Plan, procure, execute, & track transportation for every shipment across your supply chain & logistics operations
A SaaS solution to help grow your business by achieving 100% perfect order execution at high volumes
Increase vehicle capacity utilization and customer promise adherence
Grow your business with omnichannel presence and automated pickups
Consolidate shipments for hub to hub movement across land and air
Real-time customer communications and collect accurate PODs
Orchestrate logistics operations with multiple 3rd party carriers
Achieve cost effective, scalable, sustainable, and customer centric deliveries
Orchestrate all your cross-border logistics operations with ease
Improve address accuracy, ensure first-attempt delivery success, reduce costs and boost customer experience
Gain end-to-end shipment visibility, get proactive alerts, and send customers live tracking links
Grow business in a dynamic world and manage operations across First, Middle & Last mile
Delight customers by seamlessly managing store and online orders across own fleet and 3rd party
Reduce freight costs & get end to end visibility across shipments
Directly Jump To
Evolving consumer demands for super-fast deliveries have got companies tightening up their logistics chains. Therefore, efficient and time-sensitive transportation of goods and packages is vital to ensure delivery fulfillment.
Trucking dispatch software automates end-to-end dispatch management by planning delivery routes, intelligent vehicle dispatch, real-time tracking, communication, and much more. With trucking being the dominant form of freight transportation, it becomes crucial to have a modern solution that seamlessly manages everyday operations for enhanced business efficiency.
With an estimated 3.5 million truckers in the US and trucking volumes forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 3.2%, leveraging a smart trucking dispatch software would help maximize the available resources and keep the supply chain moving.
In this blog, we will explore the role of trucking dispatch software in maximizing the operational efficiency of logistics providers. We will also see a few must-have features of dispatch software and explore the benefits.
But, before we dive into the details, let us begin with a brief overview of trucking dispatch software.
Truck dispatching software is an intelligent platform with in-built AI and ML features, enabling businesses to manage their daily operations through a single interface. The solution reduces manual intervention and enables trucking companies to plan, assign and monitor the assignment of consignment and delivery vehicles. With access to driver availability, location, and synchronized data, businesses can optimize their operations and reduce delivery turnaround time (TAT).
Also referred to as transport management software, the solution benefits solo truckers and large fleets as well. Businesses can also identify and address the lacunae in their logistics process, thereby improving the overall delivery experience.
In the next section, we will see some of the major difficulties faced in the manual management of trucking operations.
Manual dispatch processes end up making fleet management and vehicle dispatch a time and labor-intensive process. Dispatch operations form a central component of trucking companies, and not having an integrated solution to streamline the tasks inevitably hurts the business’s bottom line. A few of the hurdles faced in the absence of trucking dispatch software are:
In the supply chain field, having a steady line of communication between managers, dispatchers, and delivery drivers is a no-brainer. But this can be challenging for dispatchers and 3PL partners who are not a part of the internal team. Lack of synchronization in order allotment, delivery tracking, real-time communication, etc., can lead to reduced efficiency. As a result, there is a lack of transparency in the entire delivery process.
A smart dispatch platform ensures seamless connection by joining shippers’ dispatching software with the 3PL system. This allows all stakeholders to be on the same page, creating clarity over key delivery KPIs.
According to a study by Oracle Retail, 13% of consumers would not order again from a retailer in case of late delivery. Similarly, the increasing demand for same-day delivery has further tightened delivery windows. For logistics companies, it is literally a race against time to sort, label, process, and assign packages to the drivers for delivery.
With companies recognizing the need for faster delivery, intuitive trucking dispatch systems are increasingly being incorporated into the logistics chain. The solution analyzes real-time data and automatically allocates tasks to available drivers, increasing productivity. In addition, the ability to plan routes with multiple stops allows dispatchers to execute time-bound deliveries.
While generating the most efficient delivery routes, multiple factors are taken into account. Some of the variables include traffic conditions, product type, delivery stops, etc. However, manual routing cannot predict unforeseen circumstances such as blocked roads or adverse weather conditions, resulting in longer routes and delayed deliveries. Companies need to ensure they provide their riders with safe and optimal routes, especially while delivering to multiple locations in a single journey or managing a high volume of orders.
