The Most Important Criteria When Choosing Fleet Dispatch Software
Your fleet dispatch software is at the heart of your trucking operation – and it’s a good idea to periodically re-evaluate whether it’s time to upgrade. New features and options are added to dispatch software every year, making them increasingly useful for reducing costs and improving efficiency.
If it seems like your current fleet dispatch software isn’t doing its job as well as it should, here are some key considerations when looking at an upgrade.
Four Features You Want in A New Fleet Dispatch Software Package
1 – End to end vehicle and cargo tracking
Your dispatch software shouldn’t only track vehicles on the road. It should be able to collect and analyze data for the entire job, from start to finish. This would include loading and unloading times, tracking paperwork, and analyzing the driver’s overall efficiency on the road. These metrics give you a wealth of information for intelligently optimizing your operations.
2 – Scalability
Older software packages often struggle to scale upwards as your fleet grows. This is one of the most common reasons people upgrade their software systems. You should look for a software package that will be able to grow alongside your business, potentially capable of managing hundreds or thousands of vehicles, for the best long-term returns on your investment.
3 – Better paperwork/bureaucratic processing
You should be spending as little time as possible doing paperwork and navigating red tape. The best dispatch software packages integrate features that streamline – or even entirely automate – reporting and other bureaucratic necessities. This can greatly reduce the amount of time you and your staff spend on paperwork, allowing you to focus on more important matters.
4 – Faster adaptation to changing circumstances
Nothing is ever guaranteed on the road. If there’s a big traffic jam in front of your driver, would you be able to spot it and re-route them before they become trapped? If a dangerous storm is coming, can you route them around its expected path? Good software systems include monitoring of on-road conditions and can be set up to alert you to potential problems before they cause delays.
Vehicle Licensing Consultants (VLC) Makes Fleet Management Easier
VLC specializes in hardware and software combinations that make life easier for fleet managers. Our highly scalable solutions can monitor your vehicles’ on-road performance in highly granular detail, providing the data and tools needed to substantially reduce costs and improve efficiency. Click here to contact us and learn more.
