The customer calls to say that their order has not arrived. Your driver swears he delivered it. You're in the middle, with nothing on paper — or with a packing slip that no one knows where it is — trying to figure out what really happened.

There is a solution to this situation. It's called digital proof of delivery. And if you don't have it in your operation yet, you're resolving conflicts with more effort than necessary.

What is proof of delivery (POD)

El Proof of Delivery — or proof of delivery — is the record that confirms that a package, merchandise or service arrived at its recipient. It is proof that the delivery occurred, when it occurred and who received it.

In its traditional version, that record was a paper packing slip with a hand signature. It works. But it has problems: it is lost, it deteriorates, it cannot be consulted from the office, and digitizing the history takes hours.

El digital proof of delivery (ePOD) does the same thing, but from the driver's mobile phone and in real time. The information reaches the system the moment the delivery takes place — no paper, no waiting, no room for something to go astray.

Types of digital proof of delivery

Not all vouchers are the same. Depending on your operation, you'll need one or more of these formats:

Digital signature

The recipient signs directly on the driver's mobile screen. It is the direct equivalent of the paper packing slip and the most common type. It is legally valid in most European jurisdictions when accompanied by delivery metadata (time, GPS coordinates, driver's identity).

Photograph of the delivery

The driver takes a picture of the package at the delivery point — at the door, in the hands of the customer or at the agreed pickup point. Especially useful when the recipient is not present or when the delivery is made at a point without direct attention (portals, ticket offices, company reception).

Barcode or QR

The driver scans the package code when delivering it. The system logs the event automatically. Fast, frictionless for the customer, ideal for high-volume operations where speed per stop is critical.

Confirmation PIN

The customer receives a code via SMS/WhatsApp/Email before delivery. When the driver arrives, the customer shows or dictates the PIN. It is registered as a validated delivery. Add an extra layer of security for high-value deliveries or regulated products.

Combination of methods

In many operations, the ePod is a combination: photo of the state of the package + signature of the receiver + automatic GPS coordinates. The driver doesn't choose — the system guides you through the process in three steps.

Why paper is no longer enough

The physical packing slip has a route: it is signed on the door, it travels folded in the driver's pocket, it arrives at the office at the end of the day - or at the end of the week - and someone files it (or scans it, at best). On that journey, a lot can happen.

With the ePod, that journey disappears:

• The signature or photo is registered in the system at the exact time of delivery
• The manager can check the voucher from the office without waiting for the driver
• The customer can receive the voucher automatically by email
• In case of a claim, evidence is available in seconds, with timestamp and geolocation

It's not just convenience. It's responsiveness. A complaint resolved in minutes instead of days changes the customer's perception of your company.

How to implement it without your team feeling like a burden

Resistance to change in delivery operations often comes from the driver. Adding steps to your routine creates friction — and if the process isn't intuitive, it ends up being ignored.

Here are the keys to a working implementation:

Choose an app that guides the driver, not complicates him.
The ePod flow should be a natural part of the stop: it arrives, delivers, records in two or three touches, continues. If it requires extensive training, the design is not suitable.

Start with a single type of POD.
Don't implement signature + photo + code at the same time. Choose the format that solves 80% of your cases, consolidate it and add variants if the operation needs it.

Show the benefit to the driver, not just the company.
When there is a complaint and the driver has the ePod, it is protected. There is no “your word against the customer's”. That argument connects directly to something that matters to them.

Connect the ePod to your systems.
A digital voucher that lives only in the driver's app has limited value. The ePod is most useful when integrated with your management system, your ERP or your ecommerce platform — so that evidence is available where you need it.

What the ePod reveals that paper hides

Beyond resolving disputes, digital proof of delivery generates data that paper could never give you:

• At which stops does delivery take longer to complete?
• Which areas have the most failed attempts without a cause record?
• Which drivers consistently complete the ePod process and which ones omit it?

This data is the first step in improving the delivery rate on the first attempt and reducing the cost per stop.

The delivery ends when there is evidence of it

A delivery without a receipt is a half delivery. For the customer who didn't receive it, for the system that didn't register it, and for you when you have to prove that it happened.

Routal Driver allows drivers to capture digital signatures, photos and barcodes at every stop — with the process integrated into the route, without extra steps. The voucher reaches the manager in real time and can be automatically sent to the recipient.

The next time a customer calls saying their order didn't arrive, you'll have the answer ready. And probably also the photo.

