Manual dispatch might seem manageable when you’re only dealing with a few drivers and a light workload. But as your business grows, it gets messy, especially if you’re not using route optimization software.
Sticky notes. Group chats. Spreadsheets. Endless phone calls. It all adds up: in time, fuel, stress, and missed deliveries.
Manual dispatch or route optimization software?
The truth is, manual dispatch could be bleeding money from your business without you even noticing. Manual systems rely on people juggling too many things at once.
This could include:
- assigning drivers,
- calculating routes,
- handling delays, and
- keeping customers updated.
It works… until it doesn’t. This is why delivery businesses need route optimization software.
A survey from Bringg found that 61% of logistics companies still use manual methods for planning deliveries. Many of them even report rising operational costs and reduced efficiency as a result.
That’s so expensive for a delivery business, in the long run!
When dispatchers are buried in admin tasks, there’s less time to focus on customer service, resolving delivery issues, or improving efficiency.
Small errors snowball fast: wrong routes, confused drivers, late deliveries. And every one of those mistakes eats into your margins.
How much is manual dispatch really costing you?
Here’s what most businesses don’t realize until it’s too late: It’s costing you in wasted time, fuel, missed deliveries (which also leads to bad customer experience), and poor visiblity.
Let’s look at these issues and the impact it might be having on your business:
1. Wasted time:
Manual planning for just 10 to 15 drivers can take hours. That’s time your dispatchers could spend on higher-value tasks.
What about teams with 100s of drivers? It’s just not sustainable.
2. Fuel waste:
Without optimized routes, drivers may zig-zag across town.
All those inefficient routes will burn fuel fast. And as anyone in the delivery sector will tell you, fuel is one of your biggest recurring costs!
3. Missed deliveries:
If a customer isn’t home or if the time window wasn’t communicated clearly, that means a re-delivery.
Which means more time, more fuel, and more unhappy customers. Your driver has to find the time to go back, which wastes resources.
The client is unhappy, their schedule has been messed with, and they’ll likely never return, or worse, leave a scathing review online.
4. Poor visibility:
If you can’t track your drivers in real time, you’re stuck reacting to problems instead of preventing them.
This keeps your staff from doing what they actually need to do, and it keeps you from growing your business into a profitable, scalable operation.
What route optimization software can do instead
Software like Locate2u takes the guesswork out of the equation.
It handles the routing, tracks your drivers, and even updates customers automatically. No more panicked calls about missed deliveries, and no more drivers getting stuck in traffic jams.
With route optimization software, you get:
1. Real-time GPS tracking
Know exactly where your drivers are. No more guesswork and definitely no more constant, unnecessary check-ins.
With Locate2u’s software, you get a live map view of every vehicle on the road.
This kind of visibility makes it easier to respond to delays, track performance, and keep customers in the loop without picking up the phone.
2. Route planning
Locate2u plans the fastest and most efficient routes based on traffic, time windows, and delivery priorities. And when something changes mid-route, it updates automatically.
In fact, it updates every few minutes. This saves your office staff HOURS of manual updates and comms with drivers.
And if your team isn’t wasting time on routes, it means they’re not making unnecessary detours. They’re not backtracking across time, which saves on fuel expenses and vehicle wear-and-tear.
3. Drag-and-drop dispatching
Got a change of plans? With route optimization software, you can assign a job or shuffle stops around with a quick drag-and-drop.
Locate2u’s interface is simple enough for anyone to use, so your team can adapt on the fly without needing to be tech experts.
They will get the updates on the driver app, and can adjust their routes without hassle.
4. Customer notifications
Customers want to track their delivery in real time. Locate2u makes that easy with branded live tracking links and accurate ETAs sent via SMS or email.
The tracking link shows where the driver is on the map, with an estimated time of arrival, so your clients know when they should be available to receive their delivery.
It cuts down on those pesky “Where’s my order?” calls while also building trust with customers. Because they really do appreciate being kept in the loop
5. Proof of delivery
Another massive bonus is no more lost paperwork or delivery disputes! Sounds like a dream, right?
Drivers can capture a digital signature when at the handover, along with a photo and a time stamp. Right there at the door.
Everything is stored online, so you’ve got a clear record for every completed job.
Later, if disputes arise, you can access the information easily, making it one less thing to chase down when something goes wrong.
Real-world results
According to Locate2u customers, switching from manual dispatch to software has cut fuel costs by up to 20% and reduced failed deliveries significantly.
For example, Jack Lee family’s fish farm in South Australia, Madam Seafood, managed all the bookings by hand. It took hours to figure delivery routes, working until the early hours of the morning at times.
That’s when they found Locate2u. Jack says: “Locate2u saves time on your customer service. By giving them that live tracking link to go check themselves, 90% of our workload has been shifted.”
The software integrates with Madam Seafood’s Shopify site. Customers can choose their delivery dates and times at checkout.
The system automatically organizes orders, creates optimized routes, and provides customers with a real-time tracking link.
And most importantly, Madam Seafood is able to deliver food that stays fresh during the transit.
Why you need route optimization software
You can’t scale a delivery business with spreadsheets.
At some point, manual dispatch becomes the bottleneck, and your competitors are probably already automating theirs.
The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your entire business to get started. You just need the right tools that work for you.
Locate2u’s dispatch and route planning software is designed to grow with your business. Whether you’ve got two drivers or 200, it helps you deliver smarter, not harder.
About the author
Cheryl has contributed to various international publications, with a fervor for data and technology. She explores the intersection of emerging tech trends with logistics, focusing on how digital innovations are reshaping industries on a global scale. When she's not dissecting the latest developments in AI-driven innovation and digital solutions, Cheryl can be found gaming, kickboxing, or navigating the novel niches of consumer gadgetry.
