GPS with route optimization is one of the most valuable tools a fleet has to keep the business safe, efficient, and cost-effective. It cuts down your drivers’ time spent in traffic, simplifies the dispatching process, saves money on fuel, and ensures your customers are pleased with your services. Route optimization works by harnessing machine learning, algorithms, and artificial intelligence to create the most efficient path from Point A to Point B, including any stops you may need along the way. It is an easy-to-use tool that offers your fleet a variety of advantages to the point where it may be a necessity for your fleet to compete with other businesses. You want to ensure that your fleet has all the tools it needs to succeed, and route optimization is the best it can have to thrive.
How Does Route Optimization Software Work?
Route optimization software is required for route optimization to take place. There are many route optimization software options available, but there are particular features you need to ensure that you have before you choose your software. Your route optimization software should have the following features:
- Update in real-time: If your software doesn’t update in real-time, it becomes useless to you. Outdated information is useless to you, and real-time information has a variety of uses. Not only can real-time traffic data help you avoid delays, but real-time updates from your fleet management software can tell you when jobs are added or removed from your route so you’re showing up to the correct locations.
- Utilize historical data: Today’s data isn’t the only critical data that your route optimization software should be utilizing. Historical data is also crucial in creating routes that get you to your destination in the most efficient way possible. For example, historical data can detect patterns like rush hour and school zone hours and help you avoid them. Furthermore, it can store customer data and make routes based on customers’ preferred time slots.
- Sharing routes: Communicating routes is one of the most useful features of route optimization software. There must be communication between drivers, managers, and customers. It is even more difficult because the driver is the middle man, and they should focus on driving. However, route optimization software can do all of the communicating for you, leaving the driver hands-free and safe. Managers can update drivers about their routes automatically, and the software can tell customers when the driver is close.
- Integrate with fleet management software: Your route optimization software can’t perform any of these tasks if it doesn’t integrate with your fleet management software. It needs access to your customer information, job lists, and more if you want to enjoy the full benefits. Most route optimization software integrates with a form of fleet management software for this reason.
How Does Route Optimization Software Save Time?
The best thing about route optimization software is that it saves time! There are a few ways that route optimization software saves your fleet time throughout the day. We will discuss how below.
First, route optimization software gets your drivers to their destination in the fastest manner possible. It considers traffic, road closures, weather, and any other factors that might cause delays to your drivers. Then, it finds ways to avoid these delays. Route optimization software prevents your drivers from wasting time sitting in traffic or having to reroute due to construction or surprise road closures.
Secondly, route optimization software updates in real-time. It takes into account jobs that come and go throughout the day. This way, if a job is canceled, it is automatically removed from the driver’s route. Without this feature, your drivers may show up at a customer’s location needlessly. Furthermore, when jobs are added throughout the day, the system automatically integrates them in the most efficient way possible. You don’t have to waste time trying to fit them in or making sure your drivers are aware of the change.
Finally, GPS software guides your drivers so that they’ll never spend time driving around lost in unfamiliar areas. When your drivers are lost, it puts a massive dent in your productive time, so naturally, you’ll want to avoid getting lost at all costs. Route optimizations software tells your drivers exactly where they need to go, so getting lost is never a concern.
What are Other Benefits of Route Optimization?
As mentioned previously, route optimization software offers many benefits that you may not even know. Some of these benefits include:
- Improved customer relations: Your customers will be much happier when their drivers consistently show up on time and communicate when they are arriving with them. It’s much easier for them to plan their days around consistent arrival times.
- Proper usage of vehicles: With route optimization software, you can properly plan how many vehicles you need in a given day. If you’re using more vehicles than needed for a specific area, you can even expand your area of service and grow your business!
- Increased shipment capacity: When your vehicles get their jobs done faster, you can deliver more goods faster, increasing productivity.
- Reduced liability: Less time spent in traffic or trying to navigate unfamiliar areas means that your drivers are safer. Safer drivers mean that you have less liability and danger on the road.
- Reduced insurance costs: Many insurance providers offer insurance discounts for fleets that implement route optimization software since they are safer than those without it.
- Reduced maintenance costs: Fleets with route optimization software incur less wear and tear on their vehicles, resulting in lower maintenance costs.
- Reduced fuel costs: One of the most considerable benefits of route optimization software is that it significantly cuts fuel costs since the software finds the route that uses the least fuel.
Get the Best Route Optimization Software Today!
If you’re looking to enjoy these benefits, it may be time to invest in route optimization software. Why not invest in the best and get Azuga’s comprehensive fleet management solution? Azuga offers state-of-the-art fleet management technology that fleets use to improve their operations and save money. Find out what you can do with Azuga by trying out a free demo online!
