Setting up an O/D Analysis

Before running an analysis, select your Origins, Destinations, and Connectors.

To set up an analysis, you must select the Origin(s) (O), Destination(s) (D), and Connector(s) (C) you wish to include in your analysis. You can select Os, Ds, or Cs from standard geographic zones (such as states, provinces, counties, cities, FSA/Zip, TAZ, and Census Tract), custom zones, and road segments.
Note:

To include an O/D pair data in your analysis, at least its O, D, or C must be in your purchased area.

After accessing the Origin and Destination module, there are three different ways to select your Os, Ds, and Cs: through the dropdown menus, directly from the map, or using Radius.

Selecting Origins and Destinations using dropdown menus

After accessing the Origin and Destination module, one of the methods to select your Os, Ds, and Cs is using the dropdown menus.

Using the dropdown menu, you can select your Origins and Destinations from either Standard Zones, Road Segments, or Custom Zones.

Selecting O/D from Custom Zones using dropdown menus

Select Origins, Destinations, and Connectors from Custom Zones using dropdown menus and search functionalities, setting zones as Origins, Destinations, Connectors, or both.

To select your Origin(s), Destination(s), and Connector(s) from custom zones:
  1. Select Origin & Destination on the left panel.
  2. Select Custom.
  3. Search the name of your intended zone type using the search bar, or click the dropdown menu to view a list of available zones.
    Note:

    To view a location on the map before selecting your O(s), D(s), or C(s), you may type a location into the top search bar to redirect the map view to your intended geography.

  4. Select the zone(s) you wish to select as your Origin(s), Destination(s), or Connector(s) by typing the name of your intended zone in the search bar under Find a zone, or use the dropdown menu to select from a list of zones.
    Note:

    All zones selected will be set to the same role (O, D, or C). You can adjust this later. If you wish to upload a group of zones with different roles, select them in groups and assign their roles accordingly.

  5. Select the zones you wish to include in your analysis by clicking them in the dropdown menu that is displayed on the side of the search bar. To complete your selections, click Continue.
  6. Set your zones as Origins, Destinations, Connectors, or as both Origin and Destination by selecting one of the options in the popup menu.
  7. If you have chosen these zones to be an O and/or D, select whether you want this zone to be Start and/or End here only (only consider journeys that start/end at the zones), a Passthrough only (begin/end analysis of a journey at these zones, even if the journey didn't necessarily start/end at these locations), or Both start and/or End here or passthrough. Once this is done, your zones appear labeled on the map.
    Note:

    If you have selected a zone to be both an origin and a destination, you may set O and D passthrough options separately by selecting set for origins and destinations separately, as seen in the image above.

    If you have chosen these zones to be a Connector, select whether you want this zone to be set to Passthrough ANY connector, or Passthrough ALL connectors. Selecting ANY means that any zones selected as a connector must be traveled through for a journey to be included in your analysis. Selecting ALL means that all zones assigned as connectors must be traveled through for a journey to be included in your analysis.
  8. Repeat steps above to add additional areas for analysis. Check the information besides the Origins & Destinations to Analyze header to know if you have reached the maximum amount of zones you can include within a single analysis.
You can now run your analysis.

Selecting O/D from Road Segments using dropdown menus

Select Origins, Destinations, and Connectors from road segments using dropdown menus, enabling you to analyze geographic locations and road types for your analysis.

To select your Origin(s), Destination(s), and Connector(s) from road segments:
  1. Select Origin & Destination on the left panel.
  2. Select Road Segments.
  3. Select a geographic location to analyze by clicking the arrow next to the search bar labeled Choose a region to select zones to select the country where your analysis will take place. You can also search for a location by typing in the search bar.
  4. You can see a list of subregions (states, provinces, territories, etc.) of that country. Click the desired location. Continue this process until you reach your finest area of interest.
  5. The map zooms in the analysis area and the road type you selected is highlighted on the map. You can change the road type you want to analyze by clicking one of the options at the top of the window.
  6. Open the Road types dropdown list to select the type of road to analyze and click Done. You can select multiple road types.
  7. Click the road segments you want to include in your analysis. You can use Single segment or Connected segments selection. Single segment selection allows you to manually select smaller, individual road segments for your analysis, while Connected segment selection automatically selects full OSM Ways wherever you click. You can switch between the two modes by selecting either option in the top right menu.
  8. Once you select your road segments, they appear listed in the top right-hand side window. To remove a road segment, click the X next to its name. To remove all road segments, click Clear selections.
  9. Click Continue once all intended road segments are selected.
  10. Set your zones as Origins, Destinations, Connectors, or as both Origin and Destination by selecting one of the options in the popup menu.
  11. If you have chosen these zones to be an O and/or D, select whether you want this zone to be Start and/or End here only (only consider journeys that start/end at the zones), a Passthrough only (begin/end analysis of a journey at these zones, even if the journey didn't necessarily start/end at these locations), or Both start and/or End here or passthrough
    Note:

