If in 2024—2025 you already noticed that the last mile was “getting serious”, 2026 is the year in which many restrictions they cease to be a rarity and become part of everyday life: low emission zones (ZBE) more extensive, finer controls by schedule, and an operational reality that can no longer be ignored: The electric charge (and its real impact on routes, times and costs).

The good news: these restrictions don't just “suffer”. Well managed, they become a competitive advantage. And that's where a tool of route optimization and automatic planning how Routal makes a difference.

What are logistics restrictions (and why in 2026 they affect you more than before)

When we talk about What are restrictions In urban logistics, we refer to all those rules that limit By where, when and With what You can operate:

• Access: streets or perimeters where certain vehicles cannot enter.
• Schedule: stripes where you can distribute/upload/unload.
• Parking and stops: maximum time, enabled zones, controls.
• Emissions and vehicle type: environmental label, weight, dimensions, noise.
• Energy: autonomy, charging times, availability of points.

In 2026, the piece that changes the most on the board are the low emission zones: Law 7/2021 and its subsequent development require ZBE in municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants (and other cases), with common requirements defined by state regulations.

Operational translation: more cities, more perimeters, more casuistics... and more need to plan well.

1) ZBE in 2026: the “mother” restriction that conditions your route

Low-emission zones: what they have in common (even if each city is a world)

The state framework states that a ZBE is a delimited area where they apply access, traffic and parking restrictions according to the polluting potential of the vehicle, using the corresponding classification (labels).

In addition, the Royal Decree that regulates ZBEs seeks minimum homogeneity: measurable objectives, delimitation, access conditions, and follow-up/monitoring.

Real example: Barcelona (ZBE active with fixed schedule)

In the metropolitan area of Barcelona, the ZBE works on weekdays from Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 20:00, with conditional access to a clean vehicle or authorization/exception.

What does this mean in practice?
That if your operation enters that perimeter, the Route schedule And the type of fleet they become a strategic decision, not a detail.

Real example: Madrid (case studies and moratoriums)

Madrid is a clear example of why “knowing that there is a ZBE” is not enough: there are nuances depending on the type and location of the vehicle. At the end of 2025, the extension of the moratorium for certain unlabeled vehicles was announced. Registered Until the December 31, 2026, with specific exceptions (for example, special protection areas).

Lesson: if you plan “by eye” or with generic rules, you are exposed to:

• unfeasible routes,
• delays,
• sanctions,
• and customers angry about ETAs that aren't being met.

2) Time windows: the silent restriction that burns the most money

Las Time windows (time windows) are the classic “if you are late, you are no longer served” or “it only downloads from 8:00 to 11:00”. And in 2026 they are more critical for two reasons:

1. Cities are ordering space: more control over loading/unloading, access by sections, and even activation of restrictions for episodes (pollution, events, etc.).
2. The ZBE itself usually has schedules (such as Barcelona: 7:00 — 20:00 on weekdays).

Result: Your route no longer competes against traffic alone. Compete against the clock.

3) Electric charge: the new restriction (and the opportunity) in the last mile

Electrifying a city fleet makes sense... until you try to fit in with reality:

• variable range depending on load, temperature, driving style,
• load times that are not “one minute”,
• busy or off-road spots,
• need to plan “power outages” just like you plan deliveries.

And here is an important point: the state regulations of ZBE push to provide charging infrastructure, including minimum objectives for implementing charging points inside and outside ZBE.

Translation: electric charge ceases to be a “topic of the future”. In 2026, it is already a condition of operation and planning.

How to improve your operations in 2026 using Routal (optimization + automatic planning)

The key is not to have “more people coordinating”. It is to have a system that Understand the restrictions and optimize with them.

Here's a practical (very day-to-day) approach to landing it in Routal.

Step 1: Turn restrictions into rules (not reminders)

In many companies, the restrictions live on:

• an Excel,
• the head of a planner,
• or a “remember that we don't enter that area” message.

That doesn't scale.

With Routal, the goal is for restrictions to be planning parameters, for example:

• Zones: defines operational perimeters (ZBE, limited-access zones, conflict areas).
• Vehicles: classify your fleet by capacity, type (diesel/hybrid/electric), and compatibility with certain areas.
• Customers/stops: assign Time windows, service times, and conditions (delivery by hand, with signature, etc.).

Immediate impact: the plan ceases to depend on “remembering”.

Step 2: Plan with real time windows (and reduce “bounce”)

When you seriously model time windows, two good things happen:

1. The optimizer avoids routes that “on paper” are short but operationally impossible.
2. You reduce failed deliveries (and the hidden cost of the second round).

