Having a route plan is a priority for an organized transportation company . By planning effective routes, businesses and their drivers can save time, making their service virtually flawless. In addition, considerable financial savings are achieved thanks to reduced vehicle wear and tear.
As with any type of logistics or planning, there are factors to consider when organizing truck routes. These typically include the magnitude of the load, the size of the vehicle, and traffic congestion. That's why we have an article for you to explore truck fleets and cover more areas within your niche.
How does truck route planning work?
routing logistics for fleets are not only important in terms of time and money. They also help avoid traffic jams or potential accidents, which are often exacerbated by the size of these vehicles. The size and weight of the trucks must be taken into account when planning routes. This way, the areas to be traveled can be defined, taking into account restrictions.
Next, the type of merchandise to be transported must be reviewed. This includes whether the cargo is dangerous, perishable, or requires special care such as refrigeration. After this, the delivery schedules must be recorded. This would include the time of day and week in which the delivery is to be made.
The route's length must be considered, which will help calculate the trip's duration and fuel costs. Finally, any additional specific details required by the niche or with whom you're partnering should be considered. By following these parameters, drivers can ensure their deliveries are made on time, worry-free.
Controlling time in a good route plan
Tracking time is one of the key components of good routing. You need to know how many minutes or hours each trip takes. This ensures you arrive at the delivery location well in advance. There have been various ways to monitor this aspect, and the most effective currently is software with built-in GPS.
A good example is our custom apps at ToolRides, which allow you to easily map out routes. You can easily view the distance and time required from the driver's dashboard and app. Software is an investment that saves you steps in route planning , which will later be reflected in your costs.
Where do the packages go?
To properly inspect packages, you must always know the exact delivery location. Using the GPS tracking step above is the best way to do this. The positive side is that you can now check for obstacles, so you know what the driver might encounter along the way. For example, weather, traffic, roadworks, an accident, and more.
Know the location of the drivers
Once drivers leave your fleet headquarters, you were left wondering exactly where they were going or if they were taking unauthorised breaks. Now, thanks to software, you can monitor every kilometer traveled in real time. This way, you can know the estimated return time to headquarters, how long the delivery will take, and whether they're doing their job.
Tips applicable to your truck fleet
We've already outlined the steps involved in a good route plan and the factors to consider. Now, we have a couple of extra tips to complement this. If you apply them, you could become one of the best among your competitors.
Schedule planning
If your company owns a fleet of trucks, not the drivers', it's vital to establish schedules. This way, you can ensure the vehicles are being used properly and avoid future expenses. These schedules can be fixed or rotating, depending on the number of daily deliveries and the number of employees on your payroll.
Another reason for having schedules is to avoid driver fatigue. Despite being a seated activity, driving requires a lot of energy and concentration, especially when driving heavy vehicles. Try to provide breaks based on the number of hours the shift lasts or have a location with a space for rest breaks.
Implementing cross-docking
If a company is managing fleets or focusing on logistics, it is looking to save time and money. This is where cross-docking can be added to the equation to improve processes. It is a logistics practice that uses a mode of transportation that goes directly to the customer. Alternatively, it works with little or no storage in between, saving investment.
An advantage of this type of logistics is that it can be adapted to any product. Whether it's raw materials, factory components, e-commerce products, or products delivered directly to the customer. There's no need for extensive product handling or warehouse space. This reduces accidents that lead to losses and reduces infrastructure costs.
Route to the forefront
Maintaining route plans for trucks and fleets in general used to be a difficult task, long operated by trial and error. But now you no longer have to struggle with the risk of losses. By applying these optimization methods, you'll be able to overcome traffic congestion, high loads, customer preferences, and much more.
