Tours

In the Tours settings area, you define how X4fleet plans, optimizes and recalculates tours. Here, administrators define the basic framework conditions of tour planning – from the permitted time windows and driving times through the optimization priority to the rules for tour release. The settings apply to the currently selected group in each case.

All changes are applied via the Save button at the bottom of the settings dialog.

1. Navigation

The area is accessible via the main menu under Settings › Tours. The settings always refer to the currently active group; when switching the group, the values stored there are displayed.

2. Basic parameters of tour calculation

In this section, you define the central framework conditions according to which the planning engine calculates tours.

Planning provider

The Planning provider field is for display only: it is greyed out and cannot be changed. Tour planning and route calculation are always performed with PTV Developer, regardless of the value shown.

X4fleet sets the computation time of the optimization automatically; there is no setting for it.

Day and time windows

Time and distance restrictions

Breaks are only planned if the corresponding fields are filled in:

• Work breaks: Maximum working duration and Minimum break duration must both be set.
• Driving breaks: Max. driving time (min) and Minimum break duration must be set, and the maximum driving time must not be ignored in the calculation.

Optimization priority

With the optimization priority, you control the main objective of the calculation:

• Optimization: The engine primarily optimizes for the most efficient tours possible (e.g. shortest routes).
• Balanced tours: The engine distributes the orders as evenly as possible across the available tours.

Country restrictions and ferries

• Restrict countries / Permitted countries: Activate the restriction to limit the tour calculation to a selection of permitted countries.
• Avoid ferries: When activated, routes via ferry connections are bypassed where possible.

Further planning options

• Allow assignment outside the shipment windows: Allows orders to be scheduled outside their defined time window.
• Ignore filter of pre-combined tours during tour creation from dispatching: Controls the filter behavior during tour creation from dispatching.
• Tour validation enabled: Switches on the automatic check of tours for rule violations.
• Default for tour restriction check: Defines whether the restriction check is performed by default.
• Start on previous day: Takes into account tours that already start on the previous day.

Planning quantities

Using the planning quantities, you select which capacity dimensions are taken into account in the calculation. The selected quantities are the default values for the dynamic tour validation:

• Kg – weight
• m³ / l – volume (solid or liquid)
• Pal – pallets
• LM (m) – loading meters

If solid or liquid volume was previously selected for a group, the m³ / l checkbox is ticked.

Distance calculation and pre-loading position

• Calculate driven distance: The selection options determine how the distance covered is determined.
• Pre-loading position: Defines the type and specific position of the starting position for a pre-load.

Additional tour definition options

Depending on the configuration, further toggles are available, including: displaying the ignore configuration on the tour definition, displaying the ignore window, order within an order (picking), allowing the customer and client definition for tours, enabling predecessor tours, enabling tour duration, enabling tour locking, and allowing automatic pickup.

3. Ignore rules, driver comments and visibility of resource planning

Ignore rules

Here you select which planning restrictions may be ignored during the calculation. With the «Select all» and «Deselect all» buttons, all options can be activated or deactivated together.

Available ignore options:

Driver comments

Activate for which resources driver comments are permitted:

• Allow driver comment for vehicle
• Allow driver comment for trailer
• Allow driver comment for device

Visibility of resource planning

The area for defining the visible types in resource planning is only displayed if the Resource planning module is activated. If the module is not active, the existing values remain unchanged.

4. Stop merging

Stop merging combines several stops into one common stop, provided they meet certain criteria.

1. Activate stop merging via the main toggle «Activated». As long as the function is deactivated, the associated detail settings are grayed out.
2. Define the minimum overlap from which two stops are merged.
3. Select the comparison criteria:
   • Use POI reference
   • Use coordinates
   • Use product

Stops are only merged if they meet the selected criteria and the minimum overlap is reached.

5. Loading sequence and structure of transport point names

Model of tour generation

Using the selection options, you choose the model according to which tours are generated:

Structure of transport point names

Here you define which components make up the displayed name of a transport point:

• Use POI name
• Use organization name
• Use POI name 2
• Use contact name
• Use template – when the template is activated, you define the desired name format in the text field.

6. Tour release, recalculation, planning form and dispatching settings

Tour release

Planning form (tour form)

• Default optimization tour start / tour end: Defines the default values for the start and end type of the optimization on the tour form via selection options.
• Enable automatic moving of unloading before loading
• Enable reversal of the pickup transport points

Note: The option to calculate the shipment sorting sequence is available exclusively to super administrators.

Automatic tour recalculation

1. Activate the recalculation via the «Activated» toggle.
2. Select the trigger for the recalculation:
   • After the first stop of the day
   • After each stop
3. Use the selection options to define which notification content is transmitted during a recalculation.

Note: The option to retain waiting times at transport points is only visible to super administrators.

Dispatching settings

• Custom driver name format: Defines how driver names are displayed on the dispatching board. The format is checked when saving; in the case of an invalid format, an error message is displayed and the entry must be corrected.

7. Notes

• All settings apply to the currently selected group. Before editing, check whether the correct group is active.
• Some fields and areas are only shown if the associated module is activated (e.g. resource planning) or if you have advanced permissions (administrator or super administrator). Settings that are not visible retain their previously saved values.
• Changes affect future tour calculations. Tours that have already been calculated are not adjusted automatically unless a recalculation is triggered.