Schedule density is a measure of how tightly a technician's day is packed with jobs. In time, it is the share of available hours with a job assigned. In geography, it is how close together those jobs are.
How to calculate schedule density
The time version is the familiar board number:
Time density = Assigned hours ÷ Available hours × 100
The geographic version looks at the drive between jobs:
Route density = Jobs completed ÷ Total drive hours
Or, more simply, average drive minutes per job. Both halves are needed. Say Truck A and Truck B each have 7.5 of 8 hours assigned, so both read 94% in time density. Truck A runs six jobs with 12 minutes average drive between them. Truck B runs four jobs with 40 minutes average drive. Truck A's day is dense. Truck B's day is full.
Why it matters for scheduling
Time density alone overstates how productive a day is, because the assigned hours can include driving. That is why the technician utilization rate post calls the time version "board utilization" and treats it as a calendar measure, not a work measure.
Route density is what lets more jobs fit into the same hours. It is set mostly at booking. Every time a job is placed on a truck that will already be nearby, density rises. Every time a job is placed in whatever block was empty, regardless of where the truck will be, it can fall. CrewLink computes travel from the previous job when a slot is offered, so the board shows the drive and schedules crews around it. Higher route density raises the ceiling on jobs per day.
A common mistake
Chasing time density as a target. Pushing assigned hours toward 100% by padding job blocks or stacking far-apart jobs makes the board look dense while the day gets worse. Track time and route density side by side. If time density rises while drive per job also rises, the board is filling with travel.
Related terms
- Booked utilization is the same calculation as time density, used as a utilization figure.
- Jobs per day rises when route density rises.
- Backtracking is the fastest way to lose route density.
Common questions
Is schedule density the same as utilization?
Time density is the same arithmetic as booked or board utilization. Productive utilization is different, because it counts only time spent working.
How do you increase route density?
Book new jobs onto trucks that will already be nearby, and avoid offering slots that send a truck far from its other work that day.
Can a schedule be too dense?
Yes. With no slack, one long job makes every later job late. Leave room for the realistic spread in job durations.