Practical tip:

• If your windows are “soft” (ideal but negotiable), create wider ranges.
• If they're “tough” (if you're late they won't take care of you), keep them strict.

Routal can prioritize window compliance and balance workload between drivers, preventing “always the same one” from the hell of impossible stops.

Step 3: Integrate the electrical charge as one more stop (energy = time)

If you have (or are going to have) electric cars, in 2026 the winning mentality is:

Charging is not an event. It's a part of the route.

What does “get him into the plan” mean?

• Define realistic range per vehicle.
• Estimate charging time (fast/slow) depending on your operation.
• Decide strategy:
  • night charging + closed route,
  • or microcharges planned to extend shifts.

In an optimizer, this translates to restrictions and stops: if you don't model it, the plan will turn out nice... and it'll break at 12:30.

Step 4: Use automatic planning to gain consistency (and not just “make routes”)

In 2026, the difference is in consistency:

• same level of service every day,
• less improvisation,
• fewer “heroic routes” that rely on a skilled driver.

With automatic planning, you can:

• generate routes in minutes with the restrictions already included,
• simulate scenarios (what happens if I close this area? If I electrify this 20% of the fleet?) ,
• balancing workload,
• and adjust quickly to peaks in demand.

Step 5: Monitor and recalculate when the day changes (because it will change)

Restrictions + traffic + incidents = the perfect plan is short-lived.

What you need is:

• route tracking,
• control of compliance with time windows,
• and ability to react without “breaking everything”.

With Routal, the idea is that the plan is not a PDF: it is a living system, with visibility for planner, driver and customer (ETAs and communication).

Checklist 2026: the minimum to avoid suffering (and start to improve)

If you want a “quick win”, check this out:

• Do I have my maps mapped zones critical (ZBE and other urban restrictions)?
• Is my fleet classified by compatibility (which vehicles can enter where)?
• Do my stops have Time windows real (not “throughout the day”)?
• Have I incorporated the Electric charge (autonomy + times) as part of the plan?
• Am I using an optimizer that respects restrictions or am I still “fixing” routes?

FAQs

What are logistics restrictions?

These are rules that condition the distribution: limited access, delivery times, parking regulations, emission requirements and, increasingly, energy needs (electrical charge).

What are low-emission zones?

Son zones delimited by a public administration where access/circulation/parking restrictions apply to vehicles according to their level of emissions, with the objective of improving air quality and mitigating emissions.

Why is 2026 a tipping point?

Because the implementation/operation of ZBE is generalized in more municipalities and operational control is tightened: more perimeters, more schedules, more cases and more impact on daily planning.

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2026 isn't about “more restrictions”, it's about “better planning”

Yes, there will be more restrictions. But the change in mentality is this:

• Companies that continue to plan “as usual” will have more delays, more empty kilometers and more incidents.
• Those that convert restrictions into optimizer rules (ZBE + time windows + electrical load) will distribute better, with less stress and more margin.

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If you work in delivery, distribution or road services, there is a time when Excel ceases to be “a solution” and becomes the bottleneck. Not because Excel is bad (in fact, it's brilliant for a lot of things), but because Logistic operations are growing in complexity faster than spreadsheets.

And when that happens, the symptoms begin: routes that don't add up, drivers waiting for instructions, calls from customers asking “what time are you arriving?” , duplicate data, last-minute changes that break the schedule, and an entire team living in “putting out fires” mode.

In this article we are going to see Why Excel slows growth, what signs are already telling you this, and how to switch to logistics software without suffering (and above all, without losing control).

Why Excel “works”... until it stops

Excel (and its cousins: Google Sheets, CSVs, legacy templates) is often the first tool for organizing deliveries. It's cheap, flexible and everyone knows it.

The problem is that The last mile is not an Excel. It's a living system:

• Orders that arrive late
• Incomplete addresses
• Time windows
• Priorities
• Concidences
• Delivery confirmations
• Reattempts
• Customers who change the time
• Traffic, Weather, and Reality

As long as the volume is small, you can handle it. When you grow up, Excel doesn't scale with your operation: Only chaos escalates.

7 signs that Excel is already holding back your logistics

1) “The perfect route” depends on a person

If there is someone who “knows how to do it” and without that person planning suffers, you don't have a process: you have a hero. And that's not scalable.

2) Infinite versions: final_v3_ahora_sí.xlsx

Who has the latest version? What changed? Why does the driver have another list? Excel isn't meant for real-time operational version control.

3) Last-minute changes = redo everything

Adding 5 urgent stops shouldn't force you to redo 12 routes by hand. But with Excel, it usually happens.

