Running a tight ship in field services demands that you’ve got your logistics optimized. Failure to do so can add up to wasted fuel, dissatisfied customers and a big drop in performance. That said, what can field services managers do to optimize their driver routes and take their approach to the next level?

It all starts with clear communication and timely notifications for your drivers. Without a clean line of communication back and forth, there’s a lot of room for error. In small fleets, it may be easy to handle a lot of this manually, but it’s ultimately a poor use of resources. As your business grows, the amount of time it takes to manage and optimize a growing number of fleet vehicles and drivers becomes cost prohibitive—fast.

Before upgrading his fleet management solution, Scott at Thompson Trading was hemorrhaging time trying to monitor and optimize his fleet’s routes and efficiencies. However, after implementing the GPS Trackit system, Scott reported that he saw substantial time savings and no longer needed to monitor his vehicle movements all day:

“Instead of having to watch it all day or go to the entire route just to follow up on what they are doing all day, the start-stop report is what I particularly use.”

Let’s have a look at some of the key drivers of route optimization for field services fleets.

What Are the Logistics Behind On-Time Deliveries?

Everybody wants to give their customers an exact ETA and stick to it. Unfortunately, this is the real world and, well, there’s a reason we need software to weave together driver communication, customer agendas and the GPS tracking that works like glue to hold it all together.

FSM Driver ™ by GPS Trackit

Having a clear picture of where drivers are on the daily agenda alongside real-time traffic data is crucial when it comes to on-time delivery. And when roadblocks arise, you’re able to update your customers easily.

How Can I Optimize Operations with Route Planning Software?

There are a few key ways you can optimize your routes with route planning software. Here are just a few things you could easily achieve:

• Optimize to serve more customers per day and generate more revenue
• Cut distances and idle time wherever possible to save on fuel costs
• Avoid traffic and trouble spots on the grid to keep your fleet running smoothly and efficiently

FSM Driver ™ by GPS Trackit

There are other opportunities to optimize operations with this kind of software as well through direct communication with your drivers. The hardware that drives the software’s capability can also help you monitor vehicle health and performance so that you can pull your fleet vehicles for maintenance without costly unplanned downtime.

How Can I Reduce Fleet Fuel Costs?

Having more effective routes is a simple fuel savings outcome. But, as we mentioned there are other ways that route optimization solutions can help you save on fuel costs:

• Monitoring error codes that affect performance like a fouled spark plug or plugged/restricted fuel injector which can reduce fuel efficiency as much as 30 percent.
• Shortening or eliminating idle times by avoiding traffic and other barriers
• Increasing the number of stops within a given radius so that you’re serving more customers in less time

Running a tight ship in field services demands that you’ve got your logistics optimized. Failure to do so can add up to wasted fuel, dissatisfied customers and a big drop in performance. That said, what can field services managers do to optimize their driver routes and take their approach to the next level?

It all starts with clear communication and timely notifications for your drivers. Without a clean line of communication back and forth, there’s a lot of room for error. In small fleets, it may be easy to handle a lot of this manually, but it’s ultimately a poor use of resources. As your business grows, the amount of time it takes to manage and optimize a growing number of fleet vehicles and drivers becomes cost prohibitive—fast.

Before upgrading his fleet management solution, Scott at Thompson Trading was hemorrhaging time trying to monitor and optimize his fleet’s routes and efficiencies. However, after implementing the GPS Trackit system, Scott reported that he saw substantial time savings and no longer needed to monitor his vehicle movements all day:

“Instead of having to watch it all day or go to the entire route just to follow up on what they are doing all day, the start-stop report is what I particularly use.”

Let’s have a look at some of the key drivers of route optimization for field services fleets.

What Are the Logistics Behind On-Time Deliveries?

Everybody wants to give their customers an exact ETA and stick to it. Unfortunately, this is the real world and, well, there’s a reason we need software to weave together driver communication, customer agendas and the GPS tracking that works like glue to hold it all together.

FSM Driver ™ by GPS Trackit

Having a clear picture of where drivers are on the daily agenda alongside real-time traffic data is crucial when it comes to on-time delivery. And when roadblocks arise, you’re able to update your customers easily.

How Can I Optimize Operations with Route Planning Software?

There are a few key ways you can optimize your routes with route planning software. Here are just a few things you could easily achieve:

• Optimize to serve more customers per day and generate more revenue
• Cut distances and idle time wherever possible to save on fuel costs
• Avoid traffic and trouble spots on the grid to keep your fleet running smoothly and efficiently

FSM Driver ™ by GPS Trackit

There are other opportunities to optimize operations with this kind of software as well through direct communication with your drivers. The hardware that drives the software’s capability can also help you monitor vehicle health and performance so that you can pull your fleet vehicles for maintenance without costly unplanned downtime.

How Can I Reduce Fleet Fuel Costs?

Having more effective routes is a simple fuel savings outcome. But, as we mentioned there are other ways that route optimization solutions can help you save on fuel costs:

• Monitoring error codes that affect performance like a fouled spark plug or plugged/restricted fuel injector which can reduce fuel efficiency as much as 30 percent.
• Shortening or eliminating idle times by avoiding traffic and other barriers
• Increasing the number of stops within a given radius so that you’re serving more customers in less time

How to Boost Customer Trust and Satisfaction

One of the biggest tangible benefits of better fleet management through route optimization is greater customer satisfaction which translates to deeper customer trust in your brand. It’s always easier and more cost effective to keep an existing customer than to acquire new ones.

We mentioned Scott at Thompson Trading earlier. Before getting started with GPS Trackit, Scott’s team wasn’t operating its routes effectively and, as a result, was taking longer than necessary to serve its clients. By increasing their efficiency from a routing perspective, Thompson has been able to make some massive improvements up to 3x, while while cutting costs associated with fuel usage and billable hours.

“The first week, it paid for itself! It covers everything I need.”
-Scott Thompson, Thompson Trading

If you’d like to learn more about how GPS Trackit can help to improve safety, increase productivity and reduce costs for your business, speak with one of our knowledgeable Fleet Advisors at 866-320-5810 or get a quick Custom Quote.

Since 2002, GPS Trackit has been a pioneering force in cloud-based, IoT fleet solutions and GPS fleet tracking. Our industry-leading technology and focus on world-class customer service has earned us a place on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 list and supports over 12,000 fleets worldwide.