Managing a single driver is easy. But, managing multiple drivers can be a Herculean task.
And, the more drivers you need to manage, the more complex the situation will become.
So, what kind of challenges could you face? How would you overcome such challenges? And how routing optimization software can help?
Let’s demystify this.
Handling Too Much Information
The amount of information you need to manage depends on the size of your fleet. So, if you have a fleet of hundreds of drivers, you will need to review a huge amount of data.
Let’s understand this better with numbers.
If you set each GPS device to update every three minutes, each one will update 20 times per hour.
That is 480 times every day. And, if you have 1,000 vehicles to manage, then you need to review almost half a million updates every day!
Not a small figure…
So, the question is how can you manage such a huge amount of information?
And… the answer is that you can do it with vehicle route planning software.
Fleet route planning software comes with tools that can help you review the data that matters to you. And, not all the information.
You can set specific alerts to monitor whether your drivers are following the road rules. And, if they do not, you will receive an instant email in real time.
Certainly, monitoring a large number of vehicles could generate a huge number of alerts. But, the best part is that routing software also comes with a dashboard feature.
This helps you easily track all the drivers on how they are performing on the road from a single place.
Managing a Geographically-Dispersed Team
Managing a geographically-dispersed team is a real pain. This is especially true if your drivers operate internationally or across different states. It would then be pretty challenging to locate them and communicate with them.
You may need to zoom in and out endlessly and scroll across a map to locate a specific vehicle.
But, route optimization software is a savior here as well.
It comes with advanced mapping technology. And this helps you get a wide-angle view of your entire fleet.
You can zoom in on a specific vehicle or driver with whom you want to communicate. It does not matter where they are. And, you can do all this within seconds!
It even helps you get a real-time view of your drivers’ exact locations at any given moment (with proper tracking features).
Moreover, some routing optimization software comes with time zone and international language support. So, you can always view and share the information in any language you want.
Finding Information Quickly
When you have a lot of vehicles to manage, finding specific data can be difficult.
For example, finding specific data about a vehicle or driver is like finding a needle in a stack of needles! This will result in frustration and wasted time.
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But, route scheduling software can simplify this too.
It comes with a dashboard that offers powerful search options. It can help you find a specific piece of information in a few moments.
You can also tag drivers, vehicles, and teams with meaningful labels. This will help you create more manageable groups to access the information even quicker.
Scaling up when Your Business Grows
The goal of most businesses is to grow. And, some enterprises experience rapid growth, especially when they acquire new businesses or break into new markets.
But, this also often creates more problems. That is because managing a growing number of drivers and vehicles is not easy.
But, routing software can simplify this problem.
A cloud-based routing optimization software can handle as many drivers as you need. So, it can handle an unlimited amount of vehicles and drivers.
You are also not restricted in terms of the amount of data that needs to be generated.
In this way, you can easily scale up whenever it is needed. And in some instances, it might not cost you a penny more from your provider
Dealing with Same Day Delivery
A customer’s demands can change at any time. It can even make your entire management process a mess.
So, what do you do when a customer wants same day delivery?
How would you manage such a delivery when you have plenty of drivers to choose from?
This is not a problem with a fleet route planning software.
It can automatically plan routes for multiple drivers at once. You just need to add the destination and the software will do the complex calculation for you. It will then let you know which driver should take the package.
It’s that simple!
Monitoring Drivers
You may plan well-optimized routes, but, sometimes your drivers don’t or can’t follow them.
If that happens, you can expect delays in the delivery times and possibly annoying your customers. This is clearly not good for your business.
So, you need a tracking solution to stay up to date with every activity of your drivers. That’s what dynamic route optimization™ software can help you with.
RELATED: How Vehicle Route Planning Software Can Help You Get Employees on Board with GPS Tracking
Planning and routing software helps you monitor whether drivers are:
- Speeding up unnecessarily,
- Stopping at unauthorized stops,
- Stuck at a roadblock,
- Undergoing a breakdown and need road assistance,
- Driving to extra locations,
- Taking longer routes,
- Taking prolonged lunch breaks,
- Driving through traffic areas during rush hours,
- Falling behind schedule and more.
In this way, you can take the necessary steps to improve your driver’s productivity. And, if needed, you can replace the time wasters.
So, how do you manage multiple drivers? Do you use routing optimization software? Please share your experience or leave comments below and thanks for reading!
Want To See For Yourself How Route4Me Can Boost Your Profits?
Whether you want to slash the time it takes you to plan routes for your drivers, increase the number of stops they can make, or keep your customers satisfied knowing that your drivers show up on time… Route4Me helps you achieve that!
