cover peak season or simply managing the high levels of staff churn within the industry, logistics companies have to build in driver experience into the route optimisation process. Many opt to split routes for less experienced drivers, which adds significantly to the cost to serve. Improving the experience for less knowledgeable drivers is key to increasing retention, ensuring they become productive more quickly and minimising the operational overhead associated with managing new recruits.
Predictable journeys that provide drivers with consistency is a key factor. Routes will obviously vary day to day but a good working experience that ensures consistent drive times and parcel numbers is key. It allows drivers to be confident about achieving work/life balance goals, which will boost both morale and retention. To achieve this, companies need to be able to consider far more than distance. The ability to factor in the different traffic patterns throughout the day, the frequency of turns, even the side of the street can transform route efficiency. The optimisation process needs also to consider the weather forecast to factor in the 3-5 mile per hour slow-down in urban traffic that occurs when it is raining, for example.
Companies also need to provide drivers with clarity. A highly intuitive User Interface (UI) that can be customised to reflect each driver’s preference boosts confidence and
safety. Systems combine voice, colours, different mapping visualisations, including a view of the road or a satellite view, as well as simple arrows to show the next turn. Critically, guidance is provided well ahead of the next move, to reinforce driver safety and avoid any risk of a dangerous, late manoeuvre.
Overcoming anxiety on the road Every aspect of the driving experience can now be factored into route optimisation. Routes can consider threats to driver safety, for example, by avoiding known high risk roads especially for late night shifts at peak season. They can include access to fuelling stations and rest stops, with dynamic re-optimisation of routes in response to live traffic events also including driver rest times to ensure compliance and safety.
This aspect of route optimisation is becoming particularly important as fleets evolve towards Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). ITS is a cutting-edge infrastructure, composed of smart devices and sensors strategically placed along roads. These devices communicate crucial information about the road environment to vehicles and drivers, and this information can ultimately be used to improve the overall transportation experience.
ITS functionality takes many shapes. Think of weather sensors that relay data about road conditions, smart traffic lights that optimise traffic flow, and beacons at construction sites to warn of potential hazards. This smart technology creates a connected ecosystem that aims to enhance safety, efficiency, and convenience for everyone on the road.
Conclusion In an increasingly complex market, with customer expectations ranging from rapid to low cost, environmental to precise, businesses need to manage increasing logistical complexities whilst maintaining profitability. From reduced fleet expenses and improved operational efficiency to decreased carbon footprint and elevated service levels, route optimisation technology offers a powerful toolkit for driving success.
It is, of course, also essential to also factor in the availability of drivers. The duration of a driver’s experience typically has a direct impact on their efficiency and productivity – a fleet of longer- term drivers will deliver a lower cost to serve than one reliant upon newcomers. For logistics companies, the new levels of sophistication provided by route optimisation allow not only planning to improve customer satisfaction but also to reinforce driver confidence, with the inevitable implications for retention and, therefore, further productivity gains.
Drivers need to be confident, safe and compliant with the rules of the road, from speed to manoeuvring. By combining intelligent route management with intuitive, in-vehicle information to support drivers, logistics companies can maximise the efficiency of the fleet to improve profitability and meet customer expectations whilst also reinforcing the quality of the experience for drivers.
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