When you define a truckload fleet for your optimizationrun you define additional settings that help you manage multi-stopshipments and special truckload route features.

Usethe Add Mode and Equipment page to define the following truckloadmode settings:

Maximum Stops

Enter the maximum number of stops in each shipment route.

Thisfield is required. You must specify at least two stops to cover theorigin and destination.

Round Trip Distance

Specify whether the optimizer calculates the route distanceas a round trip:

Yes

The route is calculated from the origin to the destinationand then back to the origin.

No

The route is calculated from the origin to the destination.

For example some shippers use round trip distancesto calculate the costs for their private fleets which make deliveriesand then return to the depot every night.

Note: To support roundtrip routes your organization must define round trip rating lanesin the direct rate contract. Add these lanes to the truckload sectionof the direct rate contract and specify the same area as the originand destination.

Maximum Circuity Factor

Specify the maximum distance for a multi-stop route comparedto the direct distance from the origin to the final destination.

Specifythe Maximum Circuity Factor as a multiplierof the direct route distance.

For example:

• You set the Maximum Circuity Factor to 2.0.
• The direct route is 500 miles for a single-stop shipment fromthe origin to the final destination.
• The optimizer will only build a multi-stop route that is up to1000 miles (200 percent of the 500-mile direct route).

Average Truck Speed

Specify the average speed in miles per hour. The optimizeruses the speed to calculate the transit time from the origin to thedestination.

The transit times calculated by the optimizer forthe truckload fleet might be different than the transit times calculatedby Sterling TMS forthe direct mode selection plan:

• The optimizer uses the Average Truckload Speed settingand other truckload fleet setting to calculate the transit time.
• Sterling TMS usesthe Calculate ETA Using setting to calculatethe transit time for the direct mode selection plan. This settingappears on the Planning page in Step 1 of Shipper Configuration.

Maximum Route Duration

Specify the maximum amount of shipping time for each shipment.Enter the value and select Hours or Days.

Thedefault value is 0 which means that thereis no maximum time specified.

If you set MaximumRoute Duration use the Start Route LocationFrom setting to specify how the shipment duration is calculated.

Start Route Duration From

Select the starting point for calculating the MaximumRoute Duration:

Origin

The optimizer begins calculating the route distance when the vehicleleaves the origin.

First Delivery

The optimizer begins calculating the route distance at the firstdelivery stop.

Use Driver Breaks in Route

Select the Use Driver Breaks in Route checkbox if you want the optimizer to increase the transit time to includedriver break time.

The optimizer uses the U.S. Department ofTransportation (DOT) rules for a single driver. The driver can beon duty for 14 hours and can drive up to 11 hours followed by a 10-hourbreak.

Minimum Stop Weight

Specify the minimum weight to be delivered at each stop. Entera value and select a unit of measurement such as Pounds or Kilograms.

Theoptimizer only builds truckload shipments that deliver at least thismuch weight to each stop in the route.

The default value is 0which means that there is no minimum weight specified.

Minimum Inter-Stop Time

Enter the minimum amount of time the optimizer calculates betweentwo stops in the route. Specify the time in minutes.

For examplesome shippers build in a minimum amount of time for fleets that pickup and deliver in congested urban areas.

The default value is 0which means that there is no minimum time specified.

Maximum Inter-Stop Distance

Enter the maximum distance between stops in the truckload route.

Thedistance is measured in miles. For example enter 50 tospecify a maximum of 50 miles.

If you enter the MaximumInter-Stop Distance select which stops the maximum distanceapplies to:

Pickups

The distance is measured from each pickup stop to the next pickupstop. Delivery stops are not included in the calculation.

Deliveries

The distance is measured from each delivery stop to the next deliverystop. Pickup stops are not included in the calculation.

Both Pickups and Deliveries

The distance is measured between interim pickup and delivery stops.The distance is not included from the last pickup stop to the firstdelivery stop.

All

The distance is measured between all stops from the origin tothe final destination.

The default value for Maximum Inter-StopDistance is 0 which means thatthere is no maximum distance between stops.

Use Last-In-First-Out Route

Select the Use Last-In-First-Out Route checkbox if you want the optimizer to build the route so the last shipmentbeing picked up is the first one to be delivered.

The optimizerbuilds the route this way even if it increases the total distanceand cost of the route.

Only select this option if the orderset being submitted to the optimizer is being picked up from multiplelocations. This feature ensures that the optimizer builds routes whereall orders from the last pickup stop are delivered first and allorders from the first pickup stop are delivered last.

For example:

• The truck makes pickups at four locations.
• You want the freight from the fourth pickup location to be deliveredfirst.

As a best practice do not select this option if all ordersin the order set are being picked up (sourced) from the same location.