Empty running eats margin on every van fleet that plans jobs one leg at a time instead of one route at a time. This guide breaks down how to reduce empty running with van fleet route planning using data you likely already collect but rarely act on.
- Track empty running as a rate, not a feeling — most van fleets in 2026 are still running 20-30% of miles unladen.
- Route planning that ignores backhauls wastes the second half of every job — plan return legs before dispatch, not after.
- Crystal Ball's live tracking data flags planned-vs-actual route deviation within minutes, not at month-end.
- Driver behaviour reviews cut idle time and detours that quietly inflate empty running figures.
- Recalculate your empty running rate monthly — Buy into the discipline, not just the software.
Why this matters
Every mile a van drives without a paying load on board still costs fuel, wear, and driver hours. Fleet operators who track this properly usually find the number is worse than they assumed — a van that looks "busy" on paper can still be running empty for a third of its shift.
The fix isn't a bigger fleet or more drivers. It's sequencing jobs so vans finish a delivery near where the next collection starts, and using Crystal Ball tracking data to catch the gap between the plan you made and the route the driver actually drove.
Get this right in 2026 and the payback shows up fast: fewer wasted miles, lower fuel spend, and vans that finish routes earlier instead of dead-heading back to depot.
What you'll need
- A working GPS tracker on every van — not just a subset, or your empty running data has blind spots
- At least 4-6 weeks of route history to establish a baseline before you change anything
- A route optimisation tool or scheduling software that can ingest postcode and time-window data
- Geofences set around depots, common drop zones, and collection points
- A weekly slot on someone's calendar to actually review the data — the software does nothing on its own
The steps
1. Measure your current empty running rate
You can't reduce what you haven't measured. Pull mileage data from your tracking system and split it into laden miles versus unladen miles for a full month, ideally spanning at least 20 working days.
Most van fleets that measure this for the first time in 2026 are surprised the number sits closer to 25-30% than the 10% they assumed. That gap is your target.
Common mistake: measuring at the fleet level only. Break it down van-by-van — one driver running 40% empty can hide behind three others running 15%.
2. Map every job by postcode and time window
Group this month's jobs by postcode district and delivery time window rather than by customer name. Patterns emerge fast: three drop-offs in the same postcode on a Tuesday morning that three different vans currently handle separately.
This step accomplishes one thing — it turns a list of jobs into a map of opportunity. Without it, route planning stays reactive.
Common mistake: planning routes the night before with no clustering step. Clustering takes 20-30 minutes a week and it's the step most fleets skip first when busy.
3. Plan two-way routes, not one-way jobs
Build the return leg into the plan before the van leaves depot, not after the outbound delivery is done. If a driver is dropping stock in one town, check whether a collection, return, or second job exists nearby before they head back empty.
This is the single biggest lever in reducing empty running with van fleet route planning — most fleets plan the paid leg and treat the return as dead time by default.
Common mistake: assuming backhaul loads don't exist for your business. Even internal moves — returning stock between depots, collecting damaged goods — count as laden miles if you route them deliberately.
4. Set live geofence alerts for planned vs actual routes
A plan on paper means nothing if the driver takes a different route on the day. Set geofences around planned stops and depot zones so Crystal Ball tracking flags a deviation the moment it happens, not at the end of the week.
This expected outcome: dispatch sees drift in real time and can redirect a van to a nearby job instead of letting it run back empty.
Common mistake: setting geofences too tight around single addresses instead of zones — this generates alert fatigue and teams switch notifications off within a month.
5. Feed telematics data into route optimisation software
Route planning tools only optimise what they can see. Export postcode clusters, time windows, and vehicle capacity from your tracking system into whatever scheduling or route optimisation software you run, and let it recalculate stop order weekly rather than once at setup.
The expected outcome is a route sequence that groups nearby jobs and books return legs automatically instead of leaving them to driver judgement.
Common mistake: setting the software up once in January and never feeding it fresh job data — optimisation degrades fast once real-world patterns shift.
