Buyers Guide

Table of Contents

• What is Route Planning Software?
• What are the common features of Route Planning Software?
• What are the benefits of Route Planning Software?
• How much does Route Planning Software cost?
• How to choose the best Route Planning Software
• Common questions to ask before choosing the best Route Planning Software.

What is Route Planning Software?

Route planning software automates vehicle scheduling and optimization by generating the most efficient route for any fleet size. These tools are primarily used by transportation and service dispatchers, fleet managers, and logistics and delivery services. Route planning software uses telematics and data inputs such as traffic, distance, and delivery schedules to optimize routes and minimize travel time and vehicle depletion.

Route planning and optimization tools offer features such as live driver tracking, route mapping, and advanced reporting, which help dispatchers prevent unplanned stops, reduce miles driven, and plan fuel-efficient routes. The software can help users save time and money and improve the overall efficiency of their fleet operations.

What are the common features of route planning software?

• Route optimization: Identify the most cost-effective and fuel-efficient routes based on traffic patterns, road conditions, vehicle size and weight, delivery schedules, and customer preferences. This feature helps businesses save time, reduce fuel costs, and improve customer service.
• Driver management: Track drivers’ real-time location, schedule shifts, assign routes, and monitor drivers’ activities using a centralized dashboard. This process helps businesses manage their drivers and monitor their performance. Most route planning tools also provide real-time alerts for any issues that arise during a driver's shift, such as delays or route deviations.
• Dispatch management: Manage dispatch operations, access and modify route plans, and monitor a driver's progress in real time. This feature includes tools for assigning jobs to drivers, tracking job progress, and managing schedules. Dispatch management features help businesses improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer service.
• Performance metrics: Measure key performance indicators (KPIs) related to fleet operations, such as delivery times, distance traveled, fuel consumption, and driver behavior. By analyzing these metrics, businesses can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to optimize their operations. For instance, these performance metrics can help identify inefficient routes, reduce fuel consumption, or improve driver safety.
• Live driver tracking: Track the real-time location of drivers on a built-in map. This feature provides businesses with up-to-date information on driver progress and ETA at each destination, helping improve operational efficiency and customer service.

What are the benefits of Route Planning Software?

• Improves route optimization with telematics-enabled system: In route planning software, telematics technology is used to transmit and receive real-time data from vehicles (speed, location, fuel consumption, and more) using telecommunication devices, such as GPS, cellular networks, and other wireless communication systems. This data helps optimize routes, based on the specific conditions on the road. By incorporating telematics data into the route optimization process, the software makes more accurate and efficient route plans, resulting in reduced fuel consumption, improved vehicle performance, and more timely deliveries.
• Facilitates real-time route monitoring: Most route planning software solutions integrate with GPS to facilitate real-time route monitoring. It provides live location updates, allowing businesses to stay updated on the progress of their deliveries. With this feature, users can identify and address any routing issues that may arise (such as traffic or weather conditions) and adjust routes and schedules.
• Saves travel time to job sites: Route planning software can analyze traffic conditions, delivery windows, and vehicle capacity to identify the shortest, fastest, and most efficient route to job sites. It allows drivers to avoid congested roads, accidents, and other obstacles that may cause delays and complete more jobs in less time. The time-saving benefits of route planning software positively impact the productivity and profitability of businesses.
• Reduces fuel and other costs: Route planning software reduces fuel and other operational costs by optimizing delivery routes, resulting in more efficient use of resources. The software optimizes routes after considering traffic conditions, delivery windows, and vehicle capacity. It saves costs on factors such as hourly wages, fuel costs, and other variables. It also helps minimize the depletion of vehicles, reducing maintenance expenses and administrative overheads.

How much does Route Planning Software cost?

Most route planning software products are priced on a “per month” basis, and their entry-level pricing plan ranges from $26 to $200* per month. An enterprise product that’s priced higher may include additional features such as delivery proof submission, customer notifications, and driver analytics.

*The pricing included is for the entry-level/lowest-priced offerings found on vendor websites as of April 7, 2023.

How to choose the best Route Planning Software

• Identify the route planning features specific to your business’s needs. Your software requirements may vary based on the type of your business. For instance, a delivery company may require optimized routes for timely package delivery, while a field service business may need to prioritize customer locations for efficient service. Consider the different software features and choose the best fit for your business requirements. You can look for features such as route optimization, driver management, dispatch management, live tracking, and performance metrics.
• Evaluate the vehicle telematics system. A vehicle telematics system should provide real-time information about vehicle location, speed, fuel consumption, and other metrics that help businesses optimize routes. It should also allow customization based on unique business requirements, such as accommodating different vehicle types, driver preferences, and traffic conditions. A thorough evaluation of the vehicle telematics system's capabilities can help businesses make an informed decision when selecting the best route planning software.
• Check automated dispatching and driver management capabilities. When searching for route planning software, prioritize options that include dispatch management capabilities such as delivery status real-time monitoring, dispatch automation, and two-way communication between drivers and dispatchers. These functions will allow you to track deliveries in real time, decrease delays, and improve customer service. Additionally, consider driver management software features, such as driver performance metrics, real-time location tracking, and scheduling tools, as they can assist you in monitoring driver behavior, enhancing driver safety, and optimizing driver schedules.
• Analyze reporting and performance tracking features. Your shortlisted tools should offer detailed reporting and analysis of driver performance, delivery times, and fuel consumption. It should also provide real-time driver location tracking and delivery status, allowing you to adjust routes or schedules. Additionally, the software should offer analytical tools that enable you to evaluate the efficiency of your delivery operations over time, helping you make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, fleet management, and route optimization. Robust reporting and performance tracking features can improve delivery operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Common questions to ask before choosing the best Route Planning Software

• How well does your software integrate with a GPS tracking or dispatching tool? Your selected software should integrate with other related solutions, such as GPS tracking, dispatch management, and inventory management software. These features will help streamline your operations, reduce data entry errors, and improve communication between different departments.
• What mobile capabilities does your software solution offer? Most route planning solutions offer mobile functionalities, such as a mobile app or a mobile-friendly interface. These features help drivers access route information, update delivery statuses, and communicate with dispatchers through their mobile devices, thereby improving communication and productivity.
• Is the software solution customizable according to route preferences? Your selected software solution should allow you to customize routing preferences based on vehicle type, road quality, and driver’s capabilities—all of which lead to optimized routes and improved efficiency.
• Does this software include predictive analytics capabilities? Route planning software with predictive analytics capabilities uses machine learning algorithms to help businesses analyze and predict traffic congestion, forecast the impact of weather on driving conditions, or anticipate the availability of parking spaces at a given destination. This also assists businesses in reducing delays and improving customer satisfaction.