Efficiency – Planning the Route

Back to basics

The principal objective is to create the best possible assignment of jobs to vehicles - as well as to find the ideal sequence of customer sites to be served by each vehicle

Driving in the real world

Transport managers or traffic planners would dream of this type of road for their drivers, but reality is,

Planning the route starts from?

Gathering information about the delivery point is vital to ensure a smooth transition of goods

Sales person

Telephone sales

Customers

Delivery criteria

Some basic questions to ask your customer

Vehicle suitability for delivery

Parking restrictions

Appropriate access points

Delivery time issues (school time, lorry ban ect)

Load planning

Utilising the vehicles carrying capacity by effective loading to minimise journeys

Positioning of loads in drop order

Positioning of loads for ease of access

Drivers load plan

Use of technology

Modern day route planning technology has evolved

Vehicle tracking Traffic master Sat-Nav

Web based solutions

Utilise all the tools available to you

Journey planners

Google Earth

Shortest route problem

The shortest distance to be travelled is not necessarily the quickest

Developing the route plan should take note of which stops a more urgent than others

Driver technology

Do not forget your key asset, your driver. Share information between the office and your drivers

Delivery notes / Manifests

Driver debrief

Driver route comments book

Helping yourself

Get to know your delivery areas as much as you can to save valuable running costs

Long-term road works

Special events

Physical restrictions

Sharing information