Start layer specifies the locations where vehicles start their routes. The layer must contain point features.

When one start location is specified, all vehicles depart from that point regardless of the number of vehicles available.

Return to start, when enabled, creates routes where all vehicles must end at the same location they began. For example, routes for local delivery trucks that start and end from the same warehouse should be created with Return to start enabled.

End layer specifies the locations where the routes must end. The layer must contain point features. End layer is available when Return to start is turned off.

• One end location—Layers with one point feature create routes where all vehicles end at the same location. For example, school bus routes dropping students off at the same school will all end at the same location.

• Many end locations—Layers with multiple point features create routes where each vehicle has a specified end point. For example, delivery trucks transporting goods from a regional warehouse to store branches all end at different locations.

  The number of point features must match the number of vehicles being routed. If multiple vehicles end at the same location, the end point must be repeated for each vehicle.

Start layer route ID field and End layer route ID field specify fields in the start layer and end layer that uniquely identify individual routes, vehicles, or drivers. The field values will be used to derive the names for the output routes. The values in these fields must be unique. These parameters are available when layers with multiple points are chosen for Start layer or End layer.

• Point barrier layer—Point features that block traffic at a specific position along the street. Travel is permitted on the street but not through the barrier. Examples of point barriers include a fallen tree, a traffic accident, or a downed electrical line.
• Line barrier layer—Line features that block traffic across several street segments. The line barriers prohibit travel anywhere the barriers intersect the streets. Examples of line barriers include a parade or protest.
• Polygon barrier layer—Polygon features that block traffic across entire areas of the street network. The polygon barriers prohibit travel anywhere the polygon intersects the street. Examples of polygon barriers include a flood or forest fire.

Travel mode is used to choose which travel mode the routes will be based on. Travel modes are configured by your ArcGIS administrator and can be based on travel time or travel distance.

Departure time is used to determine the date and time that the vehicles depart from the start locations. This parameter is available for time-based travel modes like driving time and trucking time and has an impact on the travel speed.

Maximum number of stops per vehicle can be used to balance the workload between vehicles.

By lowering the maximum number of stops that can be assigned to each vehicle, the vehicles are more likely to have an equal number of stops assigned to them. Setting a maximum number of stops helps balance workloads among drivers. However, it may result in a solution that is less efficient.

Max time per vehicle (minutes) specifies the maximum amount of time a route can last from start to finish and is the second method of balancing workload between vehicles. The route time includes expected travel time and service times spent at stops along the route. The default value is 480 minutes, or 8 hours, to reflect a standard work day.