    If you have selected a zone to be both an origin and a destination, you may set O and D passthrough options separately by selecting set for origins and destinations separately, as seen in the image above.

    If you have chosen these zones to be a Connector, select whether you want this zone to be set to Passthrough ANY connector, or Passthrough ALL connectors. Selecting ANY means that any zones selected as a connector must be traveled through for a journey to be included in your analysis. Selecting ALL
  12. Repeat steps above to add additional areas for analysis. Check the information besides the Origins & Destinations to Analyze header to know if you have reached the maximum amount of zones you can include within a single analysis.
  13. Once imported, you can see your Os, Ds, and Cs in list form on the left-hand side panel. Click either Origins, Connectors, or Destinations to view the zones/road segments with each respective role.
  14. Click the dropdown menu next to the magnifying glass to choose how to sort your zones and road segments. Selecting one sort options sets how your list of Os, Ds, and Cs, as well as the rows and columns of your analysis matrix, are sorted.
You can now run your analysis.

Selecting O/D from Standard Zones using dropdown menus

Select Origins, Destinations, and Connectors from standard zones using dropdown menus, ensuring a comprehensive geographic analysis.

To select your Origin(s), Destination(s), and Connector(s) from standard zones:
  1. Select Origin & Destination on the left panel.
  2. Select Standard.
  3. If you know which Os, Ds, and C’s you would like to choose, click Basic.
    Note:

    To learn about Radius Selection, visit Selecting Origins and Destinations using Radius.

  4. Select a geographic location to analyze by opening the Choose a region to select zones menu to select the country where your analysis will take place. You can also search for a country by typing in the search bar. To select an entire country, click its name, then select Done. If you wish to narrow down your analysis to a certain region, click the country's name.
  5. Once you select a country, a list of its subregions (states or provinces) displays. If you wish to select an entire subregion, click its name, then select Done. To drill further into a specific location, click on a subregion to view its subregions (cities, towns, etc.) If you wish to narrow down your analysis to a certain region, click the region’s name. Continue this process until you have reached your area of interest.
  6. Search the name of your intended zone type using the search bar, or click the dropdown menu to view a list of available zones.
    Note:

    To view a location on the map before selecting your O(s), D(s), or C(s), you may type a location into the top search bar to redirect the map view to your intended geography.

  7. Select the zone(s) you wish to select as your Origin(s), Destination(s), or Connector(s) by typing the name of your intended zone in the search bar under Find a zone, or use the dropdown menu to select from a list of zones.
    Note:

    All zones selected will be set to the same role (O, D, or C). You can adjust this later. If you wish to upload a group of zones with different roles, select them in groups and assign their roles accordingly.

  8. Select the zones you wish to include in your analysis by clicking them in the dropdown menu that is displayed on the side of the search bar. To complete your selections, click Continue.
  9. Set your zones as Origins, Destinations, Connectors, or as both Origin and Destination by selecting one of the options in the popup menu.
  10. If you have chosen these zones to be an O and/or D, select whether you want this zone to be Start and/or End here only (only consider journeys that start/end at the zones), a Passthrough only (begin/end analysis of a journey at these zones, even if the journey didn’t necessarily start/end at these locations), or Both start and/or End here or passthrough. Once this is done, your zones appear labeled on the map.
    Note:

    If you have selected a zone to be both an origin and a destination, you may set O and D passthrough options separately by selecting set for origins and destinations separately, as seen in the image above.

