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To conquer the last mile, you’ll need the best routes possible.
If you don’t know already, the “last mile” refers to the final step of the transportation process, where goods are delivered to the customer. This is the trickiest, most expensive link of the supply chain. There’s a lot that can go wrong here.
By adopting route optimization software, you can make the final mile much more affordable. Here’s how:
To Create Optimal Routes, You Need The Right Tools
Robots can’t write poetry. They don’t know what makes phrases beautiful; they don’t know what makes the truth the truth.
But these days, there are many things robots can do, from checking out groceries to filling out prescriptions to fighting wars.
Indeed, machines do have some advantages over us. They’re more precise, more reliable.
Don’t rely on humans for route planning purposes. Software will give you the best routes possible with last-mile driving directions. Trying to create your routes manually is a recipe for disaster.
There’s just too much to keep track of. When you plan routes by yourself, you need to account for traffic, weather, construction, customer availability, and other factors. If you have dozens of customers and multiple drivers, that can take hours.
But when you have a multiple destination route planner like Route4Me route planner, route planning only takes 30 seconds.
All you need to do is plug in the addresses of your customers, customize the settings to fit your specific situation, and then you’re good to go.
Learn how to plan a route with multiple stops in 30 seconds.
Route4Me’s trucking GPS app will save you time. It also helps your drivers make on-time deliveries, which makes it easier to keep your customers happy.
Learn how to improve your On-Time in Full (OTIF) delivery score.
Turn Restrictions
Not all dynamic routing tools are equal.
Some have advanced features like turn restrictions, which will make your drivers even more efficient.
Did you know that UPS saves hundreds of millions of dollars every year by simply avoiding left turns?
Depending upon which side of the road you drive on, you could save a lot of money by avoiding left or right turns, similar to UPS left turns avoidance.
Think about it: when your driver tries to turn left, they don’t have the right of way. They need to wait for traffic to clear before they can go. There’s no telling how long that will take!
You’ll be better off avoiding left turns whenever possible. A route optimizer comes with a turn restrictions feature that allows you to do exactly that.
Want To See For Yourself How Route4Me Can Boost Your Profits?
GPS Tracking
Of course, delivery scheduling software won’t do you any good if your drivers don’t actually follow the routes you give them.
That’s why you must make sure that the delivery route planner you use has a GPS tracking feature.
How does GPS tracking work?
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.
With vehicle location tracking, you can see how fast your drivers are going in real-time. Whenever you want, you can check in on a driver and confirm that they’re sticking to their route and staying on schedule.