What is route planning?
Route planning determines in which order and from which vehicle which shipments are transported to the recipient. Route planning is the classic task of dispatchers. The available transport orders are distributed among the existing fleet of vehicles. Depending on the volume of shipments and the size of the fleet, route planning is very complex and must take into account a large number of restrictions (unloading options, acceptance times). For example, the late opening hours of a recipient can lead to a delivery sequence that results in detours. Restrictions can also determine the vehicle selected for the tour. For example, some recipients can only be approached by vehicles with a liftgate, truck-mounted forklift or loading crane because no loading ramp is available.
Each driver receives a tour that must be driven in the specified order. This means that route planning is a prerequisite for creating the loading lists, as the individual shipments must be loaded in the reverse route sequence.
The term route planning must be distinguished from the term route optimization. Route planning can precede route optimization with the help of special algorithms.
Factors and restrictions that must be taken into account when planning routes:
- Driving and rest times of drivers
- Loading space capacities
- Weight of the consignments / payload
- Opening and acceptance times of the recipients
- Booked time slots
- Space conditions at the consignees' depots (can be accessed by trailer?)
- Unloading options (ramp available?)
- Return freight and empties (sufficient loading space available?)
- Construction sites and road closures
- Battery capacity and range (for electric vehicles)