With AI and ML algorithms, dispatch platforms create the best-optimized delivery routes. The solutions also provide dynamic routing options to predict and stay ahead of unforeseen emergencies. However, not every kind of road is suitable for trucks; thereby, it becomes imperative for businesses to invest in modern trucking dispatch software.
In a manual dispatch system, it is difficult to proactively inform every customer about the delivery status. This results in the customer service team attending a high number of query calls. Moreover, customers might not feel comfortable with the Lack of information and transparency, creating a degree of distrust.
With trucking dispatch software, companies can seamlessly loop the customers into the chain of communication. This establishes direct contact between drivers and customers, allowing customizable time windows and better chances of first-attempt delivery. As a result, there is greater transparency into the business process, improving satisfaction and retaining customers.
Large logistics personnel pool, whiteboard planning, and multiple calls between dispatchers and drivers are the norms in a manual trucking dispatch setting. The consignment and driver allocation are made in person. Manual tracking of operations is tedious and prone to errors.
With proper trucking dispatch software in place, businesses can employ their valuable human resources in more valuable tasks and leverage automation to manage, monitor, and control the tedious logistics dispatching.
Logistics processes involve a significant movement of vehicles to and from the warehouses. This also means that the truck is traveling without any consignment at times, i.e., driving with an empty container or trailer. Referred to as empty miles, these trips cause a significant loss of revenue and waste of valuable time and fuel.
Also, as the last-mile delivery needs are expected to rise further, there is an even greater need to reduce empty miles.
By investing in intelligent trucking dispatch software, businesses can select routes with maximum stops and minimum distance. In addition, the solution also factors in the reverse logistics components, i.e., picking up products returned by customers. All of these, coupled with the route optimization feature, help form an efficient delivery loop.
These points make us realize the necessity of having trucking dispatch software in one’s logistics management platform. Listed below are the necessary elements of every trucking dispatch software.
Let us see the features of an intelligent trucking dispatch software that makes it a must-have for every logistics provider:
Trucking dispatch software plays a vital role in fleet management. This is especially true when the fleet is a mix of in-house and 3PL providers. Instead of being dependent on spreadsheets, calls, and messages, the scheduling and dispatching tasks can now be completed within a few clicks.
Consider transportation of appliances and furniture. The robust solution lets you easily specify the truck type for each consignment. With trucking dispatch software, managers can provide specific instructions to the drivers. Also, dispatchers can stagger arrival times and load stack creating an efficient delivery setup.
With shorter delivery windows, clear lines of communication are necessary to ensure the smooth running of operations. The smart solution enables companies to create a centralized communication for organizing and documenting all information regarding the delivery runs. In this manner, everyone is made aware of their individual responsibilities. Trucking dispatch systems also allow dispatchers and managers to connect with drivers instantly, on an individual or group basis, as required.
Consumers value transparent communication highly. Through push notifications and emails, updated ETAs can be forwarded to increase consumer awareness. This helps build trust and increase customer retention.
Load slips are a critical component for every logistics business. It serves as a basis for payments to your drivers as well as your client’s invoices. Now imagine a case of a misplaced ticket, where the driver, your back office, and everyone in between is busy tracking down the missing ticket.
The truck dispatching software systems provide a platform for drivers to upload digital tickets. This ensures accurate documentation of each load with weight and time stamps being captured for immediate processing. Elimination of paper tickets means increased efficiency and faster operational checks. Moreover, e-ticketing creates a single source of truth, eliminating any possibilities of misunderstanding between parties.
For seamless logistics operations, it is imperative for enterprises to have a 360-degree view of their fleet operations. Smart trucking dispatch management systems enable vehicle movement tracking via GPS, increasing visibility during delivery runs. Delivery managers can also inform the riders of re-routing in case of adverse weather conditions or the unavailability of customers.
Instead of vehicle-mounted tracking, portable smart devices such as cell phones or tablets are being increasingly preferred. They are not only cheaper but also offer significant flexibility as well as avenues to access multiple other information vital for delivery fulfillment.
