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🚚 Estimate driving time and distance for logistics with Open Route API

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🚚 Estimate driving time and distance for logistics with Open Route API preview
Open on n8n.io

Important notice

This workflow is provided as-is. Please review and test before using in production.

1. Workflow Overview

Tags : Supply Chain, Logistics, Route Planning, Transportation, GPS API Context Hi! I’m Samir, a Supply Chain Engineer and Data Scientist based in Paris, and founder of [Lo...

Best for

  • Engineering automation workflows
  • intermediate n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.splitinbatches, n8n-nodes-base.set, n8n-nodes-base.httprequest, n8n-nodes-base.googlesheets, n8n-nodes-base.stickynote, n8n-nodes-base.manualtrigger, n8n-nodes-base.wait

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Samir Saci.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
🚚 Estimate driving time and distance for logistics with Open Route API
Workflow name
🚚 Estimate driving time and distance for logistics with Open Route API

Tags: Supply Chain, Logistics, Route Planning, Transportation, GPS API

Context

Hi! I’m Samir, a Supply Chain Engineer and Data Scientist based in Paris, and founder of LogiGreen Consulting.

I help companies improve their logistics operations using data, AI, and automation to reduce costs and minimize environmental footprint.

> Let’s use n8n to build smarter and greener transport operations!

πŸ“¬ For business inquiries, you can add find me on LinkedIn

Who is this template for?

This workflow is designed for logistics and transport teams who want to automate distance and travel time calculations for truck shipments.

Ideal for:

  • Control tower dashboards
  • Transport cost simulations
  • Route optimisation studies

How does it work?

This n8n workflow connects to a Google Sheet where you store city-to-city shipment lanes, and uses the OpenRouteService API to calculate:

  • πŸ“ Distance (in meters)
  • ⏱️ Travel time (in seconds)
  • πŸͺͺ Number of route steps

Steps:

  1. βœ… Load departure/destination city coordinates from a Google Sheet
  2. πŸ” Loop through each record
  3. 🚚 Query OpenRouteService using the truck (driving-hgv) profile
  4. 🧾 Extract and store results: distance, duration, number of steps
  5. πŸ“€ Update the Google Sheet with new values

What do I need to get started?

This workflow is beginner-friendly and requires:

  • A Google Sheet with route pairs (departure and destination coordinates)
  • A free OpenRouteService API key
    πŸ‘‰ Get one here

Next Steps

πŸ—’οΈ Follow the sticky notes inside the workflow to:

  • Select your sheet
  • Plug in your API key
  • Launch the flow!

πŸŽ₯ Check the Tutorial

πŸš€ You can customize the workflow to:

  • Add CO2 emission estimates for Sustainability Reporting
  • Connect to your TMS via API or EDI

This template was built using n8n v1.93.0
Submitted: June 1, 2025

1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - Loop Over Items

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches - splitInBatches
Config choices
Version 3

Block 2 - Extract Results

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 3.4

Block 3 - Request Open Route API

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 4 - Collect Routes

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets - googleSheets
Config choices
Version 4.6

Block 5 - Save Results

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets - googleSheets
Config choices
Version 4.6

Block 6 - Sticky Note2

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 7 - When clicking β€˜Test workflow’

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger - manualTrigger
Config choices
Version 1

Block 8 - Sticky Note

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 9 - 5 sec

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.wait - wait
Config choices
Version 1.1

Block 10 - Sticky Note4

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

3. Summary Table

Workflow 🚚 Estimate driving time and distance for logistics with Open Route API
Complexity intermediate
Nodes 10
Categories Engineering
Author Samir Saci
Published 01 Jun 2025

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/4564/4564.json as the source template for this automation.

  2. 2. Import the template into n8n

    Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.

  3. 3. Configure credentials and variables

    Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.

  4. 4. Test with sample data

    Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.

  5. 5. Activate and monitor

    Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Frequently asked questions

What does 🚚 Estimate driving time and distance for logistics with Open Route API do?

Tags : Supply Chain, Logistics, Route Planning, Transportation, GPS API Context Hi! I’m Samir, a Supply Chain Engineer and Data Scientist based in Paris, and founder of [Lo...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your Engineering use case.