Start with what's due, not a list of addresses
Most route planners start with a list you paste in. RouteMule starts with your customers. Every drum and tank has its own pickup cycle of 3, 7, 14, 21 or 28 days, so the stops that are due come up on their own. A customer can also have a preferred day of the week, or no preference at all.
Stops in the best order
Turn on Google Route Optimization for a route and RouteMule asks Google for the order, with traffic. A stop with a time window stays inside its window first, then RouteMule finds the shortest drive. Each route has its own switch, so you can leave it off where your driver knows better.
Called-in stops go right on the route
A customer calls with a full tank. That stop shows in red on today's route, and both the office and the driver can see it. With automated answering on, a pickup request can land there without anyone in the office picking up.
What the office sees
- Every driver on one screen, with a map, stops done and stops to go
- ETA and miles for each stop
- Today and the next six days, one tap apart
- Any one base, or all of them
- Skipped stops in their own list, so nothing falls through
What the driver sees
Today's route on their phone. They tap an address to open the map, enter gallons at the stop, get a signature and finish the receipt. If they can't make a stop, they mark it skipped and the office knows.
What to look for in route optimization software
- Time windows: does it keep a stop inside its window, or just chase the shortest drive?
- Repeat stops: does it know what's due, or do you rebuild the list every morning?
- Changes during the day: what happens when a customer calls at 10 AM with a full tank?
- The driver's side: can a driver run it from a phone with gloves on, or does it take training?
- What's on the truck: does it know when the tank is getting full?
- After the route: does the stop turn into a record and an invoice, or does someone retype it?
Who it's not for
If you run one-off parcel deliveries with different addresses every day, a planner app built for couriers is probably a better fit and costs less. RouteMule is built for companies that go back to the same customers, with something to measure and something to bill at every stop.
Route planner or route software?
If you only need stops in order, a planner app will do it for less. If you also have to track what's on the truck, invoice from the pickup and keep the paperwork, read route planner vs. route software before you pick.
Questions and answers
Does RouteMule optimize routes?
Yes. Turn on Google Route Optimization for a route and RouteMule asks Google for the best order, with traffic. Stops with a time window stay inside their window first, then it finds the shortest drive. You can leave it off on any route where your driver knows better.
How does RouteMule know when a stop is due?
Every drum and tank has its own pickup cycle of 3, 7, 14, 21 or 28 days, so the stops that are due come up on their own. A customer can also have a preferred day of the week.
Can RouteMule handle called-in pickups?
Yes. A called-in stop shows in red on today's route, so the office and the driver both see it.
What happens when a driver skips a stop?
The driver marks the skip in the app and the stop goes to a Skipped Stops list for the office, so it doesn't get lost.