What Fort Route checks before it plans a route
Phone map apps plan for a car. Fort Route plans for the truck you set up in the app: its height, width, length, gross weight and axle weight, plus your hazmat status. Routes are calculated by the open-source Valhalla routing engine on OpenStreetMap road data for the US, and each route is built around the truck restrictions mapped on the roads it uses.
The router also prefers designated truck routes. Residential streets, service roads and similar local streets carry a heavy penalty, so saving a few minutes never sends a 53-foot trailer through a neighborhood. Unpaved roads and tracks are excluded. Tolls and ferries are part of the calculation too, and long runs, coast to coast included, come back as a single route.
Compare up to 3 routes
Enter a destination and Fort Route returns up to 3 route options. Each option lists miles, drive time, tolls and the number of stops on it. The tags come straight from the route data, so Fastest, Shortest and No tolls mean exactly what they say. When a route uses toll roads, you see how many miles are tolled and on which roads.
The route sheet opens compact, showing the destination, the options, your legal arrival time and a Go button. The trip editor and route cards sit below. If a route can't be built, the error is written in plain language and Fort Route retries once on its own. When one of your truck's limits is what blocked the route, a button appears that takes you to your truck settings.
Multi-stop trips with up to 8 stops
Shippers, receivers and truck stops can all go into one trip, up to 8 stops between your start and your destination. Give each stop its on-duty time, from 0 to 4 hours, and the hours-of-service planner counts it against your 14-hour window and your cycle. A stop of 30 minutes or more satisfies the 30-minute break. To change the order, drag the grip on any row; that works for the start and the destination too.
If you've saved a facility's truck entrance in your shipper and receiver notes, Fort Route uses that entrance as the routing target. See how the plan turns into an arrival time on legal arrival times, and get a warning before long downgrades with steep grades.
Honest limits
Map data can be wrong. Fort Route routes on OpenStreetMap data, and its truck restriction coverage varies by area, so a low bridge or a weight limit can be missing on some roads. Always obey posted signs, even when the route says otherwise. Fort Route routes US roads only, and routes don't use live traffic. For what to watch for on the road, read low bridges and truck restrictions.
Frequently asked questions
Does Fort Route avoid low bridges?
Fort Route avoids low clearances that are mapped in OpenStreetMap, based on the height you set for your truck. Coverage varies by area, so some low bridges may be missing from the data. Always obey posted clearance signs.
How many stops can I add to one trip?
You can add up to 8 stops between your start and your destination. Each stop can carry 0 to 4 hours of on-duty time, which the hours-of-service planner counts against your 14-hour window and your cycle.
How does Fort Route show tolls?
Each route option shows how many miles are tolled and on which roads. When an option uses no toll roads, it's tagged No tolls, so you can compare it with the faster options before you pick.
Does Fort Route route in Canada or Mexico?
No, Fort Route plans routes on US roads only. Trips into Canada or Mexico aren't available.
Where do I enter my truck's size and weight?
You set up your truck during onboarding, starting from a truck preset, and you can change it any time in Me under Your truck. The truck button next to Where to? on the map opens the same settings, and Fort Route uses those numbers for every route it plans.