Best Route Assistant

Updated 1 week ago by Sylwia Olek

Who can use this feature?

The feature is available to users of the carriers product line (TFC – Trans For Carriers) and the forwarding product line (TFF – Trans For Forwarders), under the terms defined for each line. Check the details on the Best Route Assistant page.

In this article you’ll learn how to:

  • find the Best Route Assistant
  • plan a route taking road restrictions and route preferences into account
  • show alternative routes, avoid toll roads, and exclude countries along the route
  • set the vehicle profile and emission class
  • use the route cost calculator
  • display additional map layers
  • choose the route optimisation mode (fastest/shortest/cheapest)
  • what approach legs (access legs) are and where to add them
  • what the bottom summary bar shows

Best Route Assistant (BRA) helps you quickly plan a truck route and calculate costs — fuel, tolls (including vignettes for vehicles < 3.5 t) — compare alternative routes, and turn on map layers (Low Emission Zones, road incidents, traffic).

Where to find the Best Route Assistant

The Best Route Assistant is available in several places on the Trans.eu Platform to make route planning and pricing faster:

  • Search Loads
  1. From the menu, open the Search Loads module.
  2. Open the offer you’re interested in.
  3. In the offer details, open the Route tab.

At first you’ll see the route calculated automatically (based on the offer data). You can adjust the route and parameters (vehicle profile, emission class, avoiding toll roads, excluding countries, etc.).

All changes are visible only to you (not to the shipper or other users in your company) and will be remembered and suggested the next time you open this offer.
Approach legs — large map only: you can add an approach to the pickup and delivery. Approach legs are saved for the specific offer and are visible only to you (until you win the negotiation). In the offer drawer (small map) you cannot edit approach legs.

Freights

  1. From the menu, open the Freights module.
  2. Open the offer you’re interested in.
  3. In the offer details, open the Route tab.

In the freight drawer you’ll see the route calculated automatically by the system for a vehicle matching the freight requirements. It’s the optimal route balancing distance, time, and costs.
Costs do not include the carrier’s internal costs (e.g., driver wages, overnight stays).

If the carrier wins the negotiation, the route and parameters set by the carrier will be saved in “Accepted” freights and will be available only to the carrier’s company.

  • Orders
  1. From the menu, open the Orders module.
  2. Open the order you’re interested in.
  3. In the details view, open the Route tab.

The map next to offers in the Orders module on the Accepted and Archived tabs is available in view-only mode (no editing of route or approach legs).
  • Maps
  1. From the menu, open the Maps module.
  2. Enable the Best Route Assistant and enter locations.

Move the green slider to choose between the Route Calculator (basic version) and the extended Best Route Assistant (BRA).

Check the route cost in a load offer

  1. Open the Route tab.
  2. Change parameters: vehicle profile, emission class, departure date, cargo weight, and others.
  3. Click Recalculate route.

  1. Scroll down to see the cost list, the Rate, and your potential Profit.
You can edit individual items on the Costs and Rate tabs. Click the pencil icon on the right.

Check the route cost in the Maps module

  1. Open the Maps module.
  2. Select the start and destination locations (add via points if needed).
  1. Set the departure date and time and the cargo weight.
  2. Select the Vehicle profile.
  3. Click Recalculate route.
  4. Click Costs to see the details.

In some countries, correctly calculating toll charges requires providing the transport start date and time (set it in the route parameters before you click Recalculate route).

Plan a route and see alternative routes

If you’re planning based on an existing offer or order, the route points will already be filled in. For planning from scratch:

  1. Enter the locations for the route you want to plan.
  2. Tick Show alternative routes. The map will display up to 3 alternatives and a table with distance/time/tolls/CO₂e.
  3. Click an alternative route (grey line) — it will be saved as the main route for the current calculation.
This option is available from the large map view and for routes with two points (start and destination). If you are in the offer details (small map), click Show large map.

Choose the route optimisation mode

In the route panel you can choose how to calculate the route:

  • Fastest – minimum time,
  • Shortest – minimum distance,
  • Cheapest – minimum cost.

The Cheapest mode currently uses default cost parameters that are not editable here, so the result may not yet be fully reflected in the Costs section.

Approach legs — adding and saving

  • What are approach legs? Short access segments to the pickup and delivery.
  • Where do you add them? On the large map — from the route point menu or by right-clicking.
  • What gets saved? Approach legs are saved on the offer — when you return to the offer, you’ll see the same arrangements.
  • Visibility: private (only for you) until you win the offer.
  • Small map / Orders: small map is view-only; in the Orders module, approach legs are not saved the same way as for offers.
  1. On the large map, click a Route point.
  2. Select Approach to pickup / Approach to delivery.

If you edited the route on the large map, then after returning to the offer details view you may see a message like this, allowing you to apply the changes to the displayed route.

Set the vehicle profile and emission class

  1. Click the vehicle profile field.
  2. Hover over a profile to see descriptions of the available vehicle profiles.
  3. Create your own vehicle profile if needed.

Avoid toll roads / exclude countries

In the Route options you can also use:

  1. Avoid toll roads — the route will be recalculated to minimise tolls (when full avoidance isn’t possible).
  2. Exclude countries — choose states to avoid or use quick exclusions: Switzerland, Non-EU.
  3. In the exclusion details — pick the countries you need or use the shortcuts: Non-EU / Switzerland.

