Unlocking Efficiency: How a Route Planner App Can Save Time and Reduce Stress

Whether you're looking for a delivery route planner, a multi-stop route planner or a navigation route planner, there's an app out there that suits your needs. This eliminates the need for manual planning and minimizes the time spent on the road. Here are some options.

RoadWarrior Flex

RoadWarrior Flex is a multi-stop route planner that offers easy and effortless communication between the driver and the dispatcher, route optimization to save time and headaches with up to 500 stops in addition to real-time traffic updates, and real-time driver tracking. RoadWarrior Flex also provides reporting to enhance delivery operations and also offers Proof of Delivery as an add-on option.

RoadWarrior starts at $14.99 per month per driver and has a 7-day free trial. In total with the Proof of Delivery add-on, RoadWarrior Flex comes out to $25 per month. (Full disclosure: HowStuffWorks' parent company System1 also owns RoadWarrior.)

Onfleet

Onfleet is a powerful delivery management software that aims to simply last mile delivery logistics. Onfleet offers easy communication between drivers and the dispatcher, real-time driver tracking and route optimization, as well as real-time traffic updates and proof of delivery. The downside is that if you’re a small business just starting out, this option can be expensive.

Onfleet starts at $550 per month at the lowest tier and includes 2,000 delivery/pick up tasks, unlimited users, email and phone support, etc. but if you’re just starting out, you may not need all of the bells and whistles just yet.

WorkWave Route Manager

WorkWave Route Manager is a more affordable option that also helps businesses streamline their delivery operations by providing route optimization, driver tracking, and delivery analytics.

Similar to Onfleet, there are several tiers of pricing with each tier unlocking more features. According to their website, pricing can go as low as $54 per month per vehicle, but it looks like it only comes with a limited amount of features.

The most basic plan only offers Route Optimization, a mobile app for drivers, order imports via Excel/CVS and the ability to plan territories. Unfortunately, the website doesn’t disclose how much the higher-tier plans cost.

In addition to saving you time, a route planner app can also help you save money on your daily commute. By providing you with the most efficient route, these apps can reduce fuel consumption and minimize wear and tear on your vehicle. This translates to significant savings in the long run, especially if you have a long daily commute or frequently travel for work.

Moreover, a route planner app can help you avoid toll roads and congestion zones, further reducing your transportation costs. With the rising prices of tolls and the increasing number of congestion charges in cities, these apps can be a valuable tool in saving you money. By mapping out alternative routes that bypass these costly areas, a route planner app ensures that you're not spending unnecessary cash on tolls or fines.

Additionally, some route planner apps offer features like gas price comparisons and fuel-saving tips. By finding the cheapest gas stations along your route and providing you with tips on how to improve your fuel efficiency, these apps can help you stretch your dollars even further. With the ever-increasing cost of fuel, every penny saved counts, and a route planner app can be your ally in achieving this goal.

When factoring the different features each route planner app provides along with the price, our top pick is RoadWarrior Flex. At $25 per driver per month, you not only get route optimization, up to 500 stops, real-time traffic updates, driver tracking and direct uploads via Excel, but you also get Proof of Delivery. If you don’t need Proof of Delivery for your operations, it brings down your costs to $15 per driver per month which is even more cost effective and more money to put towards the things your business might need right away.