4) There is no visibility en route

When your drivers leave, Excel stays in the office. And what happens on the street translates into calls, WhatsApp and “I'll tell you later”.

5) The customer forces you to play fortune teller

Without reliable arrival times (ETAs), the customer asks. And if you ask, your team answers. And if he answers, he gets distracted. Result: more errors.

6) The data is “dirty” (and more every week)

Misspelled addresses, faulty phones, incomplete zip codes, confusing notes... Excel doesn't force you to standardize. And if you don't standardize, Do you grow on weak data.

7) Measuring KPIs is hell

If to know punctuality, km, productivity or incidents you need to “cross” three sheets, you are losing the most valuable thing: learning.

The hidden cost of Excel: it's not the license, it's the time (and the errors)

Excel doesn't cost you money... but it costs you:

• Manual planning hours (every day, every week)
• Copy/paste errors
• Misassigned stops
• Dissatisfied customers
• Extra km
• Frustrated drivers
• Decisions based on “intuition”
• Missed opportunities Because your team is saturated

And what's worse: when it's time to grow (more areas, more fleet, more orders), Excel doesn't keep up. It forces you to choose between:

• Grow and lose quality, or
• Maintain quality and not grow

“But we already have a process in Excel...” (and that's why it hurts to change)

Totally normal. Excel becomes “the system” over time: macros, validations, tabs by zones, colors, formulas... and a sense of control.

Change is scary for two reasons:

1. Fear of losing that control
2. Fear of slow and traumatic migration

The good news: migrating to logistics software today has nothing to do with those eternal projects of years ago.
At Routal, there are customers who have implemented the solution in less than 24 hours. If you're already working in Excel, you'll need less than 5 minutes to see your planned routes.

The biggest enemy of scaling: data quality

Here comes a key (and very real) topic: before optimizing routes, you have to Clear data.

Your operation is only as good as the information you give it. If your addresses, phone numbers or time windows are wrong, any planning suffers.

Classic example: “Phone number in Excel”

Yes, it sounds like a strange search, but it's one of the most common problems.

• Phones without a prefix (+34?)
• Numbers with spaces, hyphens or text (“Call first” inside the field)
• Zeros on the left that disappear
• Excel interpreting the number as a formula or scientific notation

Result: the driver is unable to call, the customer is not notified and delivery is complicated.

Quick tip: In Excel, treat the phone as text, not as a number. And it standardises format (for example: +34XXXXXXXXX).

If your team has ever searched for “phone number in excel”, you know what we're talking about: when the data isn't standardized, the operation breaks down.

When everything comes in CSV: “From csv to Excel” is not the ultimate goal

Another everyday classic: you download eCommerce/ERP orders in CSV, convert them and work them in Excel.

The “csv to excel” search is common because the flow is usually:

1. Export CSV
2. I open it in Excel
3. I clean it “as I can”
4. Distribution by route
5. I'm back to exporting/printing/sending via WhatsApp

It works... until you have:

• Multiple order channels
• Several warehouses
• Different time slots
• Incidents
• Reattempts
• Live tracking

That's when logistics software gives you a huge advantage: connect data, planning and execution in a single flow, without relying on conversions and patches.

What logistics software does that Excel can't do (without going crazy)

1) Automatic route optimization (for real)

Don't “sort by zip code”. We talk about taking into account:

• Vehicle capacity
• Time windows
• Priorities
• Service times
• Restrictions (zones, schedules, vehicle types)
• Reduce km and more deliveries per route and time

2) Replanning in minutes

Urgent orders, cancellations, incidents... good software allows you to reoptimize without redoing everything by hand. 2 clicks.

3) Driver app and proof of delivery

Drivers need:

• Clear list of stops
• Navigation
• State per stop
• Notes and evidence (photo, signature, incidents)

Excel doesn't run on the street. Software, like Routal, yes.

4) Tracking and ETAs for the customer

Fewer calls. More trust.

• Real-time (or quasi-real) tracking
• Delay Notices
• Updated ETA
• More professional experience
• Better perception of the service (and that's happy repeat customers)

5) Metrics, KPIs and continuous improvement

No data, no improvements. Software helps you measure:

• Punctuality
• Km per delivery
• Deliveries by the hour
• Service times
• Incidents
• NPS/Satisfaction

The intelligent change: it's not “throwing away Excel”, it's professionalizing operations

Here's an important idea: Excel doesn't disappear. It is still useful for spot analysis, reporting, or preparing data.

What changes is this:

• Excel ceases to be the “center” of your logistics
• It becomes a support, not the engine

The engine should be a system designed to plan, optimize and monitor routes.

