Route optimization is accessed at Settings → Routing and Dispatch → Routes. PortaPro automatically calculates the most efficient stop order for each driver's day using the Mapbox Optimization API. Every route accounts for real-world constraints not just distance and every decision is explained in plain English inside the app.
Three Optimization Modes
Sequential
Stops stay in the exact order you entered them. ETAs and drive times are still calculated using live traffic. Use this when your crew has a fixed territory pattern you don't want touched.
Distance Optimized
Reorders all stops to minimize total drive time using live traffic data. No constraint checking just the fastest path between your stops. Best for days where all jobs are similar with no time-sensitive commitments.
Constrained
The full optimization mode. Reorders stops while honoring:
Why This Order? (Plain English Rationale)
After every optimization, the admin Route Plan panel and the driver app both show a "Why this order?" section with up to 6 sentences explaining what the optimizer actually did miles saved, time saved, which stops were locked, which customer had a time window that shifted the route, and whether a dump site refill was inserted. This is generated deterministically from the optimization output no AI guesswork.
Example sentences:
Re-Optimization During the Day
Routes can be re-optimized at any point during the day from the admin Route Plan panel. Three options appear depending on what data is available:
Re-optimize
Full re-order from scratch. Uses the first stop's coordinates as the driver's starting point. Best before the driver leaves.
From Route Progress
Re-orders only the remaining unfinished stops, starting from the driver's last completed stop location. Always available once at least one stop is marked complete. No GPS required.
From Live Location
Re-orders remaining stops using the driver's real-time GPS position as the starting point. Appears automatically when a live ping is available (less than 30 minutes old). Shows a staleness badge ("3 min ago") if the ping is more than 2 minutes old. Requires Real-Time Driver Location tracking to be enabled.
Real-Time Driver Location Tracking
Driver location tracking is off by default and toggled on in Settings → Routing → Real-Time Driver Location.
When enabled:
Tracking requires the driver to grant location permission in their browser or device when they open the driver map for the first time.
Locking Stops
Dispatchers can lock any stop to a specific position from the Route Plan panel. Locked stops are held in place during re-optimization the remaining stops route around them. Useful for first-of-day pickups, priority customers, or regulatory compliance windows.
Large Routes (12+ Stops)
Mapbox supports a maximum of 12 waypoints per optimization call. For larger routes, PortaPro automatically:
This is transparent you'll see a note in the rationale if a split occurred.
Dump Site / Refill Stops
Storage yards (dump sites) are configured in Settings → Routing → Storage Yards. In Constrained mode, the optimizer calculates cumulative load at each stop and automatically inserts a detour to the nearest yard before the truck exceeds capacity. The inserted stop appears in the route and in the plain English rationale.