Why a Shorter Route Can Take Longer
A delivery route is not just a line between addresses. At each stop, a driver must pull back into traffic, and the next maneuver can determine how long that takes. A left turn across oncoming lanes may require waiting for a gap or a signal; a right turn often needs less time stopped. Repeating that difference across a route can make a sequence of right turns more efficient even when it covers more road.
The Route Is a Whole-Day Puzzle
UPS’s routing software weighs the stops together rather than choosing the shortest path to each one in isolation. Changing the order of deliveries can change which streets the truck uses and which turns it must make. A series of loops can keep the truck moving and reduce time spent idling, while still reaching every address.
That does not mean every left turn is forbidden or that a right turn is always better. The useful decision is the one that improves the route as a whole, given its stops and road layout. The strategy turns a small delay at an intersection into a fleet-scale planning problem: when thousands of routes repeat every day, modest savings at individual turns can add up to substantial fuel and emissions reductions.