Start saving time and improving your level of service for free with Routal

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It's 10 in the morning. Your driver has had three failed attempts in the same direction: no one opens, the doorman doesn't answer and the customer doesn't pick up the phone. Now that stop is floating in the air - neither delivered nor canceled - and the rest of the route is starting to mismatch.

What just happened has a name: a failure in the delivery rate on the first attempt. And if more happens to you than you'd like, you're not alone.

What is FTDR and why it matters more than it seems

La first-time delivery rate (First Time Delivery Rate or FTDR) measures the percentage of orders that are successfully delivered the first time the delivery person arrives at the address. No reattempts. No follow-up calls. Without coordinating a second visit.

The formula is simple:

FTDR = (Successful deliveries on the first attempt/Total delivery attempts) × 100

An FTDR of 85% seems reasonable until you think about it in volume: it means that 1 in 6 deliveries requires a second attempt. With all that that implies.

The hidden cost of each retry

When a delivery fails, the counter doesn't stop. Start another one:

• Direct logistics cost: the driver returns to the warehouse or schedules a second visit. Between 3 and 8 kilometers on average that were not in the plan.
• Management time: someone on your team has to process the notice, coordinate the retry, and update the customer.
• Customer Satisfaction: A failed delivery is, for many buyers, reason enough not to repeat.
• Returns: in B2C operations, packages not delivered on time trigger returns, especially in ecommerce.

In operations with 50 to 150 daily deliveries, improving the FTDR by 5% can translate into tens of kilometers and hours saved each week. It's one of the last-mile metrics with the greatest direct impact on profitability.

Why first attempts fail

Before looking for solutions, it is important to understand the real causes. The most common:

The customer was not available during the delivery time. The delivery arrived at 11:00 and the customer works until 17:00. Nobody knew. Nobody asked.

The address had incorrect or incomplete data. The floor is missing, there is an error in the number, or the geocoding points to the wrong point. The driver arrives, but not at the right place.

The customer received no notice that the delivery was close. Without accurate ETA notifications, the customer doesn't prepare. When the delivery person arrives, you may be in a meeting, in the shower, or just not listening to the intercom.

The delivery window was not aligned with actual availability. A range was offered from 09:00 to 13:00, but the customer can only receive between 14:00 and 17:00. No one validated that when planning.

How to improve the FTDR: concrete actions

Automatic notifications with real ETA

The most effective - and the most underestimated - measure is to let the customer know in good time before the delivery person arrives. Not the day before. Not by email. An SMS or WhatsApp with the accurate and updated ETA of when the driver will be at the delivery address, that generates a real reaction window.

When the customer knows that their order arrives at a specific time, they can organize their schedule, ask a neighbor to pick it up or simply go down to receive it. The number of “there was no one there” plummets.

Confirm time availability before assigning the route

In operations with time windows, confirmation must occur formerly that the package enters the route — not the same day of delivery. Integrating this information into the planning makes it possible to group deliveries by real band, not by theoretical strip. The result: fewer conflicts, more completed deliveries.

Geocoding verified before leaving

Each address must go through a validation process before it reaches the driver's map. A poorly geocoded address can ruin the entire delivery. Modern planning tools detect inconsistencies in coordinates and point them out before the driver starts — so that the error doesn't travel with him.

Record the reason for each failed delivery

If the driver can record in two taps why the delivery failed - “no one at home”, “access impossible”, “wrong address” - you have real data to act on. Without that record, the problem is repeated indefinitely without anyone understanding why. Proof of delivery also applies to failed attempts.

Measure to improve

Your current FTDR is the starting point. If you don't measure it, you can't improve it. The least you need to know:

• % of deliveries completed on the first attempt (per week, per zone, per driver)
• Main registered causes of failure
• Estimated cost of each retry on your operation

With those three pieces of data, you have enough to prioritize. And to justify it to management with numbers, not with intuition.

Perfect delivery is not luck

A high FTDR doesn't happen by chance. It happens because the customer was notified, the address was correct, the window was real and the driver had the information he needed before leaving.

Routal helps to plan routes that respect real time windows, sends automatic notifications to the end customer with ETA in real time and allows drivers to record incidents in seconds - so that the next attempt is not necessary.

Cases such as Ametller Origen, which delivers in 1-hour time slots and notifies its customers, achieve a success rate in the first delivery above 99.5%. Convenience, Information and Optimization.

