Use Truck Routing Software to Go Green as We Adapt to this Pandemic

The canals of Venice ran clear. The skies over Delhi were pristine. Urban traffic jams were practically non-existent.

The global lockdown caused by the coronavirus crisis showed us what a world with only the absolute minimum of freight transportation necessary looked like and, despite the frustrations, we liked these aspects of it, at least.

Now, as the world gets back behind the wheel, into the truck cab, and onto the ship deck, there’s more pressure than ever on the freight industry to keep operations efficient and green.

One of the painful lessons learned during the pandemic has been how truly inefficient transportation and delivery operations can get when responding to rapid change. Companies scrambling to switch suppliers, alter distribution patterns and even deliver to a whole new set of end-customers didn’t have the time or resources to prioritize cost and fossil fuel reduction. Frankly, they were struggling to contain fleet operations costs before the coronavirus hit. But fighting for survival tends to use up everything you’ve got.

Now that we face a future where we know how inefficient things get and how it would look if we kept freight miles to a minimum, green trucking suddenly seems more attractive than ever — even imperative.

Good route optimization software helps solve many of the route planning problems highlighted and exacerbated by the pandemic — including the need to quickly adjust routes to new demand patterns or sudden spikes and drops in demand. It also reduces your business costs and carbon footprint.

It’s time for lean and green to replace lean and mean.

Let’s break down the benefits of truck routing software as it relates to green freight initiatives:

• Burn less fuel. The easiest way to do that is to drive fewer miles. With advanced truck routing software, routes are planned and executed using sophisticated algorithms that cut unnecessary fuel usage to the bone.
• Reduce your fleet size. When you drive fewer miles, you need fewer vehicles and drivers — your two largest cost buckets. If you’re looking to enhance sustainability, implementing route optimization software might be a lot more attractive than shelling out nearly $400,000 for a new hydrogen-powered truck.
• Deliver on time. Hitting precise ETAs speeds the receiving process at drop points and lets drivers fit more deliveries into a day. More drops per truck means fewer trucks, less fuel and lower CO2 emissions.
• Deliver smart. Lighter trucks burn less fuel. Truck routing software can factor in the weight of each delivery to ensure that the heaviest loads are delivered first along a route.
• Reduce empty miles. Advanced truck route optimization software identifies opportunities to pick up another load on the way back to the distribution center after a route is completed. These backhauls avoid the need to dispatch a separate truck.
• Explore carbon-reducing strategy changes. The strategic modeling capabilities of advanced truck routing software lets you run any number of “what-if” scenarios to see in advance if changes will have the desired green result. What if you consolidated two delivery regions, or split one into two? What if you added a distribution center or deployed a different fleet mix?

Green trucking is good for more than just the environment

The bottom line is this: If you are using your resources to the fullest, you are putting fewer trucks on the road, saving money and reducing your carbon footprint. Your business can quickly and easily plan deliveries and collections while reducing waste in the network.

Reducing CO₂, congestion and air pollution might not always be the first reason why companies choose route optimization systems, but with grassroots demand for green services growing, these are likely to be increasingly important factors.

Whether you’re interested in implementing green trucking practices, or simply saving a substantial amount in transportation costs, reach out to us today to see how truck routing software can help your business.