How to move from Excel to logistics software without drama (step by step)

Step 1: Identify your “minimum viable template”

Don't try to migrate 25 tabs and 300 columns. Start with the basics:

• Order ID
• name
• Full address
• city/CP
• Time window
• telephone
• notes
• packages/weight (if applicable)

Step 2: Standardize and Clear data

This is where migration is won (or lost).

Quick checklist for Clear data:

• Separate addresses (street/number/city/zip code)
• Consistent format phones (+34XXXXX)
• Unified time windows (HH:MM-HH:MM)
• Elimination of duplicates
• Defined mandatory fields
• Clear operational notes

Step 3: Start with an area or a type of route

Drive with a route, build trust in your team:

• A route
• An area
• A warehouse
• A team of drivers
• A type of service (delivery, installation, collection)

Step 4: Measure impact with simple KPIs

Before vs. After:

• Planning time
• Total km
• Deliveries by route
• Punctuality
• Incoming calls from “when are you arriving?”

Step 5: Scale with control

When the pilot works, you expand with confidence.

Where does Routal fit into all this?

Routal is designed just for this leap: moving from manual (and fragile) planning to scalable logistics.

With Routal you can:

• plan and optimize routes In minutes
• manage real last-mile restrictions
• Give your drivers a app to execute routes and report states
• provide the customer with follow-up and communication
• collect feedback with satisfaction surveys
• have visibility and data to improve every week

In short: less Excel “extinguishes fireworks” and more solid, measurable and scalable operation.

FAQs

“What if my Excel is very advanced?”

The more advanced, the more signs that you're already forcing a generalist tool for a specialized problem. If you rely on manual macros and processes, the risk grows with volume.

“Does switching to software mean losing flexibility?”

You usually gain operational flexibility (replan, monitor, communicate). And you maintain analytical flexibility by using exports or integrations when you need them.

“What's wrong with my CSV flow?”

You can still import/export when necessary, but the goal is that everyday life does not depend on “csv to excel” as the main chain of the process.

Conclusion: Excel is not the enemy... but it is the brake when you want to grow

Excel is a great tool. The problem is when you try to do with Excel what it requires:

• Optimization
• Route execution
• Traceability
• Communication with the customer
• Continuous improvement with data

If your operation is growing, the time to change isn't “when it's impossible.” It is When you can still do it with control.

Do you want to see what your operation would be like without the chaos of Excel?

If you want, we'll show you Routal with your real cases (zones, fleet, time windows, types of delivery) so you can see how much time and km you can save, and how it improves the driver and customer experience.

👉 Request a demo of Routal and we'll see it together.

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Christmas, sales, Peak Season. The trucks are full, there is no free space in the warehouse and the WhatsApp traffic is bursting with smoke.
Just in these weeks it is very clear which companies have processes... and which ones depend on specific people to make everything work.

The uncomfortable question is simple:

If your traffic manager is missing tomorrow, do you have an operation... or do you have a problem?

This article is for three key profiles in last-mile logistics: Carlos (Head of Traffic), Marta (Director of Operations) and Jorge (Financial Controller). All three suffer from the same problem from different angles: the lack of standardization of processes.

The classic mistake: trusting the memory instead of the process

In many operations, the real “system” is not the ERP, nor the TMS, nor the Excel.
The system is called Charles.

Carlos knows by heart:

• Which driver knows each area best.
• Which customer doesn't want afternoon deliveries.
• Which vehicle doesn't fit on which street.
• Which customer “just likes it when Juan goes”.

That has an advantage: today works.
But it has several problems:

1. It doesn't scale: if you want to grow up, you can't clone Carlos.
2. It's not resilient: If Carlos leaves, gets sick or burns, the operation falters.
3. It's not measurable: what's in their head doesn't generate data... and without data, neither Marta nor Jorge can do their job well.

The standardization of processes is not going to diminish the importance of Carlos's experience, but rather turn your experience into clear rules, visible to all and replicable.

For Carlos, the traffic chief: from putting out fires to conducting the orchestra

Carlos, The Fireman.
More than 20 years in the warehouse, mobile in hand around the clock. Your reality:
a broken truck, a customer who calls in anger, a driver who doesn't show up... and all resolved with WhatsApp calls and audios.

Their fear is logical:

“If we put in an automated system, it's going to do absurd things and I'll pay for them.”

Therefore, with Carlos, the message has to be very clear:

“Routal digitizes your experience, it doesn't replace you. We give you the control to stop putting out fires and start managing.”

What does that mean in practice?

