For most solo tradies, Google Maps multi-stop routing is free and handles up to 10 stops per trip. If you run a crew or manage 10 or more jobs a day, a dedicated route optimiser like Route4Me or your job management app's built-in scheduler (ServiceM8, Tradify, simPRO) saves more by factoring in job duration, travel windows and customer time slots.
Key takeaways
- Google Maps multi-stop is free and suits solo tradies with fewer than 10 stops a day
- Job management apps like ServiceM8 and Tradify include scheduling that doubles as route planning, so you may already have one
- Dedicated route optimisers pay for themselves once you run 15 or more stops daily across a crew
- The ATO lets you claim 88 cents per business kilometre (2025 to 2026 rate), so every unnecessary trip you cut also improves your tax position
- Pair any route app with geographic job batching to reclaim two to four hours a week of billable time
For most solo tradies, Google Maps multi-stop routing is free and handles up to 10 stops per trip. If you run a crew or manage 10 or more jobs a day, a dedicated route optimiser like Route4Me or your job management app's built-in scheduler (ServiceM8, Tradify, simPRO) saves more by factoring in job duration, travel windows and customer time slots.
Updated 24/10/2026
Why does route planning matter for a trade business?
Every minute behind the wheel is a minute you are not billing. A tradie running five jobs a day across scattered suburbs can easily add 40 to 60 unnecessary kilometres of driving, which at the ATO's rate of 88 cents per business kilometre for the 2025 to 2026 income year costs $35 to $53 a day in vehicle running costs alone. Over a 48-week working year, that compounds into thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours you could have spent on the tools.
Route planning is not just about fuel. It is about batching jobs geographically so you spend less time in traffic and more time earning. Tradies who batch by suburb regularly reclaim two to four hours a week of billable time, and the savings show up in fuel receipts, tyre wear and the number of jobs you can fit into a day.
What do route planning apps actually do?
At their simplest, they take a list of job addresses and sort them into the shortest or fastest driving order. More advanced tools factor in appointment windows, job durations, crew availability and real-time traffic. The three broad categories Australian tradies choose from are:
- Free multi-stop mapping. Google Maps or Apple Maps with manually ordered stops. No optimisation algorithm, but good enough for fewer than 10 stops and one vehicle
- Job management app schedulers. Job management platforms like ServiceM8, Tradify, simPRO and AroFlo include a scheduling calendar with a map view. They show where each job sits geographically so you can drag appointments into a tighter run. They do not run full route optimisation, but they keep jobs, invoices and routing in one place
- Dedicated route optimisers. Tools like Route4Me, OptimoRoute and Upper run algorithms that reorder your stops for the shortest total drive time. Route4Me alone claims 3B+ miles optimized across its user base. These tools handle 15 or more stops per run in metropolitan areas, factor in time windows, and can split work across multiple drivers. They cost more but pay for themselves at scale
How do the main options compare for Australian tradies?
| App | Best for | Estimate cost (AUD/month) | Route feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | Solo tradies, under 10 stops | Free | Manual multi-stop, no auto-optimise |
| ServiceM8 | Field service, quoting, invoicing | $29 to $349 | Dispatch board with map view |
| Tradify | Small crews, job tracking | $39 to $55 per user | Daily job map, drag scheduling |
| simPRO | Larger crews, project costing | Quote on application | Scheduler with travel-time estimates |
| Route4Me | High stop count, multi-vehicle | $250 to $500 (team plans) | Full algorithmic route optimisation |
| OptimoRoute | Delivery and service fleets | $45 to $56 per driver | Time-window routing, proof of service |
Pricing is indicative and varies by plan tier and number of users. Check each provider's current Australian pricing before committing. If you already pay for a job management platform, try its built-in map or scheduler before adding another subscription.
How much can better routing save you in a year?