6. Review and retrain drivers using behaviour data monthly
Even a perfect route plan gets undone by a driver who takes a longer detour, idles at a depot, or skips a scheduled backhaul because it's inconvenient. Pull driver behaviour reports monthly and flag drivers whose actual mileage consistently exceeds the planned route by more than 10-15%.
This step closes the loop between planning and execution — plans only save money if drivers follow them.
Common mistake: treating this as a discipline issue first. Often it's a plan issue — the route genuinely didn't account for road closures or delivery access, and the driver adapted correctly.
Troubleshooting
- Drivers ignore the planned route entirely. Check whether the route accounts for real access restrictions (loading bays, low bridges, school-run traffic) before assuming it's a discipline problem — replan with the driver's local knowledge included.
- Empty running rate isn't dropping despite the new plan. Confirm the plan actually includes backhaul or return legs — most "optimised" routes still only optimise the outbound half.
- Route optimisation software conflicts with your existing scheduling tool. Run both in parallel for two weeks before switching fully — a clean handover avoids double-booked slots.
- Data lag between the tracker and the dispatch screen. If positions update more than 2-3 minutes late, dispatch is reacting to where the van was, not where it is — check the tracker's refresh interval.
- Backhaul loads promised by customers never materialise. Build a fallback stop into the route (a nearby depot check, a stock return) so the van isn't stranded with no laden leg if the collection falls through.
Tools and resources
- A live GPS tracker on every vehicle, not a sample — partial visibility means partial results
- Driver behaviour reporting to catch route drift and idle time
- A route optimisation or scheduling tool that accepts postcode and time-window imports
- Geofencing set at zone level around depots and drop clusters
- Weekly reporting cadence — reduce fuel costs with fleet tracking data covers how the same tracking data doubles up for fuel spend analysis
What to do next
Once empty running is trending down, run the maths on what the tracking and route data actually returned versus what it cost to set up — most fleets underestimate the payback because they only count fuel and miss driver hours and vehicle wear. The next step is working out whether the system pays for itself, and by how fast.
FAQ
What counts as empty running in van fleet route planning?
Empty running is any mile a van drives without a paying load, passenger, or scheduled job on board. Most UK van fleets run empty for 20-30% of total mileage when they measure it properly in 2026, which is the baseline this guide targets.
How much can route planning actually reduce empty running?
Fleets that add backhaul planning and live route tracking typically cut empty running by 5-10 percentage points within the first few months. The exact figure depends on job density and how many return-leg opportunities exist in your operating area.
Do I need route optimisation software or is a spreadsheet enough?
A spreadsheet works for fewer than 5-6 vans if someone reviews it weekly. Beyond that, route optimisation software becomes worth it because it recalculates stop order automatically as job data changes.
How does GPS tracking help with reducing empty running?
GPS tracking shows the actual route driven against the planned route, flags detours in real time, and gives you the laden-versus-unladen mileage split needed to measure progress. Without it, empty running reduction is guesswork.
What's a realistic time frame to see results?
Most fleets see a measurable drop in empty running within 6-8 weeks of combining route clustering, backhaul planning, and geofence alerts. The first 4 weeks are usually spent just establishing an accurate baseline.
Does driver behaviour affect empty running rates?
Yes — a driver who skips a scheduled backhaul or takes an unplanned detour can add 10-15% extra unladen mileage on top of what the route plan intended. Monthly behaviour reviews catch this before it becomes a habit.
Is empty running worse for vans than for HGVs?
Van fleets often run higher empty rates than HGV operators because jobs are smaller and more scattered, making backhaul matching harder. Route planning software helps close that gap by clustering jobs that would otherwise be dispatched in isolation.
One last thing
The fleets that make the fastest progress on empty running aren't the ones with the newest software — they're the ones who actually look at the weekly deviation report instead of letting it sit unread. A tracker only pays for itself once someone acts on what it shows.