A well-planned delivery route is generated by considering multiple variables like pre-set road conditions, weather forecast, consignment load, type of vehicle, and much more. It is not always about the shortest route but rather the most efficient.
A dynamic trucking dispatch software enables companies to optimize the best routes in real-time. The smart solution analyzes all the factors in route optimization for enhanced productivity by eliminating diversions. The intelligent software helps reduce travel time, fuel, and overall operating costs.
A key factor while considering a dispatching software is its adaptability for need-based scaling purposes. Generally, such software is either a cloud-based SaaS or deployed on-premises. The cloud-based solution offers significantly greater scalability options without negatively impacting software performance and instantaneously increasing the vehicle routing capability.
Instead of the back-office sorting and batching tickets at the end of the day, the solution takes the data and completes the job.
Trucking dispatch systems take the data captured from the digital load slips to generate invoices automatically. Integrating the software with your accounting system minimizes human intervention, reducing errors and the time taken to complete the tasks.
The right reporting tools understand your delivery operations better and help you make informed decisions. Intelligent trucking dispatch software uses Business Intelligence (BI), drilling down into analytics and presenting customizable dashboards for streamlined planning and data-driven decision making. Companies can make use of smart trucking dispatch software to easily identify trends via:
Intuitive reporting tools enable businesses to gain insights to visualize shipping patterns and analyze strategies for enhanced efficiency.
A robust trucking dispatch solution does more than just guarantee seamless delivery of the goods. From real-time fleet tracking to preparing invoices on the spot and predicting route anomalies, companies can heavily benefit by investing in modern trucking software. Listed below are some of the advantages of trucking dispatch software:
As the software automates the crucial tasks, businesses can free up their staff from logistical planning jobs, saving labor and reducing costs. Since there is minimal human intervention, the automated system also brings down the scope for human error.
Any last-minute orders or cancellations can be seamlessly re-routed without significantly impacting the delivery timelines. This reduces delays and upholds important SLA.
Moreover, in case of breakdowns or accidents, the software automatically shifts the order to another available driver.
Features like real-time dashboards and live location provide customers with greater transparency into the delivery operations, ensuring a positive customer experience. Real-time alerts and electronic proof of delivery present the consumer as well as the shippers with a single source of truth. Making the customer a part of the journey enhances loyalty and increases retention.
Companies today make use of historical data and real-time updates for effective route planning and optimization. The smart solution helps minimize cost and elevates the productivity of the fleet.
Various factors like location, consignment type, etc., are taken into account for dynamic route optimization. In this manner, managers can seamlessly integrate new orders into the new schedule if needed.
In an increasingly digitized and customer-centric marketplace, businesses must ensure excellent service to generate profits. The logistics industry, especially the transportation segment, must formulate innovative ways to optimize shipping operations.
Fortunately, the impact of technology, and automation, is being observed in most workplaces. Logistics businesses need to adopt intelligent and adaptive frameworks to enhance their supply chain efficiency.
Shipsy is your one-stop solution to enhance the end-to-end transportation profile of your logistics business.
Explore some more benefits of using automated trucking dispatch software: Click Here.
Shipsy’s AI-enabled logistics management platform keeps your drivers, dispatchers, and customers connected under a single purview. The robust solution provides in-depth data and analytics to understand your business pain points across international and domestic borders.
Now ensure enhanced customer satisfaction with push notifications and real-time updates about the status of deliveries. As a customizable SaaS-based platform, the intuitive software empowers enterprises to seamlessly integrate logistics operations across multiple modes of transportation.
With Shipsy as their logistics partner, businesses can:
Talk to our in-house experts today or schedule a custom demo today to get started with a smart trucking dispatch software personalized for your business needs.
Efficient routes reduce fuel costs, improve resource (driver and vehicle) utilization, minimize delays, enhance customer experience, and make every delivery profitable.
Any e-commerce business that owns a fleet of vehicles for the movement of goods from one place to another or from source to the customer’s doorstep needs fleet management. A...
