diff --git a/common/params.cc b/common/params.cc
index aef2cbdecd..f68e1e4c6b 100644
--- a/common/params.cc
+++ b/common/params.cc
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ std::unordered_map<std::string, uint32_t> keys = {
     {"RecordFront", PERSISTENT},
     {"RecordFrontLock", PERSISTENT},  // for the internal fleet
     {"ReplayControlsState", CLEAR_ON_MANAGER_START | CLEAR_ON_ONROAD_TRANSITION},
+    {"RouteCount", PERSISTENT},
     {"SnoozeUpdate", CLEAR_ON_MANAGER_START | CLEAR_ON_OFFROAD_TRANSITION},
     {"SshEnabled", PERSISTENT},
     {"TermsVersion", PERSISTENT},
diff --git a/system/loggerd/logger.cc b/system/loggerd/logger.cc
index 7a829a2f1f..f1b187df7f 100644
--- a/system/loggerd/logger.cc
+++ b/system/loggerd/logger.cc
@@ -89,15 +89,6 @@ kj::Array<capnp::word> logger_build_init_data() {
   return capnp::messageToFlatArray(msg);
 }
 
-std::string logger_get_route_name() {
-  char route_name[64] = {'\0'};
-  time_t rawtime = time(NULL);
-  struct tm timeinfo;
-  localtime_r(&rawtime, &timeinfo);
-  strftime(route_name, sizeof(route_name), "%Y-%m-%d--%H-%M-%S", &timeinfo);
-  return route_name;
-}
-
 std::string logger_get_identifier(std::string key) {
   // a log identifier is a 32 bit counter, plus a 10 character unique ID.
   // e.g. 000001a3--c20ba54385
@@ -131,7 +122,7 @@ static void log_sentinel(LoggerState *log, SentinelType type, int eixt_signal =
 }
 
 LoggerState::LoggerState(const std::string &log_root) {
-  route_name = logger_get_route_name();
+  route_name = logger_get_identifier("RouteCount");
   route_path = log_root + "/" + route_name;
   init_data = logger_build_init_data();
 }
diff --git a/system/loggerd/logger.h b/system/loggerd/logger.h
index dd3bee150c..7a8490d57a 100644
--- a/system/loggerd/logger.h
+++ b/system/loggerd/logger.h
@@ -52,5 +52,4 @@ protected:
 };
 
 kj::Array<capnp::word> logger_build_init_data();
-std::string logger_get_route_name();
 std::string logger_get_identifier(std::string key);
diff --git a/system/loggerd/tests/loggerd_tests_common.py b/system/loggerd/tests/loggerd_tests_common.py
index 42eec2a0f4..877c872b6b 100644
--- a/system/loggerd/tests/loggerd_tests_common.py
+++ b/system/loggerd/tests/loggerd_tests_common.py
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ class UploaderTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     uploader.force_wifi = True
     uploader.allow_sleep = False
     self.seg_num = random.randint(1, 300)
-    self.seg_format = "2019-04-18--12-52-54--{}"
-    self.seg_format2 = "2019-05-18--11-22-33--{}"
+    self.seg_format = "00000004--0ac3964c96--{}"
+    self.seg_format2 = "00000005--4c4e99b08b--{}"
     self.seg_dir = self.seg_format.format(self.seg_num)
 
     self.params = Params()
diff --git a/tools/lib/route.py b/tools/lib/route.py
index bd0ccc1fc3..06a3596d69 100644
--- a/tools/lib/route.py
+++ b/tools/lib/route.py
@@ -263,6 +263,10 @@ class SegmentRange:
   def timestamp(self) -> str:
     return self.m.group("timestamp")
 
+  @property
+  def log_id(self) -> str:
+    return self.m.group("log_id")
+
   @property
   def slice(self) -> str:
     return self.m.group("slice") or ""
@@ -291,7 +295,7 @@ class SegmentRange:
       return list(range(end + 1))[s]
 
   def __str__(self) -> str:
-    return f"{self.dongle_id}/{self.timestamp}" + (f"/{self.slice}" if self.slice else "") + (f"/{self.selector}" if self.selector else "")
+    return f"{self.dongle_id}/{self.log_id}" + (f"/{self.slice}" if self.slice else "") + (f"/{self.selector}" if self.selector else "")
 
   def __repr__(self) -> str:
     return self.__str__()