Advanced routing strategies in Track-POD (by Time, by Distance, by Expense)

For Advanced, Advanced Plus, per Order and Enterprise plans it is possible to select one of the routing strategies depending on which parameter you want to optimize - Time, Distance, Expenses.

Let's have a closer look at these three strategies and check which restrictions are respected and which are ignored when a specific parameter is selected. Once you set the parameter for routing and optimization the system will update the list of the available restrictions.

Time

Advanced routing will honour all restrictions related to time - time slots, driver's brake, maximum working hours per route, individual start time set on vehicles, individual working hours set on vehicles in Directories (please refer to screenshots below). 

• Dynamic departure time - the system will alter departure time with regard to the time slot of the first site to visit.
  

• Time slots - routing and optimization will respect time slots. Track-POD will consider time windows, e.g. your customers' working hours, imported or entered in the system and will optimize routes in accordance with time slots.
  

• Soft time slots - certain time allowance (15% by default) provided for routing with specified time slots.

• Max. work time - maximum work time per vehicle per route (for automated routing, manual optimization overrides this restriction).

Route distance restrictions set on Vehicles are ignored.

Distance

With Distance selected all time restrictions are hidden as they are ignored. Once the automated routing is launched the system creates the shortest route possible and the only restriction considered is the maximum distance of the route. In the screenshot below it is 120 km/mi. Please note, if you schedule and optimize a route manually this restriction will also be overridden, the system will just optimize the route by distance.

All routes will be started at default start time set in Routing and Optimization settings.

Expense

When Expense is selected none of the time and distance restrictions is taken into account. The Route rates specified in Routing and Optimziation settings or set individually on vehicles in Directories matter.

For automated routing you can restrict the route distance and duration by defining the maximum number of sites/orders per route. 

Otherwise, the system will schedule the most cost efficient routes loading vehicles with lower route rates with respect to vehicle weight/volume/plt capacities.