Save time, reduce mileage and boost customer satisfaction – all with effective route management. Take a look our top tips to give you edge.
Effective route planning – get it right and you really can get the most out of your fleet, reduce costs and delight customers! Get it wrong and you may face late deliveries, higher fuel costs and frustrated drivers.
Let’s explore the essentials of delivery route planning and our top tips for getting it right with smarter, safer and more efficient delivery management.
Now that sounds like a world class fleet operation!
What is Delivery Route Planning?
Delivery route planning is the process of determining the most efficient path for vehicles to take when making deliveries. It also involves resource management e.g. drivers and vehicles, to ensure deliveries reach their destination on time and in the right condition.
While it may sound straightforward, route planning involves many moving parts, from traffic to delivery time windows, vehicle capacities, driver hours and so much more. But that’s when a combination of smart strategy and intelligent technology can help you stay on track.
7 Tips for Effective Delivery Route Planning
How can you get the most of your fleet with delivery route planning? Here are our top tips to fool-proof delivery management.
Use a fit-for-purpose navigation system
A below-par navigation system is a recipe for disaster. For heavy vehicles, make sure you are using a fit-for-purpose system that takes into consideration road restrictions, height, weight etc. The last thing you need is a heavy vehicles stuck halfway down a back road!
Allow adequate time for deliveries and collections
It sounds obvious, but not all stops are equal. Some deliveries or collections require longer handling times due to product types, customer needs or unloading complexity. Build accurate stop durations into your route calculations to avoid late arrivals down the line.
Make use of route optimisation software
Manual route planning can be time-consuming. Route planning software solutions can evaluate thousands of route options in seconds, recommending the best options based on multiple variables. And when you can push your plans seamlessly through to Schedule Execution, you really are onto a winner!
Enable real-time vehicle tracking
Knowing where your vehicles are in real time isn’t just useful, it’s a must-have for any modern-day fleet operation. Driver and vehicle visibility gives those back in the planning office eyes on the road. They can make live, informed operational decisions, respond to issues and keep customers up to date.
Design with the customer in mind
Effective route planning should enhance the customer experience. Use planning software that factors in delivery time windows, live ETAs and provides Electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) all help to give the flow of goods moving. Factor in geofencing and proximity alerts, you can provide customer with reliable ETAs and consistent customer service that builds long standing trust.
Prepare for exceptions
It’s very rare a plan goes without a hitch! Failed deliveries, customer unavailability or access issues can throw even the best plans out of sync. Ensure your system supports fast rescheduling, real-time alerts and live route overrides out on the road.
Leverage delivery data for continuous improvement: Plan vs Actual
Learning from your plans and understanding why deliveries weren’t on time is just as important as the plan itself. Set yourself meaningful KPIs such as on-time performance, reduced fuel usage and improve utilisation to identify areas for improvement and keep you on track.
The Key to Successful Delivery Management
Great delivery route planning goes beyond finding the shortest route. It’s about enabling real-time responsiveness, empowering drivers and providing visibility to those who need it most.
A well-rounded delivery management strategy should offer:
- Live vehicle tracking
- Accurate ETA predictions
- Automated alerts and notifications
- Insightful data analytics
- Seamless exception handling
What happens when it doesn’t go the plan? Let’s take a closer look at delivery exceptions and how to handle them.
End-to-end Delivery Management and Execution
An end-to-end solution gives you the ability to keep track of all moving parts within your logistics operation. From intelligent route optimisation to live tracking, exception handling and real-time driver comms, we can help ensure you delivery operation is resilient, cost-effective and customer-focused.
Our solutions are designed with usability in mind, ensuring planners, drivers and managers can make decisions quickly and with confidence. With flexible integration and modular design, you can build a delivery tech stack that meets your exact needs.
Effective delivery route planning isn’t just a back-office task, it’s a strategic advantage. With the right tools and approach, businesses can improve customer satisfaction, reduce operational costs and stay competitive in an increasingly complex delivery landscape.
