics compare the optimized route with the order you entered.
- Estimated amount saved: set your fuel cost per kilometre (A$) in App Settings, and the Profile tab totals the distance saved across your routes and estimates the money saved.
Free for routes of up to 10 stops; Premium A$15/month or A$140/year.
Conclusion
Fuel follows kilometres, and route optimization cuts kilometres for the same work. Optimize every route for time, check distance when fuel dominates, decide tolls with numbers, and measure litres per 100 km and kilometres per stop over weeks, not days. Next, read multi-stop route planning or the broader guide to route optimization for delivery fleets.
See your own saving: create a free MiliRoute account, set your fuel cost per km, and optimize your next route.
Frequently asked questions
Does route optimization save fuel?
Usually, because it reduces the kilometres needed to visit the same stops. The saving depends on how your routes were ordered before.
Is the fastest route the most fuel-efficient?
Not always. A fast motorway route can be longer, and a short suburban route can involve more stop-start driving. For most delivery routes the difference is small compared with the gain from a good stop order.
How do I calculate fuel saved from shorter routes?
Multiply kilometres saved per day by working days and by your vehicle's litres per kilometre (L/100 km ÷ 100), then by the fuel price.
Should delivery drivers use toll roads?
It depends on the leg. Compare the toll with the value of the time saved and the fuel difference. Run the same route with tolls on and off to see the real difference.
What uses the most fuel on a delivery route?
Distance driven is the biggest factor, followed by stop-start driving, idling and congestion. Load, vehicle type and condition also matter.
Can MiliRoute show fuel savings?
MiliRoute shows distance saved per route and, if you set your fuel cost per kilometre, an estimated amount saved across your routes.