• Your tribal rules become system rules:
  • “This customer, only with this driver.”
  • “This vehicle, never in this area.”
  • “Do not schedule deliveries at this time.”
• The tool Automate the tedious (calculate routes, assign stops, adjust schedules), but you decide the framework.
• You stop spending your day manually reviewing routes and start controlling for exceptions, incidents and improvements.

Standardization for Carlos is not bureaucracy, it is Rest your head and truly regain control.

For Marta, the director of operations: that the operation does not depend on heroes

Marta, The strategist
Responsible for making sure everything works... but:

• He knows that the operation is overly dependent on Carlos's memory.
• Intuit that there are Money leaks in returns, declines, downtime.
• You don't have reliable data to answer key questions:
  • Should we buy more trucks or outsource?
  • Is this large customer really profitable?
  • Where does our money go in the last mile?

Your need is clear: Standardization and Scalability.

“Routal eliminates dependence on key people and gives you the financial and operational visibility to scale your business without chaos.”

How does standardization help Marta?

• Each delivery follows a homogeneous flow: plan → execute → record → analyze.
• Planning criteria no longer change depending on who is in traffic; they become company policy.
• You can compare routes, customers, zones and periods with objective metrics: cost per delivery, level of service, incidents, waiting times, etc.
• When the peak season arrives, you can simulate scenarios:
  “What happens if I add X vehicles?” , “What if I divide this area between two delegations?”

Resilience, for Marta, is being able to say:

“If Carlos leaves tomorrow, the operation continues. What is going away is undocumented knowledge, and I have already converted that into a process.”

For Jorge, the Financial Controller: without a process, there are no numbers that add up

Jorge, the master of excel.
He lives in the world of margins, cash flow and auditing. What you hate the most:

• Credit notes for “incomplete deliveries”.
• Disputes with customers because no one knows what actually happened in a delivery.
• The never-ending reconciliation between invoices and actual deliveries.
• Cash managed by drivers without perfect traceability.

Your problem is simple:

If the delivery process is not standardized and traced, The numbers don't close.

There the proposal has to be very tangible:

“Full financial traceability from the route to the ERP. Close the collection cycle and reduce portfolio days (DSO).”

With a standardized operation supported by Routal:

• Each stop generates a structured registration: who, when, where, how and result (delivered, failed, partial, etc.).
• The evidence (signature, photo, reason for incident) is associated with the delivery, not with a lost message on WhatsApp.
• The on-road charges remain plotted and reconciled: how much each driver charged, in what delivery and what invoice it corresponds to.
• Discussions with customers are reduced because there are detailed history and objective.

For Jorge, standardization is not an operational issue: it is a The topic of margin and financial risk.

The real cost of not being prepared (spoiler: it's not just money)

When the company has not taken standardization seriously, problems appear just when it is least convenient: peaks in demand, large new customers, regulatory changes...

The typical costs of not being prepared:

• Direct costs
  • More returns and second deliveries.
  • Overtime to “fix” what should have worked the first time.
  • Oversized fleet to compensate for inefficiencies.
• Hidden costs
  • Absolute dependence on 2-3 key people.
  • Strategic decisions taken blindly.
  • Constant tension between operations, commercial and finance.
• Opportunity costs
  • Not being able to take on new contracts because “we are already on the limit”.
  • Reject interesting projects out of fear that the operation will break down.
  • Deterioration of the customer experience at key moments (such as now, at Christmas).

La resiliency it is not to endure based on human effort, but to be able to adapt — quickly and without drama — because the process is clear and supported by technology.

Peak season, Christmas and why this is the best time to talk about processes

The Christmas and Kings campaign is the natural “stress test” of logistics:

• If everything depends on heroes, the system holds up... until it doesn't.
• If everything depends on processes, you can increase volume without multiplying the chaos.

Standardizing today is not setting up a pharaonic project, it's starting with something very specific:

• Define how you want the routes to be planned.
• Convert that criteria into rules within Routal.
• Ensure that each delivery generates useful data for operations and finance.

And from there, iterate. Better process, better data, better decision.

A Christmas touch to close 🎄

At Routal, we talk every day to companies that want to move from “lung” logistics to a process-based operation.
But, to be honest, at this time we are closing our most important agreements with Their Majesties the Three Wise Men and, in other latitudes, with a certain Santa Claus.

They have been standardizing processes for many years and have seen Routal as the ideal solution for Deliver in a timely manner to all the children in the world, without losing a gift... (not an invoice to whom you already know) 🛷✨

Because even at the North Pole, they already know that magic is very good, but what really gives peace of mind is a good process.

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