If you’re in the delivery business, you must know your drivers’ most efficient delivery routes. Optimizing the routes your drivers take will allow them to deliver more packages in a shorter amount of time. This means that you will take in a greater amount of revenue while spending less money on labor and other expenses.
A lot of businesses use the Google Maps delivery route planner. However, this app is really only suitable for smaller operations with only a few deliveries. If you have a larger fleet, there will come a point where you will get too big for the capabilities of Google Maps, and you will require a more robust solution. This is why we recommend using the Maptive route planner.
Features of the Maptive Route Planner
Maptive’s platform is based on the Google Maps API. However, it has several features that Google doesn’t offer. These features include:
● Multiple Route Planning: You can plan all your delivery routes on one map at the same time.
● Share Your Routes Easily: Maptive is cloud-based, so the maps you create can be accessed from any device (mobile phone, tablet, etc.), anywhere that there’s an internet connection. If your team doesn’t have an internet connection, you can export your routes to a CSV file to be accessible offline.
● Plot Unlimited Stops per Route: Save time by adding as many stops as you need to a driver’s map while ensuring that each driver only gets one set of directions.
● Optimize Your Routes Automatically: Maptive will automatically calculate the most efficient and quickest route, including the best order for your stops.
Using the Maptive Route Optimizer
When you plan your delivery routes with Maptive’s multi-stop route planner, you’ll receive efficient driving directions in seconds. As a result, it’s the ideal tool for dispatchers, fleet managers, logistics specialists, and delivery management experts.
Maptive is also easy to use. Just follow these directions:
- Create a Maptive Account: To use Maptive, you’ll need to register for a Maptive account. Maptive is a paid service, but you can get a free demo to try it out and see if it’s right for you before committing any money.
- Build your Map: Sign in to your Maptive account and click the “Create New Map” button.
- Give your Map a Name: Come up with a name for your map, enter it in the appropriate box and click “Continue.“
- Upload your Location Information: Organize your location data (depots, customers, supplier addresses, etc.) into an Excel spreadsheet and upload it. Alternatively, you can copy and paste this information or enter it manually.
- Select the “Route Optimizer”: In the top lefthand corner of your map, you will see a little tool icon. Click this icon and then select “Routing/Directions Tool.”
- Input your Starting Location: The default setting for your starting location is your current location. If you want to start your driving route at a different location, you can enter this address.
- Input your Destination Addresses: Enter the addresses of your destinations. To include additional stops to your route, click the “Add Additional Locations” button.
- Create Your Directions: Click the button “Get Directions” to create your delivery route direction in the order in which you entered your stops. If you want to optimize your route for efficiency, click “Optimize Route.”
- See Your Directions: Your route information will be displayed below the form. You can click through to see each step of your directions by clicking the arrow next to each stop.
- Generate a New Route: If you want to create a new route, you can click “Clear Form” to enter new route data. Your first route and directions will be automatically saved.
Conclusion
If you’re in charge of planning delivery routes, you want to ensure that you find the most efficient routes for your drivers. By optimizing your delivery route, you can ensure that you make the most out of your drivers’ time. While you can create an optimized delivery route with Google Maps, it has some limitations. Therefore, we recommend Maptive. Maptive lets you plot unlimited stops per route, easily share the route you create with your drivers, plan multiple routes simultaneously, and optimize your routes automatically. It is for these reasons that Maptive is our choice for planning delivery routes.
