New software to help use vehicles more efficiently
17 May 2005
A new vehicle routing and mapping software package is offering transport operators the potential to make huge gains through more efficient use of their vehicles.
The package – RouteSmart, from New Zealand’s leading mapping company Terralink International – is based around electronic maps on a PC and is suitable for all transporters, from owner/operators to large fleets. Using the maps, dispatchers organising delivery runs can find the most efficient route between multiple destination points, as well as calculating mileage, fuel consumption and driving times. RouteSmart maps are also used by companies to manage the geographic placement of assets, business sites and sales territories.
Christchurch taxi company Blue Star Taxis uses RouteSmart for calculating fastest route information and fare quotations for customers.
Blue Star Contact Centre Manger Iain Anderson says RouteSmart has already brought huge efficiencies to its business.
“It’s especially good for accurate planning of complex routes with multiple pick-ups. If a customer requests a job with, say, five pick ups, we can get instant information on the fastest route or the shortest route and an accurate estimate of the fare,” he says.
Blue Star is also considering a GPS enhancement to RouteSmart that would allow dispatchers to track taxis in real time so they can send the closest car to new jobs.
As with any routing software, the value of RouteSmart to its users rests on the accuracy of the data behind the maps. RouteSmart is based on the most comprehensive and accurate geographic data set in New Zealand.
Terralink International Managing Director, Mike Donald, says accuracy is his team’s paramount concern.
“RouteSmart maps cover 131,000 kms of New Zealand roads, and contain 1.6 million street addresses. That’s the most roads and the largest address set in New Zealand. What’s more, the location of each address has been verified using aerial photography,” he says.
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