—In this paper we study the influence of using hub nodes to relay messages in human-based delay tolerant networks (DTNs), by analyzing empirical traces obtained by human mobility monitoring experiments. Four traces known in literature have been considered. We exploit a measure of centrality (or betweenness) over underlying graphs associated to temporal networks, in order to establish (in probability) the ability to forward information using a restricted number of active relay nodes (hubs). The proposed analyses are carried out by introducing time-dependent networks associated to real traces. The empirical cumulative distribution of the node betweenness and the shortest paths length (or geodetic) are derived and characterized. The analysis shows that the geodetic path length follows a lognormal (skewed) distribution. It is also observed that the measures of betweenness on the nodes, if ordered decreasingly and interpreted as probability distribution, exhibit an exponential-like decay...