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Routes define how your goods are transported between locations. Each route consists of one or more transport legs, each with its own transport type, method, and distance.
If you don’t know the transport distances for your routes, use EcoTransit to calculate them. Unlike Google Maps, EcoTransit calculates the most likely routes for goods transportation. See the EcoTransit section below for a step-by-step guide.

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Creating a route

1

Go to Routes

Click Routes in the top navigation bar, then click + Create route.
2

Select starting point and destination

Select the starting location and the destination from the drop-down menus. These are the locations you have already created on the Locations page.
3

Add a transport leg

Click Add leg + to add the first transport leg.
4

Select transport type

Choose the transport type from the drop-down list.
  • Container - transport full load: a full load driven directly from sender to receiver without reloading at transport hubs.
  • Freight bulk via transport hubs: standard freight of less than full load, reloaded and optimised at transport hubs.
  • Direct trip (own vehicle): your company’s or supplier’s own or rented vehicles transport your goods only.
5

Select transport method

Choose how the goods are physically transported: air cargo, barge, ferry, sea freight container, freight train, or lorry.
6

Enter the distance

Enter the distance for this leg in kilometres.
7

Add more legs if needed

If your route involves multiple transport methods, click Add leg + again and repeat the process for each leg.For example, a route from Latvia to Denmark via sea might have three legs:
  1. Lorry from supplier to port in Riga
  2. Sea freight from Riga to Copenhagen
  3. Lorry from Copenhagen port to warehouse
8

Save the route

Click Create route to save.

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Calculating distances with EcoTransit

EcoTransit is a free tool that calculates transport distances for goods — taking into account realistic freight routing rather than direct road distances.
1

Go to EcoTransit

Open ecotransit.org in your browser.
2

Enter origin and destination

Type in the origin and destination for your transport leg — for example, a city or port name.
3

Select transport mode

Choose the transport mode that matches your route leg (road, sea, rail, or air).
4

Copy the distance

EcoTransit will calculate the distance in kilometres. Copy this number and enter it into the corresponding leg in Målbar LCA.
Use EcoTransit for each individual leg of your route. If your route has three legs (e.g. lorry → sea → lorry), calculate each leg separately.