Effective vehicle management starts with accurate forecasting. With Mapline, you can automate the demand forecasting process, ensuring you always have the right number of vehicles on hand to meet your delivery requirements. By analyzing past delivery data and projected order volumes, Mapline can predict how many vehicles you’ll need for upcoming weeks.

For example, if your warehouse typically routes deliveries to multiple stores, Mapline can calculate how many vehicles are needed based on the number of orders, delivery distances, and vehicle capacity. Whether it’s 20 vehicles one week or just 13 the next, Mapline gives you the insights you need to adjust your fleet size accordingly. This proactive approach prevents shortfalls and ensures you’re always prepared to meet demand, optimizing both vehicle usage and operational costs.

Knowing how many vehicles you need is just the beginning—Mapline also helps you identify and address any shortfalls in your fleet or driver roster. By analyzing the average demand for each territory over time, you can plan for peak periods and ensure that your resources are sufficient to meet the highest demand.

If Mapline determines that you need five trucks for a specific delivery route but you only have three available, you can take action to contract additional vehicles or adjust your delivery schedule to avoid service disruptions. Similarly, if you have a limited number of drivers, Mapline will notify you if some customers won’t be serviced on time, allowing you to make the necessary adjustments to keep operations running smoothly.

Assigning vehicles to the correct service areas is critical for maintaining efficiency and meeting delivery deadlines. With Mapline, you can easily optimize vehicle service area assignments, ensuring that each vehicle is matched to the right route based on factors such as driver preference, vehicle capability, and service area requirements.

For example, if certain drivers are uncomfortable driving in urban areas, you can assign them to routes that avoid city centers, while more experienced drivers handle the urban deliveries. Additionally, Mapline allows you to consider vehicle-specific requirements, such as matching larger trucks to routes with spacious docking bays and smaller vehicles to routes with tighter parking conditions. This level of customization ensures that your fleet is utilized to its full potential, reducing unnecessary mileage and maximizing operational efficiency.