• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Library
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » Increasing Sustainability in LTL Trucking With Route Optimization

Increasing Sustainability in LTL Trucking With Route Optimization

May 11, 2022
Ram Yadlapalli, SupplyChainBrain Contributor

In a perfect world, shippers would provide their transportation partners with consistent business at consistent levels. But with today’s rollercoaster demand, shortages of parts and inventory, tight capacity, rising fuel prices, lack of truck drivers and more, nothing in freight is consistent or smooth. Because of this volatility, sustainability is often compromised. 

Routing technology can help maintain — or improve — sustainability performance in times of crisis. 

Route optimization and planning solutions build optimal routes for freight. These routes consider constraints such as time windows, vehicle capacity, driver schedules, delivery constraints (low bridges, limited access, etc.), hours of service, delivery location, number of stops, traffic congestion, weather, driver skill and much more. As you can see, route optimization goes beyond just moving an order from point A to point B. 

Using machine learning algorithms, the software plans routes that reduce waste of time, fuel and labor. These algorithms sort through thousands of possible routes in a manner of seconds. Route optimization technology isn’t meant to replace planners but to empower them. Here’s a breakdown of its benefits:

  • In the LTL world, routing is typically done by dividing a trip into geographic areas based on zip codes. Drivers are assigned geo-areas depending on the volume of freight available. Dynamic routing can improve the efficiency of the routes as it removes geographic boundaries and creates highly optimized routes spanning multiple zones. 
  • Route optimization software can consider customer special requirements and create the most operable routes. If a customer has special receiving hours, for example, the software will prevent driver dwell time.
  • Historical data and machine learning can predict customer dwell time/ handling time, which helps create the best stop sequence in routes.
  • Location-aware routing dispatches drivers with appropriate equipment — e.g. smaller vans for urban areas — preventing wasted trips.
  • Carriers can quickly reroute freight if a disruption occurs. Route optimization software will show the impact on cost and service for various alternatives, allowing carriers to make an informed decision without adding extra legs to the trip.
  • Pickup assignment, often based on a dispatcher’s tribal knowledge, instead considers real-time data like driver location, distance and available trailer space to improve pickup decisions and reduce missed pickups.
  • Real-time driver ETAs help decrease idle times at each stop, as workers can be prepared to load/unload trucks.
  • Some route optimization platforms are integrated with third-party weather data providers, allowing fleet managers and dispatchers to glean valuable insights into weather patterns, traffic jams and other disruptions. More efficient routes can be created on-the-fly while meeting all operational constraints.
  • Machine-learning algorithms that calculate trailer utilization help reduce empty miles — improving labor efficiency and decreasing emissions.

Ram Yadlapalli is director of routing systems at HaulSuite.

Read more of SupplyChainBrain's 2022 Supply Chain ESG Guide here.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Logistics LTL/Truckload Services Transportation & Distribution Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain) Transportation Management Technology Artificial Intelligence Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Related Directories

    Kuebix

Ram Yadlapalli, SupplyChainBrain Contributor

More from this author

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • karen-jones.jpg

    Watch: Four Industry Disrupters Impacting Logistics

    Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
  • THE SPACE AROUND A COMPUTER KEYBOARD IS CLUSTERED WITH IMAGES GENERIC SHIPPING BOXES

    How Suppliers Can Overcome E-Commerce Supply Chain Challenges

    Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
  • A CSX TRAIN IS SEEN FROM THE FRONT

    CSX’s New CEO Has a Big Idea for Railroads: Carry More Freight

    Rail & Intermodal
  • A ROBOT ARM AND A HUMAN ARM ALMOST TOUCH FINGERS

    AI + SCM: A Formula for Automation and Optimization

    Supply Chain Planning & Optimization
  • A SEATED PERSON HOLDS A SMARTPHONE, SHOPPING

    Retail Consumer Data: The Key to Personalization, or Privacy Violation?

    Regulation & Compliance

Digital Edition

Scb q1 2023 cover

2023 Supply Chain Management Resource Guide: Packing for a Difficult Year

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • New Revenue for Cloud-Based TMS that Embeds Orderful’s Modern EDI Platform

  • Convenience Store Client Maximizes Profit and Improves Customer Service

  • A Digitally Native Footwear Brand Finds Rapid Fulfillment

  • Expanding Apparel Brand Scales Seamlessly with E-Commerce Technology

  • How a Global LSP Scaled its Security Program and Won More Business

Visit Our Sponsors

Orderful Yang Ming Alithya
Barcoding Blue Yonder BNSF Logistics
CoEnterprise Data Capture Deposco
E2open GAINSystems Generix
Geodis GEP GreyOrange
Here Holman Logistics Honeywell Intelligrated
IFM Infor Inmar
Keelvar Kinaxis Korber
Lean Solutions Group 2H Liberty SBF Locus Robotics
Logility LogistiVIEW Lucas Systems
MCA Connect MPO Nvidia
Old Dominion OpenText ORTEC
Overhaul Parsyl PMMI
QIMA Redwood Logistics Ryder E-commerce by Whiplash
Saddle Creek Logistics Schneider Dedicated Setlog Holding AG
Ship4WD Shipwell Shyft
Sourcemap Tecsys TGW Systems
Thomson Reuters Tive Trailer Bridge
Vecna Robotics Verity
Verusen
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2023 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing