Southwestern Motor Transport (SMT) has completed the rollout of the full RouteMax pickup-and-delivery (P&D) solution from HaulSuite. With RouteMax’s route optimization, dispatching, and mobile app, the carrier aims to deliver better service and more efficient P&D operations than ever before.
Previously SMT had deployed RouteMax’s Inbound Planning module for route optimization but is now implementing its Intelligent Dispatching and Smart Driver Mobile app. These new functions were released earlier this year and were implemented across SMT’s 16 terminals and more than 200 drivers in just under one month.
See also: Optym launches HaulSuite for LTL carriers
“We think these new dispatching and mobile capabilities are going to be a real game-changer for LTL pickup and delivery operations,” said Rambabu Yadlapalli, RouteMax’s senior product manager. "Where other first and last-mile execution systems are focused on making deliveries as efficient as possible, LTL carriers are concerned about stuff coming back to the terminal—the pickups. Our system optimizes the routes both ways—outgoing and incoming—and synchronizes all that detail seamlessly with the drivers through the mobile app, so no one misses a beat."
How it works
HaulSuite’s RouteMax offers integrated advanced route optimization, intelligent dispatch, and a smart driver mobile app that improves driver productivity and asset utilization while consistently meeting all service commitments. By adding Dispatching and the Driver App, the plans developed in Inbound Planning benefit from additional real-time data to fill in any gaps in the plan.
Robert Bernal, SMT's VP of IT, was a primary stakeholder in selecting the new software. "We have been using the route optimization feature from RouteMax,” Bernal said. “Our P&D pre-planning became more efficient, but we realized that if we added real-time capabilities found in the Dispatching and Driver apps, that we could obtain a fully-connected P&D ecosystem for even greater results."
The impact of RouteMax
Implementing these new capabilities in such a short amount of time required a healthy and robust partnership between SMT and the RouteMax teams. Since RouteMax is designed to connect seamlessly to other management systems, some integrations were already in place beforehand. The two groups focused on configuring the solution to fit its unique needs and coordinating the training and rollout to SMT’s terminals and drivers.
Since the rollout, the SMT team has reported significant improvements in operational KPIs (Stops/ Hr, Bills/ Hour, Miles/ Stop, and Bills/ Trip). According to both companies, the HaulSuite and SMT teams are confident that they will see even better numbers as they become more comfortable with the solutions and further fine-tuned processes.