How many reattempts would you avoid this week? Start by measuring them. Then, one by one, they cease to exist.

Get started for free with Routal →

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Cities are changing the game of the last mile. More pedestrianization, more restrictions on polluting vehicles, more saturated loading and unloading areas... and, at the same time, more urgency to deliver quickly and without fail. In this context, the Cargobikes (cargo bikes, usually with electric assistance) have become one of the most powerful solutions for operating in urban centers.

But beware: just because a cargobike is agile does not mean that the operation is “easy”. The difference between profitable cycling and one that is going to waste is usually the same as always: routes and planning. This is where the route optimization goes from being “a plus” to being the heart of the business.

In this article, we tell you about the real challenges of delivering a cargobike (with a clear example in the old town of Barcelona) and how Routal helps to plan and execute bicycle routes efficiently, respecting capacity, types of streets and peculiarities of the operation.

Why cargobikes are key to the last urban mile

In central areas (think of Ciutat Vella in Barcelona: narrow streets, pedestrian sections, limited access), a traditional vehicle has constant problems:

• Find a space to stop without blocking.
• Comply with time windows on regulated streets.
• Avoid being surrounded by access restrictions.
• Reduce incidents due to “cannot be delivered”.

Una Cargobike It's just the opposite: you can move easily, park with much less impact, and access areas where a van doesn't fit directly. And also:

• Lower maintenance cost than a motor vehicle.
• Cheaper energy (and predictable) than fuel.
• Less risk of penalties for improper parking.
• More flexible operation for urban micro-hubs or dark stores.

The real challenges of cycling logistics (and why optimization matters so much)

Cargobike routes are usually Shorter, yes... but they have to be much more accurate. On a bike, every minute and every kilo counts.

1) Limited capacity: volume and weight rule

A cargobike has a much smaller capacity than a van. This requires planning with a magnifying glass:

• How many stops can each route make without breaking capacity.
• Which orders “fit” together.
• When should you return to the micro-hub to recharge.

Without good planning, two things happen:

• Or you leave with a low load and lose productivity.
• Or you overcapacity and there are delays, extra trips and failed deliveries.

2) Narrow, pedestrianized streets and difficult accesses (Barcelona center)

In the old town there are sections where:

• You can't come in at certain times.
• You can't drive on some streets with certain vehicles.
• Navigation changes due to works, events or local regulations.

Cycling has an advantage, but you still need a route that Don't make you zigzag nor does it send you down streets that slow you down.

3) Parking: the big bottleneck (even if you're riding a bike)

In a van, stopping can be difficult. On cargobike, it gets better... but it doesn't go away. If the route is not well designed, the delivery person ends up:

• Traveling more than the account on foot with the package.
• Making inefficient stops (many laps, little delivery).

4) Delivery windows and customer promises

In the urban center, customers (and businesses) highly value punctuality. If you promise 10:30 — 11:00 and arrive 11:25, the cost isn't just the time:

• It increases the likelihood of incidence.
• Satisfaction decreases.
• Reattempts are multiplying.

5) Workforce: more accessible, but requires operational control

A very interesting point: when delivering by bike, You don't need a driver's license as in a motor vehicle. This opens up the cast to more profiles and can facilitate peak scaling.

But precisely because of that flexibility, it is key to have:

• Clear and easy to follow routes.
• Visibility of progress.
• A system that reduces improvisation.

6) Sustainability (0 direct issues) and brand reputation

Cargobikes are 0 contaminants in use (without direct emissions). And in the city, that's not just a “green” argument: it's an operational and commercial argument:

• Fewer restrictions.
• Better fit with municipal policies.
• Better perception of the end customer.

What does “optimize routes” mean on cargobike (it's not just “the shortest path”)

Optimizing for cycling is not “taking Google Maps and that's it”. Good optimization considers:

• Capacity (weight/volume) per vehicle.
• Vehicle type/modal: bicycle vs van vs motorcycle.
• Zones and types of streets (accesses, pedestrians, restrictions).
• Time windows and priorities.
• Pickups and deliveries on the same route (multi-stop and multi-task).
• Load balancing between riders.
• Minimize distance and time, but without creating impossible routes.

In short: you need a plan that is efficient in theory and Executable on the street.

How Routal helps plan and execute cargobike routes

Routal is designed for real last-mile operations: planning, optimization and monitoring. And in cycling logistics, it provides value especially in three areas: planning by modality, operational restrictions and Day-to-day control.

