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Most fleet operators who introduce routing and scheduling systems either use them periodically to fine-tune fixed delivery rounds, or run them every day to work out the best routes for the following day.
Logistics group Lloyd Fraser, working on a long-term contract for exhaust systems manufacturer Tuberex, is using the TruckStops routing and scheduling system from Kingswood MapMechanics to combine elements of both approaches, and according to group logistics director Les Corbett: “It’s proving ideal in this application.” |
TruckStops, the world’s biggest-selling routing and scheduling system, is supplied and supported in Britain by Kingswood MapMechanics, which also provides related digital map data, implementation backup and training.
Simon Hall, Lloyd Fraser’s senior transport supervisor at Tuberex, says TruckStops is particularly effective at the company because of the way it automates the load and route-planning process, yet still offers plenty of interactivity. This means the operator preparing the schedules can take control manually once TruckStops has completed the optimisation process, taking account of unexpected changes to the intended delivery pattern. "For instance, we may be able to slot in drops that fall outside the planned rounds for that day."
Tuberex offers guaranteed next-day delivery to customers ordering by 5.30pm, handling nationwide distribution from a single warehouse at its factory site in Staffordshire. To maintain a logical and economical delivery system, the company offers customers delivery on fixed days of the week; but it also allows them to place ad hoc orders on other days – for instance, when there is an urgent need to top up stocks.
The company therefore needed a routing and scheduling system that could handle a relatively predictable ordering pattern from a known customer base, but which could also respond to last-minute variations in each day’s orders, as well as taking account of new customers as soon as they were taken on.
Lloyd Fraser says TruckStops has proved ideal for implementing this scheme. Within the software, the company has set up different sets of delivery resources for each day of the week, focusing on the parts of the country served on that day. When customer orders come through from Tuberex’s QAD order processing system, TruckStops assumes they will all fall within the expected regions; but it will still attempt to schedule deliveries that fall outside the expected areas.
Sometimes this will be possible; but if not, Simon Hall and his team can intervene manually to ensure that all orders are still delivered. TruckStops includes a drag-and-drop facility, by which calls can be moved interactively on a screen map to different points on the optimised journey suggested by the system, or transferred to a different vehicle. TruckStops will immediately recalculate the affected routes, ensuring that time, weight and delivery window limits are not exceeded.
“We might have personal knowledge of particular drops,” Simon Hall says, “and be aware that a given delivery will take less time than expected, or a given customer won’t mind taking delivery outside the preferred time. That means we can sometimes shuffle drops around to make space for additional deliveries. We work with TruckStops to reach the best overall solution.”
When an ad hoc delivery falls too far outside the calculated schedule to be handled by any of the allocated vehicles, the traffic team may decide to run a special trip. “Because TruckStops allows us to utilise our vehicles so much better, we’ve been able to keep some resources in reserve,” Simon Hall says. Occasionally it is simply not possible or viable to use an extra vehicle, in which case the part is despatched by express carrier instead.
The core fleet consists of 16 Mercedes-Benz vehicles – seven Sprinter 3.5-tonne panel vans and nine Atego 7.5-tonners. Eight of these are panel vans, while one is a curtain-sider, used for customers who request delivery in stillages. The Sprinters carry up to about 220 “pieces”, while the Ategos can take around 500. Typically they make nine to ten drops a day, although this can vary widely according to demand.
Tuberex produces a wide range of fast-moving exhaust systems for cars and commercial vehicles, offering around 900 product lines in all (including catalytic converters). Its 1,260-odd live customers include motor groups, distributors and resellers.
Lloyd Fraser is one of Britain’s leading independent third-party logistics groups, and operates many high-profile supply-chain contracts in a variety of markets from a national network of bases. |
