FedEx delivery route planner

Route optimization is the process of calculating the quickest and easiest route with a given number of stops. When delivering packages, drivers need to consider traffic, stop order, and time-sensitivity to devise the best possible route. Route optimization software does this process in seconds, factoring in various data points to provide the driver with an efficient path.

Using route optimization helps reduce fuel consumption, time on the road, and missed stops. This saves the company money, makes the driver’s job easier, and leads to more satisfied customers. With route optimization, delivery companies run better.

If you have a smart phone and want to speed up your driving commute, you’ve probably heard of Waze. Most default map apps like Google Maps or Apple Maps don’t do a ton of optimization. Typically, you punch in your address and accept your fate, which might be an hour of bumper-to-bumper traffic––but Waze does something different.

Waze seems to navigate you around backstreets and quiet country roads to make your trip faster… But is Waze reliable and effective enough for delivery drivers? 

The benefits of using Waze are the community-influenced aspects such as the real-time construction zone updates, speed limit alerts, police notifications, and gas price updates. In addition, Waze uses specific algorithms to optimize the routes of its users, taking them off the beaten path and potentially around blocks of traffic.

However, Waze will only optimize the route in the stop order you input. This means that if you do not research the fastest stop order before inputting the addresses, Waze will assume you want to travel in that precise order with no rearranging––which might not save time at all if you don’t carefully consider stop order in advance. This can be a dealbreaker for couriers who have 100 or more stops per day, which is why FedEx drivers usually opt for more powerful software.

Google Maps is aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-use, intuitive, and contains nearly every business, landmark, house, and other geographical feature you want to find on a map. But how does Google Maps stack up against other route-planning apps when it comes to optimization?

The best way to use Google Maps for route planning is to break up the route in small batches. You can do this by assigning certain postcodes or neighborhoods to certain batches. Then, you need to list the stops in the order you’d like to reach them. Next, enter up to ten addresses and Google Maps will optimize the route.

Although this can work with some planning, the steps needed for efficient route planning can be far too time-consuming and tedious. Plus, if you ever need to re-route, you have to start over from scratch. This is another example of an app that isn’t catered for the amount of stops the typical FedEx driver has to make.

FedEx uses a technology called Dynamic Route Optimization, or DRO, to optimize the routes given to FedEx drivers. First released in 2019, this tool rivals similar apps such as Orion from UPS to help compete in terms of delivery time, driver efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

Like other route optimization software, DRO plans and orders dozens of stops into an efficient order. Users do not need to stop and recalculate along the way to maximize efficiency because DRO is already on it.

Unfortunately, since the release of FedEx DRO, there have been numerous complaints regarding this technology––especially from FedEx drivers. FedEx DRO has failed to be as successful as the company initially thought, with drivers stating this software has actually led to greater time-eating issues when compared to pre-DRO time.

Many experienced drivers find themselves fighting the in-house technology to get their job done on time, exposing a discrepancy between delivery veterans’ route planning and the software’s route planning.

FedEx routes are assigned to drivers in a geographical area by the zip or postal code. The route’s boundaries, which also correspond to the driver’s work area, are determined in advance to prevent the drivers from having to wait between destinations or package deliveries. As soon as orders are placed in the FedEx system, route planning managers along with DRO take the information, add it to the route, and inform the proper driver.

FedEx couriers typically earn between eighteen and twenty dollars per hour, for an average annual income of around $40,000. According to ZipRecruiter, top earners make about $50,000 per year as FedEx delivery drivers.

If you obtain the rights to a FedEx route, as an owner, you can make between an average of $30,000 and $50,000 per route depending on the business contract with FedEx. Each contract will determine how you will be paid based on its average number of stops and deliveries. As a fleet manager, you might expand your business and take on multiple routes to increase your annual income.

There are many free route planning apps and software you can use to plan a free delivery route for your products or your company. Taking advantage of free route planning software is key if you need to make your deliveries more efficient, but don’t want to use DRO or a pricey alternative. While Google Maps might work for smaller deliveries, like ten stops or less per route, there are other apps like Straightaway that will optimize up to twenty-five stops for free, and up to 250 stops for $7.99/mo if you sign up for twelve months.

Yes!

Although FedEx has its own route planning software with FedEx DRO, we see that this technology is not considered the most customer-friendly or user-efficient when it comes to creating seamless routes. Instead, FedEx drivers should consider switching its route optimization software to allow for a greater level of ease regarding driver use. Whether you want to drive for FedEx, own a FedEx route, or start your own delivery business, consider Straightaway to make everything run on time.