1) Planning by mode type: bicycle, heavy transport, dangerous goods...

Not all deliveries can be carried by bike. Routal allows segment and plan taking into account different types of operation and vehicle (for example, bicycle for the center, van for the suburbs).

This allows you to design a mixed model (”multimodal fleet”) where:

• The bike does what it does best: center, density, difficult access.
• The motor vehicle covers longer routes or heavy loads.

2) Optimization with capacity limits

For cargobikes, “I don't fit” is a daily problem. With Routal you can plan routes that respect the load capacity, avoiding:

• Routes that force extra trips.
• Overloaded riders.
• Imbalance between routes (one full, the other half empty).

3) Ultra-efficient routes for hard-to-reach areas

In areas such as the old town of Barcelona, the key is not to do 5 km less: it's to do less friction:

• Best order of stops.
• Fewer detours.
• Less “turning back” through poorly chosen streets.
• Less time wasted on micro-decisions.

Routal helps you build routes optimized and consistent, which are repeated, improved and scaled up.

4) Pick-up and delivery management (not just “drop-offs”)

Many cycle logistics operations combine:

• Pickups at stores or hubs.
• Deliveries to the end customer.
• Returns or collection of containers/reverse logistics.

Routal allows you to manage pickups and deliveries within the same schedule, maintaining order and control.

5) End customer monitoring and experience

Efficiency doesn't end when the route “goes off”. In cycling logistics, it is very useful to be able to:

• Monitor progress.
• Reduce incidents.
• Improve ETA communication (estimated time).

And, in addition, Routal allows the customer to follow the order and provide feedback (for example, with satisfaction surveys), something key to closing the circle: operation + perceived quality.

Example: delivering in Ciutat Vella without dying trying

Imagine a morning with 40 deliveries spread over El Born, Gòtic and Raval. By van, half the time you would go in:

• find where to stop,
• avoid restrictions,
• walk with the package from afar.

At cargobike, the challenge changes:

• maximize deliveries per delivery without going over capacity,
• order stops to avoid zigzags,
• comply with business hours,
• prevent the rider from making “micro-improvisations” that break the plan.

That's where a tool like Routal makes a difference: the operation ceases to depend on “the person who knows the neighborhood” and becomes a replicable system.

Clear benefits of optimizing cargobike routes with Routal

• More stops per hour (productivity).
• Fewer kilometers and less downtime.
• Fewer incidents (and fewer retries).
• Better route balance between riders.
• Scalability: you can grow without everything depending on informal knowledge.
• Profitability: lower operating costs + better fulfillment of promises.
• Sustainability: 0 direct emissions operation and more compatible with urban centers.

Quick checklist: what to check if you want to improve your cycling

1. Are you planning with Actual capacity (weight/volume) or “by eye”?
2. Do you have repeatable routes or is every day improvisation?
3. Do you correctly separate what goes by bike versus what another mode requires?
4. Do you measure incidents and reattempts by zone/time?
5. Is your operation optimized for the center (accesses, stops, times)?

If any answers make you hesitate, there's probably room for improvement with optimization.

The cargobike is the vehicle... optimization is the business model

Cargobikes are proving that they can be delivered to the city center quickly, flexibly and sustainably. But for that promise to be profitable, the key is to have planning that respects capacity, urban typology and real execution.

Routal allows you to manage a cycling operation with optimized routes, multimodal fleet and end-to-end visibility (planning, monitoring and customer experience). If your goal is to operate in complex areas—such as the old town of Barcelona—and to do so with margin, optimization is not optional: it's the accelerator.

Do you want to see what your cargobike operation would look like with optimized routes? Discover Routal and test real planning with your data.

FAQ

What is a cargobike?

Una Cargobike is a bicycle designed to carry goods (in a front, rear box or platform), often with electrical assistance, ideal for deliveries in urban environments.

What is cyclologistics?

La cyclologistics is the urban distribution of goods using bicycles (especially cargobikes) as the main means, normally supported by micro-hubs or consolidation points.

Why is route optimization so important on cargobikes?

Because the Capacity is limited and margins depend on productivity: ordering stops, respecting time windows and minimizing delays have a direct impact on cost per delivery and profitability.

Can Routal plan routes taking into account bicycles and other vehicles?

Yes. Routal allows you to plan by modalities (for example bicycle for downtown and van for outdoor use) and optimize according to restrictions such as capacity and type of operation.

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