The numbers below are worked estimates for a sole-trader electrician or plumber running five jobs a day across a metro area. Your figures will differ depending on trade, geography and how scattered your current bookings are. The ATO treats travel between job sites during the working day as work-related travel, which means it is deductible.
| Factor | Estimate before (AUD/year) | Estimate after (AUD/year) | Estimate saving (AUD/year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel and running costs (240 days) | $10,560 (50 km/day at 88c) | $6,336 (30 km/day at 88c) | $4,224 |
| Unbillable travel time | $19,200 (1 hr/day at $80/hr) | $9,600 (0.5 hr/day at $80/hr) | $9,600 |
| Extra jobs fitted per week | 0 | $19,200 (1 extra/wk at $400) | $19,200 |
| Estimate total | $33,024 |
These are directional estimates built from the ATO's 88 cents per kilometre rate (2025 to 2026) and an assumed billable rate of $80 per hour. Your actual saving depends on your charge-out rate, daily stop count and how geographically spread your current jobs are. Even halving these figures still returns more than the cost of any route planning subscription. For a deeper look at tracking whether you actually make money on each job, start with per-job costing.
What should you look for when choosing a route planning app?
- Number of stops. If you rarely exceed 10 a day, Google Maps is free and works. Past that, you need a tool that optimises order automatically
- Integration with your job management app. A route planner that reads your weekly schedule directly avoids double entry. ServiceM8 and simPRO both expose scheduling APIs
- Time windows and job durations. If customers expect you in a two-hour window, the app needs to respect that constraint, not just minimise total distance
- Multi-vehicle support. Running a crew of three means three separate routes optimised together, not three copies of the same list
- Offline maps. Regional and rural jobs lose mobile signal. Google Maps, ServiceM8 and Route4Me all support downloading maps for offline use
- Australian map data. Make sure the app uses current Australian road data. Some US-built tools default to imperial units and miss local road restrictions
The best app is the one your team actually opens every morning. A free tool used daily beats an expensive one nobody logs into. If you are still choosing between tradie apps, start with what solves your biggest daily pain point, whether that is routing, quoting or invoicing, and build from there.
How does the ATO treat travel between job sites?
Travel from your home to your first job and from your last job home is generally not deductible (it is ordinary commuting). But travel between job sites during the working day is deductible under the ATO's motor vehicle expense rules. You can claim using either the cents-per-kilometre method (88 cents per business kilometre for the 2025 to 2026 income year, capped at 5,000 km; check ato.gov.au for the current year's rate) or the logbook method (keep a logbook for 12 continuous weeks, then apply your business-use percentage to total vehicle expenses for the year). A route planning app that logs your trips gives you the data you need for either method at tax time.
If you want to understand how these vehicle costs fit into your overall hourly charge-out rate, factor in insurance, registration, depreciation and maintenance alongside fuel. The ATO's 88 cents is designed to cover all of these, which is why it is higher than the raw fuel cost per kilometre.
Need help tightening your route and schedule?
If your week still feels like a zig-zag across town, we can look at your current setup and show you where the time is going. Book a free 15-minute discovery call and we will map it out together.
Common questions
Can I use Google Maps to plan a multi-stop route for free?
Yes. Google Maps lets you add up to 10 stops per trip on the mobile app. Enter your first job, tap the three-dot menu, select 'Add stop' and repeat. It will not optimise the order automatically, so drag the stops into a logical geographic sequence yourself. For more than 10 stops you need a dedicated route planner.
Does ServiceM8 or Tradify include route planning?
Both include a scheduling calendar that shows jobs on a map view, which lets you spot geographic clusters and gaps. ServiceM8's dispatch board groups jobs by location and time. Tradify shows a daily map of scheduled work. Neither runs full algorithmic route optimisation, but for most sole traders and small crews the visual map is enough to cut backtracking.
Can I claim the ATO cents-per-kilometre rate for travel between jobs?
Travel between two work sites in the same day is deductible. The ATO cents-per-kilometre method lets you claim 88 cents per business kilometre (2025 to 2026 rate) for up to 5,000 km without receipts. Above 5,000 km you need a logbook kept for a continuous 12-week period to calculate your business-use percentage.
Is it worth paying for a dedicated route optimiser as a sole trader?
For most sole traders running fewer than 10 jobs a day in one metro area, Google Maps multi-stop plus geographic batching is enough. A paid route optimiser starts paying for itself when you run 15 or more stops daily, manage multiple vehicles, or need to factor in fixed appointment windows and variable job durations.
Written by
Mitchell Cross
Founder, TradieBuddy AI
Mitchell Cross is the founder of TradieBuddy AI. He identifies the pain points and bottlenecks holding Australian trade businesses back and fixes them, improving profitability, efficiency and scalability. He builds the automations and systems that cut admin, capture missed leads, and connect a business's tools into one place, and writes these guides to share what actually moves the needle for tradies.
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