    If you have chosen these zones to be a Connector, select whether you want this zone to be set to Passthrough ANY connector, or Passthrough ALL connectors. Selecting ANY means that any zones selected as a connector must be traveled through for a journey to be included in your analysis. Selecting ALL means that all zones assigned as connectors must be traveled through for a journey to be included in your analysis.
  11. Repeat steps above to add additional areas for analysis. Check the information besides the Origins & Destinations to Analyze header to know if you have reached the maximum amount of zones you can include within a single analysis.
You can now run your analysis.

Selecting Origins and Destinations using the map

After accessing the Origin and Destination module, one of the methods to select your Os, Ds, and Cs is using the map.

Using the map, you can select your Origins and Destinations from either zones or Road Segments.

Selecting O/D from zones using the map

Select zones on the map to set as Origins, Destinations, or Connectors for your analysis, including options for starting, ending, and passing through these zones.

To select your Origin(s), Destination(s), and Connector(s) from standard zones:
  1. Select Origin & Destination on the left panel.
  2. Select Standard
  3. If you know which Os, Ds, and C's you would like to choose, click Basic.
    Note:

    To learn about Radius Selection, visit Selecting Origins and Destinations using Radius.

  4. Search the name of your intended zone type using the search bar, or click the dropdown menu to view a list of available zones.
    Note:

    To view a location on the map before selecting your O(s), D(s), or C(s), you may type a location into the top search bar to redirect the map view to your intended geography.

  5. Select the zone(s) you wish to select as your Origin(s), Destination(s), or Connector(s) by typing the name of your intended zone in the search bar under Find a zone, or use the dropdown menu to select from a list of zones.
    Note:

    All zones selected will be set to the same role (O, D, or C). You can adjust this later. If you wish to upload a group of zones with different roles, select them in groups and assign their roles accordingly.

  6. Select the zones you wish to include in your analysis by clicking them in the dropdown menu that is displayed on the side of the search bar. To complete your selections, click Continue
  7. Set your zones as Origins, Destinations, Connectors, or as both Origin and Destination by selecting one of the options in the popup menu.
  8. If you have chosen these zones to be an O and/or D, select whether you want this zone to be Start and/or End here only (only consider journeys that start/end at the zones), a Passthrough only (begin/end analysis of a journey at these zones, even if the journey didn't necessarily start/end at these locations), or Both start and/or End here or passthrough. Once this is done, your zones appear labeled on the map.
    Note:

    If you have selected a zone to be both an origin and a destination, you may set O and D passthrough options separately by selecting set for origins and destinations separately, as seen in the image above.

    If you have chosen these zones to be a Connector, select whether you want this zone to be set to Passthrough ANY connector, or Passthrough ALL connectors. Selecting ANY means that any zones selected as a connector must be traveled through for a journey to be included in your analysis. Selecting ALL means that all zones assigned as connectors must be traveled through for a journey to be included in your analysis.
  9. Repeat steps above to add additional areas for analysis. Check the information besides the Origins & Destinations to Analyze header to know if you have reached the maximum amount of zones you can include within a single analysis.
  10. Once imported, you can see your Os, Ds, and Cs in list form on the left-hand side panel. Click either Origins, Connectors, or Destinations to view the zones/road segments with each respective role.
  11. Click the dropdown menu next to the magnifying glass to choose how to sort your zones and road segments. Selecting one sort options sets how your list of Os, Ds, and Cs, as well as the rows and columns of your analysis matrix, are sorted.
You can now run your analysis.

Selecting O/D from Road Segments using the map

Select Origins, Destinations, and Connectors from Road Segments on the map, setting their roles, and preparing them for analysis.

To select your Origin(s), Destination(s), and Connector(s) from road segments:
  1. Select Origin & Destination on the left panel.
  2. Select Road Segments.
  3. Select a geographic location to analyze by clicking the arrow next to the search bar labeled Choose a region to select zones to select the country where your analysis will take place. You can also search for a location by typing in the search bar.
  4. You can see a list of subregions (states, provinces, territories, etc.) of that country. Click the desired location. Continue this process until you reach your finest area of interest.
  5. The map zooms in the analysis area and the road type you selected is highlighted on the map. You can change the road type you want to analyze by clicking one of the options at the top of the window.
  6. Open the Road types dropdown list to select the type of road to analyze and click Done. You can select multiple road types.
  7. Right click any of the selected road segments and select a role for the zones/road segments from the dropdown menu that is displayed.
  8. Set your zones as Origins, Destinations, Connectors, or as both Origin and Destination by selecting one of the options in the popup menu.
  9. If you have chosen these zones to be an O and/or D, select whether you want this zone to be Start and/or End here only (only consider journeys that start/end at the zones), a Passthrough only (begin/end analysis of a journey at these zones, even if the journey didn't necessarily start/end at these locations), or Both start and/or End here or passthrough. Once this is done, your zones appear labeled on the map.
    Note:

