3 Common Tour Planning Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Plan a delivery tour may seem simple... until delays continue, delivery people go in circles, or customers start complaining. In many cases, these problems don't come from a lack of effort, but from mistakes that go unnoticed.

Some bad habits — or entrenched reflexes — can cost time, money, and energy without really realizing it.

In this article, we review three common mistakes in tour planning, with concrete examples and especially simple ways to avoid them. Enough to gain in efficiency, without having to change everything overnight.

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Here are the main mistakes in planning delivery routes

Mistake 1: Neglecting field constraints

On paper, a delivery tour may seem perfect: a logical itinerary, well-timed timing, everything comes together... except that in reality, things get complicated quickly if certain constraints have not been taken into account from the start.

What it causes

• Repeated delays.
• Deliveries that are impossible to honor.
• Stress for delivery drivers and unhappy customers.

Examples

• The customer only receives from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., but is scheduled for 11 a.m.
• The truck passes through an area prohibited to vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tons.
• The volume to be delivered exceeds the capacity of the intended vehicle.
• A pedestrian street requires walking for 10 minutes... which was not anticipated.

How to avoid this error

• List all recurring constraints: schedules, accesses, types of products, load capacity, areas to avoid.
• Create a customer file or a logistics database to centralize this information (even simple, in a spreadsheet).
• Consult the deliverers regularly: they are the ones who best deal with the difficulties on the ground.
• Update information over time: a customer can change address or constraints without warning.

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Successful planning starts with a good knowledge of the field. Even a powerful tool will not be able to optimize anything if the initial data is incomplete or inaccurate.

Mistake #2: Building tours based solely on intuition

When you know your customers and your sector well, there is a great temptation to “do as usual”: you organize one-on-one tours, instinctively, telling yourself that it will be fine. Sometimes it passes. But often, intuition is not enough to really optimize.

What it causes

• Unnecessarily extended trips.
• Excess fuel consumed.
• A poor distribution of deliveries over the day.
• Accumulated delays without understanding where they are coming from.

Examples

• Bringing two customers together because they are “not that far away”... but during rush hour, the journey doubles.
• Load the vehicle out of order, as the tour was decided at the last minute.
• Always leave by the same itinerary without trying other faster or more logical options.

How to avoid this error

• View the tours on a map, even rudimentary, often makes it possible to identify inconsistencies.
• Group deliveries by geographic sector, not only by type of customer
• Take into account traffic schedules (peak hours, construction, restricted access areas).
• Test another organization from time to time: a well-thought-out tour can save 30 minutes without extra effort.
• Use a delivery tool, even basic or free, to compare your intuition with a calculated proposal.

Intuition is valuable, but it does not replace a global vision. With a few simple adjustments, you can generally do better... without complicating your life.

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Mistake #3: Not Anticipating the Unexpected

Even with a careful planning, everything does not always go according to plan. And if your tour is too rigid, even the smallest grain of sand can throw everything off the table. With no room for manoeuvre, delays keep happening... and delivery people spend their day making up for lost time.

What it causes

• Customers not delivered or delivered out of time.
• Days that are always overflowing.
• Constant stress for field teams.
• A loss of trust in the organization.

Examples

• An urgent delivery is added at the last minute, with no space planned.
• A customer is absent or refuses the goods upon arrival.
• A vehicle breaks down, and no solution has been anticipated.
• A traffic jam is blocking a key point on the tour, with no alternative planned.

How to avoid this error

• Plan a buffer slot in each tour, especially in the late morning or afternoon.
• Identify critical points (risk areas, sensitive customers, tight schedules) and anticipate plans B.
• Set up a simple procedure in case of the unexpected: Who to call, what to prioritize, how to adapt the tour.
• Centralize feedback to refine your plans week after week.
• Use tools or alerts to follow up in real time the progress of the tours (if you have several vehicles or areas).

A tour that's too tight is like a puzzle with no spare parts: at the first unexpected event, everything falls apart. It's better to be flexible than chasing the weather all day.

Mistakes in tour planning: better safe than sorry

No tour is perfect, and that's normal. But by avoiding these three mistakes — ignoring the terrain, doing everything by intuition, and neglecting the unexpected — you are already laying a solid foundation for a smoother and more efficient organization.

No need for complex software to improve your tours. Better information gathering, some good habits, and a bit of foresight can be enough to make a real difference on a daily basis.

And if you find that despite your efforts, planning is still a waste of time... maybe it's a good time to consider a delivery tool adapted to your business, even simple.

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The FasterDelivery app helps you plan your tours more quickly, taking into account field, schedule and unexpected constraints. A tool designed for delivery professionals, easy to use, effective from the first rounds.