Running a delivery operation is challenging. Like any business, you need to keep your current customers happy, find ways to attract new customers, and maintain relationships with suppliers. That takes a lot of time and effort.
On top of all that, you also need to provide your drivers with accurate routes and make sure they show up on time consistently.
Without courier dispatch software, this is an extraordinarily difficult task.
Route planning is complicated. First of all, you need to figure out the best directions to give your drivers, which can take a while on its own. Then, you must account for traffic, weather, construction, and other factors.
You’ll probably make a few mistakes when you try to do this by yourself. It’s just too much information for a person to process.
All it takes is one mistake to delay your deliveries, and your customers won’t like that!
Instead of planning your routes manually, you should use route planner software.
A route planner considers all the variables involved in route planning for you. You’ll be able to provide your drivers with more efficient routes, so they can show up on-time more often.
That’s how courier dispatch software helps you keep your customers happy. They’ll be so happy, in fact, that they will recommend your service to their friends, family, and other people they know. These personal recommendations are an excellent way to attract new customers to your business.
Eliminate Data Entry Errors
As we’ve already noted, it’s easy to make mistakes when you try to plan routes by yourself.
This is especially true if you have dozens or hundreds of customers. When you have that many addresses to plug in, you’ll probably get some addresses wrong.
The best route planners will catch such mistakes before they actually affect your routes. They’ll flag incorrect addresses and give you a chance to change them before your routes are created.
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Make Sure You Get The Best Courier Dispatch Software For Your Needs
Not all dynamic routing tools are equal.
Some are simple. They consider all destinations and all vehicles as the same.
But that simplicity doesn’t reflect real life. Some customers are available at different times than others; some vehicles have different dimensions than others. And if you’re transporting hazardous materials, there will be restricted roads that you’ll need to avoid.
Look for route optimization software that lets you adjust your routes for these variables.
Keep An Eye On Your Drivers
Optimized routes won’t do you any good if your drivers don’t actually follow the routes you give them.
That’s why you should also make sure that your courier software has a GPS tracking feature.
How GPS tracking works?
GPS tracking helps you visualize your drivers’ activities on a map in real-time so that you can immediately know if a field rep or driver makes an unauthorized stop or takes longer than planned at a specific destination.
There are other benefits to tracking your drivers as well.
Using a GPS tracker will help you save money on insurance. That’s because, in addition to showing you where your drivers are, it shows you how fast your drivers are going. You can use this vehicle location tracking data to prove to your insurance provider that your employees are driving safely.
Also, the information provided by GPS management software will allow you to understand your business better. You can evaluate your employees more accurately. You’ll know whether fuel efficiency techniques are actually working or not. Overall, you’ll make more informed business decisions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdMhoh-Sg6I
Mobile Sync Enables Even More Communication
Your fleet routing software should be cloud-based.
That way, any change you make to a route on your office computer will be automatically shared with a driver on their smartphone. This makes last-minute customer requests easy to accommodate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl8oKgbmWQQ
No More Lost Confirmations
We’ll leave you with one last must-have courier dispatch software feature: eSignature technology.
The problem with using pen and paper to collect delivery confirmations is that paper slips are easy to lose. What would you do if a customer claims they never received a delivery, your driver says they did drop it off, and then it turns out that you’ve lost the confirmation slip?
You could either trust the customer and alienate your driver, or trust your driver and alienate the customer. There is no right answer.
When you have eSignature software, though, customers can sign for deliveries directly on your driver’s smartphone. You’ll never lose a confirmation again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mZLCH-S-So
Do you have any questions about using a multiple destination route planner? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also, we have some questions for you! Answering the following questions correctly will confirm that you understand all the points we’ve laid out in this article:
1. Why is using courier dispatch software better than planning routes manually?
2. Why should your truck map software have a GPS tracking feature?
3. Why should your schedule optimization software have an eSignature feature?
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