Good morning. Most distributors obsess over top-line revenue. The best ones obsess over route density. Here’s why that matters—and how to fix it.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
📦 38% of every truck you send out is hauling air. That’s payroll, diesel, and time—gone.
🗺️ US Foods cut 15% of delivery miles using predictive routing
💬 The 7-word question that added $180K to one distributor’s revenue
DISTRIBUTION
THE ROUTE DENSITY TRAP
Here’s a number that should bother you: the average foodservice delivery truck runs at just 62% capacity.
That means more than a third of your truck space—and your driver’s time—is wasted on every single route.
US Foods has been attacking this problem aggressively. Their logistics team deployed predictive routing software that analyzes historical order patterns, traffic data, and customer delivery windows to optimize every route.
The result? They’ve cut 15% of total delivery miles across their fleet. At $4/gallon diesel and thousands of routes per day, that’s millions back to the bottom line.
But here’s what smaller distributors miss: route density isn’t just about software. It’s about sales strategy.
The operators winning on density are:
• Training reps to cluster new accounts geographically
• Offering delivery day incentives to consolidate stops
• Using minimum order thresholds strategically (not punitively)
Your trucks tell the truth about your business. If they’re running light, your margins are bleeding.
PLAYBOOK
INCREASE YOUR DROP SIZE THIS WEEK
Here’s a line that works every time:
“What else do you need before Friday?”
That’s it. Ask it at the end of every order call. Not “is there anything else?” (too easy to say no). Specifically: “What else do you need before Friday?”
It does three things:
Creates urgency (Friday is coming)
2. Assumes there IS something else
3. Opens the door to items they forgot
One distributor I talked to added $180K in annual revenue just from this question. His reps ask it on every single call now.
Try it this week. Track the results.
BY THE NUMBERS
📊 62% — Average truck capacity utilization in foodservice distribution
📊 15% — Delivery miles cut by US Foods through route optimization
📊 38% — Wasted truck space on the average delivery route
📊 $4.12 — Current national average diesel price per gallon
QUICK HITS
🔗 US Foods 2024 Logistics Report
🔗 Route Optimization ROI Calculator
🔗 Fleet Management Best Practices Guide
YOUR TURN
What’s your biggest route density challenge? Too many small orders? Customers demanding specific delivery windows? Hit reply—I read every response.
Next week: The pricing mistake that’s costing you your best accounts—and the 3-minute fix.
That’s it for today. If this was useful, forward it to someone on your team.
See you next week,
Matthew Khorosh
The Distribution Edge