    If you have selected a zone to be both an origin and a destination, you may set O and D passthrough options separately by selecting set for origins and destinations separately, as seen in the image above.

    If you have chosen these zones to be a Connector, select whether you want this zone to be set to Passthrough ANY connector, or Passthrough ALL connectors. Selecting ANY means that any zones selected as a connector must be traveled through for a journey to be included in your analysis. Selecting ALL means that all zones assigned as connectors must be traveled through for a journey to be included in your analysis.
  10. Repeat steps above to add additional areas for analysis. Check the information besides the Origins & Destinations to Analyze header to know if you have reached the maximum amount of zones you can include within a single analysis.
  11. Once imported, you can see your Os, Ds, and Cs in list form on the left-hand side panel. Click either Origins, Connectors, or Destinations to view the zones/road segments with each respective role.
  12. Click the dropdown menu next to the magnifying glass to choose how to sort your zones and road segments. Selecting one sort options sets how your list of Os, Ds, and Cs, as well as the rows and columns of your analysis matrix, are sorted.
You can now run your analysis.

Selecting Origins and Destinations using Radius

After accessing the Origin and Destination module, one of the methods to select your Os, Ds, and Cs is using the map.

The Radius tool allows you to select zones geographically by defining a zone type and geographic radius, enabling you to view and select zones that meet your criteria for analysis.

The Radius tool is useful in an analysis where you would like to select zones geographically without necessarily knowing/needing to select each individual zone. This tool allows you to define a zone type and geographic radius then view all zones that fit that criteria. You are then able to select which of these zones you would like to include in your analysis. To select your Origin(s), Destination(s), and Connector(s) using Radius:

Note:

To use Radius, you must have at least one area selected as an O,D, or C from zones.

  1. Select Origin & Destination on the left panel.
  2. Select Standard or Custom.
  3. Search the name of your intended zone type using the search bar, or click the dropdown menu to view a list of available zones.
  4. Select the zone(s) you wish to select as your Origin(s), Destination(s), or Connector(s) by typing the name of your intended zone in the search bar under Find a zone, or use the dropdown menu to select from a list of zones.
  5. Select the zones you wish to include in your analysis by clicking them in the dropdown menu that is displayed on the side of the search bar. To complete your selections, click Continue.
  6. Set your zones as Origins, Destinations, Connectors, or as both Origin and Destination by selecting one of the options in the popup menu.
  7. Select Radius.
  8. Choose your center of analysis from your pre-existing Os, Ds, and Cs.
  9. Define the length of the radius for this analysis by entering a numerical value into the Define radius text box, or by dragging the sliding scale. The map will display your radial analysis; a circle will appear, centered around your center of analysis, with the radius you defined.
  10. Click the arrow on the Find Zones drop down menu to see a list of zones that fall within your radius. Select zones for your analysis, then click Continue.
  11. Follow steps 6 through 8 for selecting O/D using dropdown menus in the user guide. All your selected zones will appear on the map, as show in the image below:.
You can now run your analysis.

Editing selected Origins, Destinations and Connectors

Edit the roles or trip behaviors of selected Origins, Destinations, and Connectors.

To edit the role or trip behavior (passthrough options) of your selected areas:
  1. From your list of selected O, D, and C, click Edit zone(s).
  2. Select the tab that describes the current role of the area you wish to edit between Origins, Connectors, and Destinations.
  3. Select the area(s) you want to edit.
  4. Click Roles or Trip behavior, depending on what you want to edit.
  5. Make the edits you want to apply to the zone. To undo these edits, click the undo arrow at the top of the screen. To save edits, click Apply.

