Maximising 3PL Efficiency and Profitability with Advanced Truck Route Planning Software

It’s no surprise that third-party logistics (3PL) companies are looking for ways to maximise the efficiency of their deliveries, especially when over 70% of all goods in the US and nearly 80% of goods in the UK are transported by truck.

As a 3PL, distribution is your product, which means optimising the efficiency of your deliveries is crucial to maximising profit as every truck-mile counts. The key to unlocking greater profits for your business may lie in the routes your trucks take. By optimising your truck routes, you can reduce the amount of time and miles it takes to complete a delivery, ultimately leading to significant cost savings.

You have the potential to reduce costs across the board—from fuel and maintenance expenses to driver wages and vehicle operating costs. And the icing on the cake? With reliably organised routes, you can be more certain that you’ll deliver on time, reducing the risk of unhappy customers or costly returns.

Aptean Routing & Scheduling Paragon Edition is an advanced route planning, scheduling and tracking solution that is designed specifically with 3PLs and distribution providers in mind. Using advanced algorithms and specialised software, our advanced route optimisation platform takes the guesswork out of route planning and helps ensure you’re getting the most out of your fleet every day.

The Challenges of Truck Route Planning

Efficient truck route planning is essential for 3PLs and distributors to maximise profitability and productivity. But it's not an easy feat.

As you know, there are unique challenges that need to be addressed, including limited capacity, dynamic delivery schedules, varying delivery types and constantly changing customer demands. On top of that, there are industry challenges including volatile fuel costs, driver shortages and inconsistent supply chains.

These factors can cause major headaches for planners and operators who need to organise and plan delivery routes while meeting service-level agreements. And with both costs and competition increasing, you simply cannot afford to lose customer contracts or spend more on your fleet than necessary—a balance must be achieved.

Meeting the Needs of 3PLs and Distributors

Standard routing software is not sufficient for the needs of 3PLs and distributors. Smaller, less complex solutions rely on historical data and pre-set algorithms which can’t account for real-time changes or provide the level of detail needed for cost-effective delivery planning. The result is one giant headache caused by inefficient routing, higher costs and dissatisfied customers.

Our robust routing and scheduling solution is specifically designed to meet the needs of 3PLs and distributors, providing detailed planning tools for even highly complex delivery scenarios. With a purpose-built routing and scheduling solution, you can accurately plan for changing customer demands, manage limited capacity and optimise routes in real-time that can help minimise miles, fuel costs and drive time.

How Advanced Truck Route Planning Software Benefits 3PLs and Distributors

Reduced Costs to Maximise Profitability with Optimised Routes

Advanced truck route planning software streamlines the process of generating routes, saving you significant time and money. By automating the planning process and taking into account factors like delivery windows, time constraints and vehicle capacity, you’re able to create more efficient routes in just a few clicks, freeing up valuable resources to focus on other aspects of your operations.

But the financial benefits don't end there.

By following the optimised routes generated by the software, businesses can reduce total fleet miles by up to 5%. This reduction not only decreases fuel costs, but also minimises empty miles—when a truck is driving without a load or with an insufficient load—which can add up to significant savings over time.

With a robust routing and scheduling solution, you can:

• Use fewer trucks to complete the same number (or more) deliveries

• Put less wear and tear on vehicles

• Ensure drivers are fully utilised

• Reduce fines

All of which mean more money back in your pocket.

Investing in advanced truck route planning software like Aptean Routing & Scheduling Paragon Edition can be a smart decision for any logistics operation looking to maximise efficiency and profitability along their path to digital transformation. With high fuel costs, historic driver shortages and increasing competition all squeezing your margins, can you really afford to be underutilising your biggest resources? With the right truck route planning software on your side, you can significantly reduce costs and maximise profitability.

Improved Customer Service with More Reliable Delivery Times

One of the most notable advantages of advanced truck route planning software is the ability to offer more reliable delivery times to your customers. By using real-time data, route optimisation algorithms and other advanced features such as home delivery, you can provide customers with accurate and up-to-date information about when their deliveries will arrive.

This level of transparency and reliability can go a long way in building and maintaining strong customer relationships—a crucial benefit for 3PLs.

In fact, the importance of maintaining strong customer relationships cannot be overstated. According to a recent market trend, 83% of consumers are less likely to make another purchase from a company because of a poor delivery experience. As a 3PL, you may be representing the brands you deliver on behalf of in one of the most critical steps of the customer journey, so being able to provide reliable delivery times and clear end-customer communication will go a long way in retaining your customer contracts.

Because advanced route planning algorithms take into account many variables—from average road speeds and low bridges to driver availability and unloading restrictions at the delivery location—the likelihood that you can deliver on-time, every time is significantly increased. So now, not only can you provide your customers with the tighter time windows they desire, but you can do so with extra confidence that you'll satisfy those expectations.

Aptean Routing & Scheduling Paragon Edition can help you meet the expectations of both your customers and the end-customer with real-time visibility into your scheduled routes.

Don’t Settle for Standard Truck Route Planning Software

Our route optimisation software has the features you need to improve your routing and maximise your efficiency and profitability—Aptean Routing & Scheduling Paragon Edition will help you to reduce costs, improve your customer service and take your 3PL operations to the next level.

That’s in large part due to the fact that our teams take a collaborative approach to implementation, helping each customer to deploy the software optimally and roll out additional features when they’re ready. The solution is also cloud-ready and available on the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, which can afford your organisation greater scalability and reliability with stronger cybersecurity and enhanced data protection.

What’s more, our dedicated professionals have decades of collective experience in the logistics industry, so we understand the challenges that businesses like yours face and have developed specialised features to help you overcome them. Aptean was also recently recognised with the 30th overall spot on The Software Report’s Power 500 Software Companies, putting us in the top 10% of businesses included.

Ready to learn more about how to maximise your efficiency and profitability with advanced truck route planning software? Contact us or reach out for a personalised demo.