Everyone has a favorite GPS app. And convincing someone to use a different GPS is like telling a Coca-Cola drinker to switch to Pepsi. (It’s not going to happen.)
The thing is, no GPS can solve the problem you are searching to solve. GPS gets you from point A to point B efficiently based on current traffic, but that isn’t enough for delivery drivers. When you’re making 30+ stops in a day, it’s inefficient to repeatedly type in addresses or be rerouted a hundred times. So, whether or not you prefer Coke or Pepsi (or Google Maps or Waze) is beside the point.
What we’re saying is: you don’t have to break up with the GPS you already know and love. You just need to pair it with route optimization software, something that can seamlessly handle your entire shift from point A to point Z. Think of it like pairing your Coke (or Pepsi) with a hot slice of pizza. Now you’ve got a whole meal.
You Don’t Need a New GPS. You Need Route Optimization.
GPS navigation apps share one major navigational flaw: they can’t route multiple stops seamlessly. All GPS apps and systems use the same satellites; it’s how they relay the information to the end user that’s different. Different apps cater to different audiences, but mapping apps aren’t designed for delivery drivers. And this is why you also need route optimization.
If you think of executing a delivery route like a game of chess, GPS mapping apps would be a tool you could use to calculate your best next move based solely on the current board. Route optimization software would be a tool you could use to calculate every step you’d need to win the entire game based on your opponent’s most likely countermoves. One tool is good, but having both is way better.
Route Optimization Software Makes GPS Better For Deliveries
When you use a GPS app for mapping, you have to enter in each destination one by one and decide what order to visit them on your own. This becomes very tedious if you’re making more than a couple of stops. When you use route optimization software, such as OptimoRoute, you can upload all of your stops or delivery locations at once. If you have constraints (such as specific delivery windows), you can input those, too. Based on this information, OptimoRoute will lay out the most efficient delivery routes for an entire delivery team up to five weeks at a time. OptimoRoute solves the routing and scheduling part of the equation for you, so drivers and fleet managers can spend time focusing on other things.
OptimoRoute offers an array of benefits for delivery teams, businesses, and customers, including:
- Increased revenue for businesses – OptimoRoute has helped businesses reduce planning time by up to 90% while increasing delivery capacity and overall revenue.
- Better workloads for drivers – OptimoRoute enables route planners to balance driver workloads for evenly distributed orders, lowest cost, or a blend of both – whichever is best for your business. The size of delivery truck drivers’ specific vehicles can be factored in, which means that capacity is maximized and trips back to a depot are minimized.
- Seamless driver breaks – Driver breaks are another essential component of delivery routing that OptimoRoute helps with. Breaks can be easily planned to have the lowest impact on a delivery route while ensuring that drivers know precisely when their breaks will be (and all local and federal regulations are being followed).
- Increased customer satisfaction – Optimized route planning ensures more on-time deliveries, which means happier customers (who keep coming back).
This article originally appeared on optimoroute.com.