Turn on map layers

New layers (Low Emission Zones, Road incidents, Traffic) are available only on the large map for accounts with the Best Route Assistant add-on enabled. Road restrictions and Postcodes are also available without the add-on. The toggle layout has been refreshed in the new map panel.

These layers provide valuable information about road conditions and the route context:

Road restrictions

Fixed restrictions along the route (e.g., weight, height, truck bans). Restrictions are considered when calculating the route.

Postcodes

Postcode grid — helpful for quickly understanding areas/territories.

Low Emission Zones

Shows areas subject to environmental restrictions (LEZ). Informational layer.

Road incidents

Current and planned disruptions (accidents, works, closures). Set the date and time to see the restrictions in effect at a given moment.

Traffic

Current and forecast congestion on main arteries. Set the time to see the expected constraints/capacity at that time (e.g., peak at 16:00).

If you don’t see zones/incidents/traffic, make sure you’re on the large map and have the BRA add-on active.

To use layers:

  1. Go to the large map.
  2. Select a layer using the refreshed toggles in the top-right corner.
  3. Select the date and time for the restrictions shown by the layer — if the layer supports it.

Route summary (bottom bar)

The bottom of the screen shows a summary bar with the key route parameters:

  • km and time of the main route,
  • km and time of approach legs (with a tooltip split into approach to pickup/delivery),
  • CO₂e emissions,
  • total cost and cost per km (click to open cost details).

Set default values for costs and rates

  1. Go to the Assistant Settings (the settings icon or Settings → Best Route Assistant).
  1. Enter your own default values for individual fields. Changes are saved to your account automatically.
From now on these values will be applied on the cost, rate, and route calculation tabs.

Check the vignette price list

  1. Select the appropriate Vehicle profile.
  2. Click Recalculate route.
  3. Open the Toll charges section.
  4. Click Check vignette price list.

Check and edit the rate, currency, and vehicle fuel consumption

  1. Click the costs table to expand the detailed view.
  2. Click Fuel and edit your vehicle’s consumption.
  3. Change the Rate using the up/down arrows next to items.
  4. Click the currency, open the list, and choose the one you want to set.

The Cheapest mode now uses default cost parameters (not editable here), therefore the result may not be fully visible in Costs.

FAQ

Is BRA a navigation app?
No. It’s a planning and calculation tool (costs/time), not navigation. You cannot export the planned route to a navigation app.
Does BRA account for truck weight/size restrictions?
Yes — the route is calculated for a truck vehicle profile (including a Custom profile), taking truck restrictions and truck speed limits into account; this is a key difference from car maps.
Can I set defaults so I don’t have to enter them every time?
Yes. Use the Assistant’s settings icon and save default parameters — they’ll be suggested for future calculations (and can still be edited ad hoc).
Does BRA include vignettes for vehicles up to 3.5 t?
Yes. In the Vignette price list you can check options (e.g., 1/7/30 days).
Does BRA include toll charges and where can I see them?
Yes. For each route you’ll see costs split by countries and — where applicable — by operators. Day vignettes are included; you can check other options in the Vignette price list. Ferry costs are not included.
Does travel time include driver breaks?
No. Time is calculated for continuous driving — without breaks required under Regulation (EC) No 561/2006. Please plan them separately.
How is the engine “EURO class” different from the “emission class” in BRA?
EURO refers to exhaust emission standards (EURO 1–6). The emission class in BRA is a parameter used to calculate tolls (1–5), independent of EURO. In some countries (e.g., DE, HU) the cost is also affected by the Total Technically Permitted Weight (field F1 in the vehicle registration) — don’t confuse it with the Permissible Maximum Mass (F2).
Does BRA save and store routes?
In the context of a specific offer, your settings and pricing are saved for you until the end of the publication; if you win the negotiation, the arrangements are saved with the won offer. If you don’t win, the data is removed when the publication ends. There is no separate manual “save route for later” outside this context.
How does BRA calculate fuel costs?
Based on the route length and the fuel consumption from the vehicle profile (or your custom profile). You enter the fuel price and currency; the fuel amount and cost update automatically.
How do I add my company’s “Other costs”?
On the Costs tab, click the pencil next to Other costs and enter your rate (e.g., per km). Recommended method: compute a flat rate from your company’s fixed costs for a period (excluding fuel and tolls) divided by total distance, factoring in profit margin and risk buffer:
Flat rate = (Costs / Kilometres) × (1 + profit margin) × (1 + risk margin)
Why does my route still have tolls even with “Avoid toll roads”?
In many cases it’s impossible to avoid toll roads entirely (e.g., no comparable alternative). BRA minimises tolls but won’t always reduce them to zero.

Sometimes choosing to avoid toll roads can increase the total cost if it makes the route much longer.
Why doesn’t the route “react” when I change parameters? What am I doing wrong?
After every change, click Recalculate route — only then will you get updated results.
Why can’t I exclude a country I must pass through?
Exclusion won’t work if it’s the start or destination country — change the points or remove the exclusion.
Why can’t I see layers on the map?
Layers are available only on the large map and only for accounts with the BRA add-on active. Try zooming in (layers disappear when zoomed out far).
Can I change the route by dragging?
No. Editing the path by dragging points (PTV) is postponed to a future version.
Why can’t I edit parameters for the “Cheapest” mode?
The edit panel for these parameters is temporarily hidden; the mode uses default values, and the result may not be fully reflected in the “Costs” section.
Are approach legs saved in Orders?
No. Saving approach legs applies to offers (Search Loads). In the Orders module this does not work in the same way.

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