# Refill Station Route Comparator AI Agent Connect

> Refill Station Route Comparator MCP calculates a unified cost index to help you pick the best delivery paths. It weighs transport costs, product pricing, parking fees, and the economic value of travel time. Your AI client uses these metrics to rank different options or break down the specific costs of a single trip.

## Overview
- **Category:** transportation
- **Price:** Free
- **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_deuqzUzLTnZWpZyyJJIylc9yVAwzyyfY0cLid5Ab/ai-agent-connect
- **Tags:** route-optimization, logistics, cost-analysis, refill-stations, transport-modes

## Description

You can use this MCP to stop guessing which delivery route is actually the cheapest. Instead of just looking at mileage, you get a single cost index that accounts for how you're moving goods, what the products cost, and even the price of your time. If you're running a light van or a heavy freight truck, the math changes automatically based on the transport mode. 

You can ask your agent to compare several different paths at once to see which one wins on total cost. If you need to see exactly where the money is going for a specific trip, you can get a full breakdown of transport, product, parking, and time values. It's a way to turn messy logistics data into a clear decision for your refill operations.

## Tools

### compare_routes
This tool ranks multiple routes against each other using the unified cost index. It identifies the most efficient path among the options you provide.

### get_mode_factor
This tool retrieves the specific multiplier for a transport mode like Heavy Freight or Electric Courier. It's used to adjust transport costs based on the vehicle type.

### validate_route_integrity
This tool checks your route parameters for logical consistency. It ensures your data stays within valid bounds before you run calculations.

### calculate_route_efficiency
This tool provides a detailed cost breakdown for a single route. It separates out transport, product, parking, and time value costs.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
Compare these two routes: Route A has 50km distance, Light Van mode, $2 product price, 100 quantity, $5 parking, 1 hour travel time, and $15 time value rate. Route B has 40km distance, Electric Courier mode, $2 product price, 100 quantity, $10 parking, 0.5 hour travel time, and $15 time value rate.
```

**Response:** 
```
Route B is the most efficient option with a lower unified cost index compared to Route A.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Calculate the efficiency for a route with 120km distance, Heavy Freight mode, $5 product price, 500 quantity, $20 parking fees, 3 hours travel time, and $20 time value rate.
```

**Response:** 
```
The total cost index is $2,780, consisting of $1,200 transport cost, $2,500 product cost, $20 parking, and $60 time value.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
What is the multiplier for an Electric Courier?
```

**Response:** 
```
The multiplier for the Electric Courier mode is 0.8.
```

## Capabilities

### Unified Cost Indexing
Your agent calculates a single value by combining distance, mode, and time.

### Multi-Route Comparison
The AI ranks several different paths to find the cheapest one.

### Transport Mode Adjustment
The tool applies specific multipliers for different vehicle types like vans or freight.

### Detailed Cost Breakdown
Your agent can isolate individual costs like parking or time value for a single trip.

### Data Validation
The MCP checks that your route parameters are logically sound.

## Use Cases

### Route Selection
Compare a van route against a courier route to see which is cheaper for a specific refill.

### Cost Auditing
Get a full breakdown of a single trip to see how much parking or time is costing you.

### Vehicle Planning
Check how switching to an Electric Courier mode changes your cost index.

### Data Cleaning
Use the validation tool to ensure route data is consistent before running analysis.

## Benefits

- Combines distance, mode, and time into one comparable number.
- Adjusts transport costs automatically based on the vehicle used.
- Factors in the economic value of travel time for more accurate math.
- Identifies the most efficient path among multiple route options.

## How It Works

You connect the MCP to your AI client and start feeding it route data.

1. Connect your preferred client like Claude or Cursor to Vinkius.
2. Provide route details including distance, mode, and costs to your agent.
3. The agent uses the MCP tools to process the math.
4. You receive a ranked list of routes or a specific cost breakdown.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How does this MCP calculate route costs?**
It uses a unified cost index that combines transport costs, product pricing, parking fees, and the economic value of travel time.

**Can I compare different vehicle types?**
Yes. The tool uses specific multipliers for different transport modes like Heavy Freight, Light Van, or Electric Courier.

**What AI clients can I use with this MCP?**
You can use any MCP-compatible client, including Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

**Does it account for time spent traveling?**
Yes. It includes the economic value of travel time as part of the total cost index.

**How do I see the breakdown for just one trip?**
You can ask your agent to use the calculate_route_efficiency tool for a single route.

**How is the route efficiency calculated?**
The efficiency is determined by a unified cost index, which sums the transport cost (distance multiplied by the mode factor), the total product cost, all parking fees, and the time value.

**What transport modes are supported?**
Supported modes include Heavy Freight, Light Van, and Electric Courier. You can use `get_mode_factor` to check the specific multiplier for each.

**Can I validate a route before comparing it?**
Yes, use the `validate_route_integrity` tool to ensure distance, quantity, and travel time are logically consistent and within valid bounds.