Origin and Destination filters

Use O/D filters to customize your analysis, including options for date range, day of the week, time of day, vehicle class, vocation, and industry.

You can filter by journey or vehicle, and define journeys as either a single trip or consecutive trips with pauses.

Journey filters

Filtering a journey allows you to customize your analysis to provide data that is most relevant to you.

To filter your journey details, scroll down to Journey Filters on the main Origin & Destination page. Press Edit to edit these features.

The following journey filters are available:

Date range

Allows you to select up to four date ranges. O/D Analysis will only take into account journeys that started within these dates. The ability to select multiple date ranges allows you to cover patterns over a broad time without having to analyze all the data. This can be useful in cases where seasonality is a factor.

  • Click on the leftmost date to change your start date.

  • Click Apply to save this date.

  • Check the information besides the Date range label to know if you have reached the maximum number of days you can include within a single analysis.

To ensure data processing is complete and accurate across all timezones, available dates may be up to four days in arrears of the current date.

Note:

When selecting a date range, you are unable to crossover multiple purchased date ranges. That is, your start and end date must fall in the same purchased date range.

Day(s) of the week
Allows you to only evaluate journeys that occurred on certain day(s) of the week.
Time of day

Allows you to filter your analysis based on a set range of times that a journey starts and/or ends at. Only journeys that fall within this range will be accounted for in your analysis. First select if your Time of day will apply to your Origins, Destinations, or both, then select your Time Range. This time is local to each origin. If you apply a 7am to 10am, but the origins span across more than one time zone, all journeys that started locally between that time window will be available for analysis.

Vehicle filters

Filtering your vehicles allows you to customize your analysis to provide data that is most relevant to you. To filter your journey details, scroll down to Journey Filters on the main Origin & Destination page. Press Edit to edit these features.

The following journey filters are available:

Vehicle class

Allows you to select the vehicle's classification type. The vehicle's VIN is used to determine the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR is then used to assess its vehicle classification. See the Vehicle Class section of the Altitude Data Dictionary for more information on the specific quantifiers of each vehicle class.

Note:

The Vehicle class truck scheme label displays when the Vehicle class is related to Trucks and no other vehicle classes.

Vocation

Geotab has a patented machine learning algorithm which is used to determine the purpose or job (vocations) of the vehicles from which we collect data. The ability to use this information for an O/D Analysis is unique to Geotab as It allows users specific insights into what types of 'jobs' the vehicles on the road are performing.

VocationVocation ID (for API requests)DescriptionExamples
Door to Door1The vehicle makes significantly more stops than most per work day, but also tends to spend very little time per stop.

  • Last mile delivery

  • Waste collection

Hub and Spoke2The vehicle spends many of its work days making multiple round trips from a singular location (a centralized hub). Typically, the vehicle would average over one round trip per working day, with these round trips accounting for the majority of its total mileage.

  • On-demand services or delivery

  • Auto-parts delivery

Local3The vehicle's range of activity is below 150-air-miles (regardless of miles traveled), thus qualifies for the short-haul exemption under Hours of Service Regulations. This is measured over a given 3 month period. In addition, the vehicle does not exhibit behavior in line with other vocations, such as hub-and-spoke and door-to-door.

  • HVAC

  • Beverage distribution

Regional4The vehicle has a wide range of activity, over the 150-mile threshold for short-haul exemption, but tends to rest in the same location often. The vehicle is also neither hub-and-spoke nor door-to-door.

  • Building supplies

  • Fuel carrier

Long Distance5The vehicle has a very large range of activity and typically does not rest in the same location. The vehicle is also neither hub-and-spoke nor door-to-door.

  • Freight long haul

  • Rental or company vehicles

Industry
Whenever available, Geotab has assigned a primary industry designation to the vehicles contributing to the analytics. These classifications are based on NAICS primary industry code.
Sector CodeIndustry
11Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
21Mining, Quarrying, Oil and Gas Extraction
22Utilities
23Construction
31-33Manufacturing
41-42Wholesale Trade
44-45Retail Trade
48-49Transportation and Warehousing
51Information and cultural industries
52Finance and Insurance
53Real Estate, Rental and Leasing
54Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
55Management of Companies and Enterprises
56Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
61Educational Services
62Healthcare and Social Assistance
71Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
72Accommodation and food services
81Other Services (except Public Administration)
91-92Public Administration
99Unclassified
Note:

Unknown refers to cases where we do not have sufficient vehicle and fleet information to categorize.

