# How to map a depot and its delivery coverage Official GBMaps guide for the classic map maker. VectorMaps has a different interface. Source: https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=coverage-recipe Updated: 2026-09-29 Use Radial Circles for straight-line distance or Distance/Time for estimated travel by road. Both can turn the coverage into coloured postcode territories using Colour postcodes. The result selects whole polygons by their centres, rather than cutting boundaries at the edge of a circle or travel area. [Watch tutorial video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4-LXbJ53kI) Some videos show an earlier layout. The written instructions below describe the current controls; this is a guide, not a video transcript. ## Marker boxes on the map ![A Thirsk depot marker has a blue label box above its location with an arrow pointing down to it. A Malton office marker uses a purple label below its point and a line call-out.](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/help/images/example-markers.png) These are placed marker boxes: each label is connected to a location on the map. One uses an arrow with the text above the point; the other uses a line with the text below it. You can change the wording, text size, colours and call-out, and move a selected marker using Place on map. ## Different dots and shapes ![A Yorkshire map with a green circle, blue square, yellow triangle, purple hexagon and orange star at different locations. A larger hollow dashed circle appears around York.](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/help/images/example-dots.png) Advanced dots can use circles, squares, triangles, hexagons and stars. Different shapes and colours help distinguish depots, customers or other location types. The larger hollow circle demonstrates a coverage-style outline; the basic dot controls also let you adjust fill, transparency and line appearance. These are example positions. ## Distance rings on the map ![Three concentric circles over Yorkshire share one centre. Blue, green and rust-coloured rings are labelled 5 miles, 10 miles and 15 miles.](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/help/images/example-circles.png) A set of three rings with a 5-mile interval gives radii of 5, 10 and 15 miles from the same centre. The labels and line colours make the distances easy to distinguish. These are straight-line distances, so they are useful for a radius-based service area; use Distance/Time for a journey-based view. ## Travel areas on the map ![Three nested irregular travel-area bands over a Yorkshire map, with a separate key for 10, 20 and 30 minutes. The screenshot states that the contours are illustrative, not a calculated journey.](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/help/images/example-travel.png) Isochrones are travel-area shapes. Their irregular edges show why a time-based catchment can look very different from a circle: the available network affects how far you can travel. This is an illustrative display made with the tool’s renderer, not a calculated route or journey-time estimate. Use Create areas with your own starting location and settings to calculate your map. ## 1. Mark the depot Use a marker box for a named depot, or a postcode dot for a simple symbol. Position it by full postcode where possible. [Open this step](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=coverage-recipe#coverage-recipe--centre) ## 2. Draw straight-line rings Use Radial Circles for fixed distances around the depot. Add sets to compare several depots. Use linked settings when each depot should be measured on the same scale. [Open this step](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=coverage-recipe#coverage-recipe--distance) ## 3. Or calculate travel areas Use Distance/Time for road-based travel. Set the outer limit and number of bands, then calculate. Check that the displayed result is useful for the purpose of the map. [Open this step](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=coverage-recipe#coverage-recipe--roads) ## 4. Colour the postcodes within reach Click Colour postcodes in Radial Circles, Create Dots or Distance/Time. Matching uses each map polygon’s centre and colours the whole polygon. On an already-coloured map, Add to existing preserves current territories while Replace colouring uses only the chosen coverage. The key is created for you, and one Undo puts it back. You do not need a postcode results list or a spreadsheet import. [Open this step](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=coverage-recipe#coverage-recipe--territories) ## Related guides - [Radial Circles: distance rings](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=circles) - [Several circle centres & linked settings](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=circle-sets) - [Distance/Time: road-travel areas](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=travel) - [Marker Boxes: labelled places](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=markers) - [Colour postcodes inside dots](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=dots-postcodes) - [Colour postcodes inside circles](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=circle-postcodes) - [Colour postcodes inside travel areas](https://www.gbmaps.com/mcs/map-help.php?topic=travel-postcodes)