If you work in the logistics and transportation industries, you know your drivers are essential to successful operations. Driver productivity impacts fuel and freight costs, vehicle mileage and maintenance, and customer experience. When you optimize driver performance, you reap positive results in these areas and more.

Explore the primary techniques for enhancing driver efficiency and team optimization.

1. Improve driver routes

Route optimization gives drivers a structured path to customer stops. It plots the fastest and most direct course to a delivery location. If a driver has multiple stops, optimization accounts for each one and organizes them into the shortest circuit to make all the deliveries. 

Maximizing time and boosting efficiency, MileMaker's planned routes help cut and manage fuel costs, reduce vehicle mileage, and expand your team's capacity. They also decrease vehicle wear and tear, saving you on repairs.

2. Plan vehicle loads

Delivery process optimization includes load strategy. You must ensure all packages on a route fit in the distribution vehicle and consider whether your driver can offload the parcels at the corresponding stop. The way you load your trucks and vans should match the optimized stops for easy offloading and efficient customer service.

3. Communicate with customers

Keep customers updated on delivery progress and estimated dropoff time to ensure your team stays on track with planned routes. Our solution provides you and your drivers with accurate directions and live traffic insights you can share with customers. Communicating with customers can help ensure they're home to receive the package, reducing failed delivery attempts and helping you save on return delivery resources like fuel and time.

4. Provide remote monitoring and support

Remote monitoring allows management to support and guide drivers in the field, helping them stick to planned routes and meet delivery times. At headquarters, you can view route data to help preempt potential hurdles. Use the MileMaker application to support your drivers by adjusting routes in real time to account for unexpected challenges like traffic, delivery cancellations, and weather changes. 

5. Empower employees

Provide training on various aspects of drivers' work, including handling deliveries and driving safely and efficiently. Developing drivers' knowledge and skills empowers them to improve productivity and address on-route challenges.

Giving employees incentives and positive reinforcement can also empower them to set goals and establish safe, productive driving habits.

See the impact of routing optimization with MileMaker

At MileMaker, we offer comprehensive software that streamlines your delivery routing and driver management. Real-time updates and route analytics give you the insight you need to cut fuel costs and boost driver performance. Request a demo today to see how routing optimization can impact your drivers for the better! 

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