Electronic Software and Courier Driver Dispatch

Electronic Software and Courier Driver Dispatch

Having a courier program that includes electronic driver dispatch can be one of the best time savings methods in a courier company. You might see this type of a product advertised as dispatching software. Typically, you should be able to implement in most systems as long as your drivers are equipped with a compatible GPS device. Most of the handheld GPS units designed for the courier industry are going to be compatible with this type of software.

So what exactly is electronic driver dispatch? This is when a drivers delivery routes can be uploaded directly to the devices that they carry with them. They can immediately receive the routes and instructions for all of the applicable pickups at the click of a few buttons from the dispatch office. Some software can even be configured to send out some dispatches automatically that fit certain criteria.

All in all, this feature can be one of the biggest time savers when it comes to courier programs. When dispatchers actually have to contact their drivers to give them their routes by phone or radio, it can take many, many more times the time to give the instructions that it does to upload a route electronically. Also, this way the driver will not attempt to speak on a cell phone while driving, as the route is sent to them without any conversation at all.

Another very important part of this process is that it reduces the margin for error when communicating routes to delivery drivers. Anytime information passes between two humans, there is always a chance for it to be misunderstood. The children’s game, “Telephone” demonstrates this concept perfectly. Therefore, when you eliminate having one person give instructions to another, you also eliminate the possibility that they are going to hear something wrong and end up at the wrong address.

The courier industry is all about speed. Mistakes of any kind can cause a great deal of speed to be lost, as someone, somewhere within the organization is going to have to take the time to go back and correct that mistake in some fashion. This software feature both helps to reduce time based on its features, and by the virtue of eliminating mistakes, making it doubly valuable to any courier company. The next time your courier company is considering upgrading the software that they are utilizing, be sure to look for a program which offers electronic driver dispatch.