Thread: Directions - (Only in the U.S)

My son used to deliver pizzas. Once he was taking me home from dropping the car off for service. He took a very unusual turn and I asked why. He said that it avoided two traffic lights. I asked how he learned about the short cut. His answer was, "From my pizza delivering days."

The route planning software that the US delivery company UPS uses is designed to avoid making left turns at intersections; left turns in the US often mean waiting at traffic lights, and in 2011 the company says their route planning saved them an estimated 98 million minutes (6,800 years) of idling time.

This applies almost anywhere.

To cross a busy thoroughfare in the adverse direction requires simultaneous gaps in both directions of oncoming traffic. Statistically unfavorable. The wise way to do it, is to turn in the favorable direction, then make a U-turn.

Cheers,
Joe

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

The route planning software that the US delivery company UPS uses is designed to avoid making left turns at intersections; left turns in the US often mean waiting at traffic lights, and in 2011 the company says their route planning saved them an estimated 98 million minutes (6,800 years) of idling time.

I do think there is a slight miscalculation somewhere. My pocket calculator suggests a year has 524,160 minutes on a very basic calculation of 52 straight weeks. Searching the web suggests that a year has 525,600 minutes in a year, not sure if that is an average that includes the variables, but reasonably close to my rough pocket calculator finger popping exercise.

98,000,000 minutes, using the 525,600 minutes a year figure, works out to 186.45 years, give or take.

Mick.

Originally Posted by Optimark

.....

98,000,000 minutes, using the 525,600 minutes a year figure, works out to 186.45 years, give or take.

Mick.

Worst thing about this is that once you posted it I had to check. You are correct in saying that there are 525,600 minutes in a year.

60(minutes) X 24(hours) x 365(days) = 525,600 minutes.

My guess they missed something.

60(minutes) x 24(hours) = 1440

98,000,000 / 1440 = 68055