Transportation companies around the world have been slowly awakening to the power that modern computers have to optimize and streamline their businesses. Numerous processes relating to the management of your fleet and your route planning can now be automated through software, resulting in large cost decreases.
How huge? According to this report from D.K. Schneider & Company, when automated transportation management services are deployed as part of a planned strategic deployment, companies can realize as much as fifty percent cost savings. Even those businesses who merely upgraded to software transportation management services tactically, without a grand plan, saw 10-15% cost savings.
So, we wanted to take a look at some of the areas where a software package of transportation management services can create significantly less work for you or your transportation managers.
The Benefits of Automated over Manual Transportation Management Services
I. Route Planning
The single most impressive workload reduction comes from the route planning software itself. Planning complex vehicle routes by hand, of course, is an incredibly onerous and time-consuming process. Before computer automation, school districts would often spend all summer simply trying to make maps.
Automated route planning software takes a months-long process and reduces it down to an afternoon. Routes can be built according to virtually any criteria you need, yet a map can be calculated in seconds. The increased speed and flexibility of this system over old manual methods simply cannot be overstated.
For those who'd like to reduce their workload further, they also offer route optimization services, taking the burden off your shoulders entirely.
II. Vehicle Management
Transportation management services software also makes it far easier to track your vehicles and their maintenance needs. The system can track every aspect of your vehicles' performance, and can also accept input from GPS units to further increase the range of data collected.
While nothing will ever replace a hands-on mechanic, this gives you a new set of eyes on your vehicles that is extremely hard to get in a traditional garage. Everything from brake wear to tire longevity can be tracked and charted, suggesting changes to driving behavior that could save even more money. Early warning indications – like a sudden loss of gas mileage – can alert you when small problems can still be fixed cheaply.
You simply can't get that level of detail when tracking your vehicles manually.
III. Driver Management
Another fine example of how automated transportation management services help you save time and money is when it comes time for driver performance reviews. When you're tracking the data in software, you will have far more information to use when reviewing your drivers, as well as the ability to present it in easy-to-read reports.
If you have GPS tracker units installed, that same information you use to monitor your vehicles can monitor your drivers as well. Your people can be pushed to save gas by using better braking and accelerating strategies. Drivers who tend to speed or cheat stop signs can be spotted.
With an optimized software solution, you don't have to simply trust your drivers are behaving on the road. You can ride with them the whole way.
Save Money With Software Transportation Management Services
This one is pretty cut-and-dried. If you're still using older manual methods to manage your routes, vehicles, and drivers, you're probably putting in too much time and effort. The cost savings of route management software are immediate, and can continue to grow as you find new ways to streamline your operations!
If you have any questions about our services or how modern communications solutions can make your fleet management easier, just let us know how we can help!