NEMT multi-loading: more riders on every run
Duet supports multi-loading: several riders in one vehicle at the same time, with shared or split pickups and drop-offs. Each rider keeps their own trip, so their mobility needs, tags, notes, and payer stay attached. The driver sees every rider on their schedule, and each trip bills to its own payer. It's part of Duet's NEMT software, not an add-on.
By James O'Donnell, Cofounder and COO, Duet · Updated
One rider per drive leaves seats empty
A van carrying one rider at a time earns one fare per drive. When two riders leave the same senior community for the same clinic at the same hour, sending two vehicles means two drivers, two sets of miles, and a fleet that's busy without being full.
Multi-loading takes coordination, and the usual tools don't help. On paper or in a spreadsheet, it's hard to see which trips line up, and harder to keep each rider's details and billing straight once they share a ride. So the van goes out with one rider and empty seats.
Duet keeps every rider on their own trip and lets the vehicle carry as many of them as the run allows.
What is multi-loading in NEMT?
Multi-loading means carrying more than one rider in the same vehicle at the same time, each on their own trip. It's also called shared rides or group trips. Riders can share a pickup, a drop-off, both, or neither, as long as their trips overlap in time and direction.
Group runs to adult day programs and senior centers are the classic case, and so are riders from the same building with appointments at the same place. Every one of those riders still needs their own record: their own mobility needs, their own notes for the driver, and their own payer.
What kinds of multi-loads does Duet handle?
Duet handles multi-loads with shared or split pickups and drop-offs, so the riders in one vehicle don't all have to start or end in the same place:
Same pickup, same drop-off
A group from one senior community headed to the same day program, or two residents with appointments at the same clinic.
Same pickup, split drop-offs
Load everyone at one building, drop the first rider, then drive on to drop the rest.
Split pickups, same drop-off
Collect riders from a few nearby addresses on the way to one destination, like a dialysis center with several of your riders on the same shift.
Split pickups and drop-offs
Riders whose trips overlap along the same stretch of road, picked up and dropped off in the order that makes sense for the route.
How does multi-loading work in Duet?
In Duet, a multi-load is several trips assigned to the same vehicle at the same time. You book each rider's trip as usual, put the overlapping trips on one vehicle, and the driver runs them together. Step by step:
Book each rider as usual
Every rider gets their own trip, with their own pickup, drop-off, mobility type, tags, notes, and payer. Nothing about a rider's trip changes because someone else is in the van.
Assign the trips to one vehicle
Put the overlapping trips on the same vehicle and they sit side by side in that vehicle's column on the dispatch board, so you can see the whole load at a glance.
The driver runs each trip
The driver app lists every trip in order with its pickup time, address, passenger count, and tags, and the driver updates each one as the run goes.
Each trip bills on its own
Every rider's trip bills to that rider's payer at the rate on that contract, so two riders in one van can bill two different payers correctly.
How do you find trips to multi-load?
Look for trips that overlap in time and head the same way. Duet's dispatch board lays out the whole day with each trip's time and addresses, so riders headed the same way at the same hour are easy to spot.
Then check who can ride together. Every trip carries its color-coded tags, like oxygen, bariatric, or dementia, and its mobility type, so a dispatcher can see what each rider needs before putting them in one vehicle. Check the contract too: some facilities don't want their residents sharing a vehicle with other riders, and broker rules on shared rides vary.
Duet's auto-scheduler builds the rest of the day for you, and the board itself is covered on the NEMT dispatch software page.
How do you bill a multi-load?
Each rider's trip bills on its own, to that rider's payer, at the rate on that contract. A broker rider and a private-pay rider can share the van, and each trip still lands on the right report or invoice. Because every trip keeps its own record, there's nothing to split apart at the end of the month.
Rates per contract, payer-shaped reports, and claims are covered on the NEMT billing software page, and the driver app page shows what drivers see on the road.
Does multi-loading cost extra?
No. Multi-loading is part of Duet's software, not a paid module, and it never raises your rate: Duet charges by loaded time, and an hour with fifteen riders on board costs the same as an hour with one. Duet is free for providers running fewer than 100 trips a month and usage-based after that. Most providers pay less than $50 per active vehicle per month, with no per-vehicle license fee and no setup fee, month-to-month.
Full software and services pricing lives on the pricing page.
Multi-loading questions, answered
Does Duet support multi-loading?
Yes. Duet supports multi-loading: several riders in one vehicle at the same time, with shared or split pickups and drop-offs. Each rider keeps their own trip, so their mobility needs, tags, notes, and payer stay attached, and the driver sees every one of them on their schedule.
What is multi-loading in NEMT?
Multi-loading means carrying more than one rider in the same vehicle at the same time, each on their own trip. It's also called shared rides or group trips. Common examples are residents of one community going to the same day program, or several riders heading to the same dialysis center on the same shift.
How does billing work when riders share a vehicle?
Each rider's trip bills on its own. It goes to that rider's payer, priced at the rate on that contract, the same way it would if they rode alone. Two riders with two different payers can share the van and still bill correctly. The billing page covers rates and payer reports.
What does the driver see on a multi-load?
The driver app shows each rider's trip on the driver's schedule in order, with the pickup time, address, passenger count, and the trip's tags, like oxygen or bariatric. The driver updates each trip's status as they go, so dispatch and the board stay current for every rider in the vehicle.
Is a multi-load the same as an extra passenger?
No. An extra passenger, like a family member or caregiver, rides along on one rider's trip and can be added as a fee on that trip. A multi-load is several riders, each with their own trip, sharing the vehicle.
Can I multi-load any trip?
Check the contract first. Some facilities don't want their residents sharing a vehicle with other riders, and broker rules on shared rides vary. Trip tags help on the day: a dispatcher can see the oxygen, bariatric, or dementia tags on each trip before deciding who rides together.
Does multi-loading cost extra in Duet?
No. Multi-loading is part of Duet's standard NEMT software, and Duet charges by loaded time at the same rate whether one rider is on board or fifteen. The software is free under 100 trips a month and usage-based after that, and most providers pay less than $50 per active vehicle per month. Details are on the pricing page.
The rest of the platform
Every feature here is one system: one login, one dispatch board, one monthly bill.
See everything the software does side by side — or how the growth team fills the schedule the software runs.
Fill the empty seats
Book a 30-minute demo and bring a day you think has multi-loads hiding in it. We'll put it on the board and show you how the trips line up.
Free for providers under 100 trips a month. No contracts. Questions? Call (650) 780-3465 and you'll get a founder, not a call center.