The problem
Sorting 80 drops between two vans with a map and a highlighter takes the owner about 40 minutes every morning, and the order is never quite right. If better routes saved each van 12 miles a day, two vans over 5 days a week would cover about 516 fewer miles a month (2 x 12 x 5 x 4.3).
What the AI does
Spoke Dispatch is route planning software for delivery teams. Its pricing page lists route optimization, a driver app, live driver location and route tracking on every plan, with unlimited drivers. You import the day's drops from a spreadsheet, it works out the order for each van, and each driver follows the route in the app. You still decide which van takes the awkward ones, such as a tail-lift drop or a timed collection. Spoke charges by stops: Starter is $125 (about $125£94€112A$180C$177) a month for 1,000 stops, then $0.04 a stop; a stop counts when it is attempted, marked delivered or failed, exported or printed.
A worked example
A two-van multi-drop courier in Coventry delivers for local wholesalers and online shops, about 40 drops per van a day, 5 days a week. The owner plans routes by hand before loading and drives one of the vans.
Before
40 minutes of planning a day, and routes that double back: about 1,720 stops a month (2 x 40 x 5 x 4.3)
After
About 10 minutes to import and check routes a day, and around 12 fewer miles per van per day
What it's worth
About $452£340€405A$653C$639 a month saved, against $153£115€137A$221C$216 to $200£150€179A$288C$282 for the software. Planning time falls by 30 minutes a day, 645 minutes or about 10.75 hours a month, worth about $286£215€256A$413C$404 at an assumed $27£20€24A$38C$38 an hour. The 516 fewer miles are worth about $172£129€154A$248C$243 at an assumed 25p a mile in fuel and wear. At 1,720 stops, Starter costs $125 plus 720 extra stops at $0.04, about $154 (about $153£115€137A$221C$216); Premium at $200 (about $200£150€179A$288C$282) includes 2,000 stops.
How to set it up
- Export a typical day's drops to a spreadsheet with full addresses and post codes, and note any timed or two-person drops.
- Start Spoke Dispatch, add both drivers and import the spreadsheet.
- Let it optimize the routes, then move any drops that need a particular van or driver.
- Send the routes to the drivers' phones and have them follow the app order for two weeks.
- Compare miles and finish times with the two weeks before, and count your stops each month against the plan allowance.
What goes wrong
- Spoke bills every attempted, failed, exported or printed stop, so re-sending or printing routes can push you over 1,000 stops on Starter sooner than you expect.
- Prices are in US dollars, billed monthly, so the pound cost moves with the exchange rate.
- Bad addresses produce bad routes. Check that each post code matches the street before you optimize, especially on industrial estates.
- The app doesn't know that a goods-in door shuts at 2pm unless you add it. Put time windows and notes on drops that need them.