Journey Definition (Single Trip vs Multiple Consecutive trips)

You can define journeys as either a single trip or consecutive trips with pauses.

Single trip

Select A single trip (default) to define a journey as "When a vehicle starts moving until it stops with ignition turned off (or idles for 3 min 20 sec)".

Multiple consecutive trips

Select Chained consecutive trips to define a journey as combined, consecutive trips, with pauses in work (e.g. breaks).

The concept of Trip Chaining is unique to Altitude, as Geotab is a primary source of data and has the ability to follow vehicles along an entire journey. Particularly for heavy-duty or long haul vehicles, a standard definition for a trip may not be useful. In this case, a trip chaining factor, which is the minimum stop duration threshold, can be defined to string together trips to comprise a journey from origin to destination. You can do this by inputting a number of minutes to Chain consecutive trips together by ignoring stops under: field.

To determine how trip chaining will combine certain trips into a single journey, select the appropriate parameters according to their description:

ParameterDescription
Trip Chaining ThresholdAdd journey counts for destination stops on the way to the final destination. Useful to see, for example, if trucks are hitting multiple defined destinations on their way to a final Destination. This can help you understand how goods are moving and stopping along longer journeys. This setting is not considered if the destination is set to passthrough.
Include Sub-JourneysMetrics account for trips chained within an Origin. Useful to see, for example, how efficiently trucks move through a warehouse center. This can help you understand if you need additional docks or parking areas.
Chaining Within OriginsInclude journeys whose stop duration in the initial Origin is shorter than the Trip Chaining Threshold. Useful to see, for example, the total traffic demand for a geography. This can help you plan the road infrastructure to accommodate the right types of volumes.
Include Inbound ChainingMetrics account for trips chained within a Destination. Useful to see, for example, how efficiently trucks move through a warehouse center. This can help you understand if you need additional docks or parking areas.
Chaining Within DestinationsInclude journeys whose stop duration in the final Destination is shorter than the Trip Chaining Threshold. Useful to see, for example, the total traffic demand for a geography. This can help you plan the road infrastructure to accommodate the right types of volumes.
Include Outbound ChainingInclude journeys whose stop duration in the final Destination is shorter than the Trip Chaining Threshold. Useful to see, for example, the total traffic demand for a geography. This can help you plan the road infrastructure to accommodate the right types of volumes.
Note:

Some parameters depend on others, so you can only select Include Inbound Chaining if you select Chaining Within Origins.

You can also only select Include Outbound Chaining if you select Chaining Within Destinations

Resetting an O/D analysis

Reset an Origin and Destination analysis to start fresh.

Click Clear all to reset the analysis.

If you have edited the date/time filters and click Clear all, the button will perform its usual function and remove the zones, filters, and anything you input.

If you have not edited the date/time filters but have removed all the zones, the button will be disabled, but the date/time filters will still be visible and editable.

Running an O/D analysis

Run an Origin and Destination analysis by defining your parameters, initiating the analysis, and managing post-analysis steps including receiving notifications and viewing results.

Once you have defined your Origin(s), Destination(s), and optional Connector(s), as well as adjusted the journey filters, you can run your analysis:
  1. Click Run O/D analysis at the bottom of the window.
  2. A popup message displays the estimated loading time to validate your analysis. After validating the analysis, the screen displays information about the next steps and what to expect in terms of time until you can see the results.
  3. Toggle Email me when complete to ON to receive an email with a link to open your analysis even if you leave the page.
    Note:

    If an area you selected is outside your purchased area, an Access Denied message will display. You will have the option to contact the Altitude Support team, Show dataset boundaries, or Go Back. You can adjust your included zones to ignore non-purchased zones in your analysis. If you would like to purchase access, contact your Account Administrator.

  4. Once the analysis is complete, you see the map with your outlined zones in the center of the screen. You can also view a sorted list of your Os, Ds, and C. The summary of your analysis is displayed at the bottom of your screen.
    Important:

    Depending on the amount of data, this analysis may take several minutes or even hours.