What do industries such as outside sales, field services, deliveries, and logistics have in common?
They all rely on efficient route planning to manage extensive customer lists and ensure timely service. Basic route planners, such as Google Maps can do this, to an extent. But if you work in the aforementioned industries you know you need a more sophisticated software.
This is where route optimization comes into play.
The best route optimization software goes beyond plotting stops; they calculate the most efficient routes based on factors like traffic, time windows, vehicle capacities, and priority stops, saving you and your team hours of planning and cutting operational costs.
To compile my list of the best route optimization software, I’ve spent a full day in my car testing each tool, giving me enough time to get to grips with the software and its capabilities.
The result? I’ve compiled a list of the 5 best route optimization software along with valuable information such as:
Before I jump right in with the best route optimization software list, let me break down exactly what route optimization is.
Route optimization determines the most efficient route for traveling between multiple stops. By leveraging advanced algorithms and incorporating real-time data - such as traffic, road conditions, and distance - it ensures routes are dynamic, up-to-date and highly efficient. It can also factor in business-specific needs, such as driver schedules, vehicle capacities, and customer priorities.
The goal of route optimization is to minimize travel time and fuel consumption, while maximizing productivity - whether it’s for sales reps meeting clients or delivery drivers making drop-offs. While everyone has had experience with the Google Maps route planner, its biggest drawback is that it doesn’t optimize your routes and isn’t designed to handle multi-stop routing efficiently.
Route optimization not only enhances productivity but also improves customer satisfaction by ensuring you arrive on time to all of your customer visits.
Why is Route Optimization Important?
By calculating the shortest and most efficient routes, route optimization minimizes the amount of time you spend in your car, helping you save money at the gas station. Saving money on fuel costs will help your business reduce your operational costs, while also helping to reduce carbon emissions. A win-win for everyone!
By spending less time on the road, you’ll not only save money on fuel but also free up valuable time to connect with more customers, driving increased revenue.
Keeping your customers happy is a massive part of your job, so by ensuring you are meeting them on time, you can boost your customer satisfaction rates. Every moment stuck behind the wheel isn’t just burning fuel - it’s wasting time and potential opportunities to grow your business.
What is the Difference Between Route Planning and Route Optimization?
If you work in some of the industries I have previously mentioned, you’re going to need both route planning software and route optimization software. But what exactly is the difference between the two of them? And do you need two different pieces of software?
To answer my last question - the answer probably depends on the type of software you have. For example, Google Maps is great for route planning but lacks the sophisticated optimization features necessary for businesses with complex, multi-stop routes. Just because you have a route planning software, it doesn’t automatically mean it will come equipped with route optimization capabilities. However, most modern route optimization software do come equipped with route planning capabilities.
Route planning is the process of creating a route by plotting multiple stops in a logical order. This can be done manually, but thanks to the rise in automation there are multitudes of route planners available to you to choose from. Route planning tools can help you avoid basic errors, like missing stops or inefficient routing.
In contrast, route optimization software goes beyond simple planning - it uses advanced algorithms to automatically determine the most efficient route based on real-time data, such as traffic, road conditions, vehicle capacities, and customer data.
While route planning helps you establish your route, route optimization refines it to save time, reduce operational costs, and improve overall efficiency. Making sure you have a tool that does both is crucial for busy field teams.
Want to learn more about optimizing your routes? Check out our ultimate guide to route optimization here!
The Best Route Optimization Software
After testing out more than 20 route optimization tools, I’ve compiled my list of the top 5, per industry. Here they are.
Badger Maps - Best Route Optimization Software for Field Services and Field Sales Teams
Main benefits: Route optimization, route planning, scheduling, lead generation, territory alignment, CRM integration
Price: Free 7 day trial & 30-day team pilots available, Business - $58/month, Enterprise - $95/month
Badger Maps is the best route optimization tool for field sales and field service teams as it allows you to automatically plan, route, and maximize your time in the field, cutting down driving time by 20%. It helps you save time on your daily planning, maintain better relationships with your customers, and be more productive.
Badger Maps offers features specifically designed for field teams like lead generation, territory mapping, photo check-ins, and advanced reporting that allow you to discover new leads in your territory, keep track of key customer information, and stay on top of your most important accounts.
Once you’ve created a route with up to 120 stops, you’ll get turn-by-turn directions powered by Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze, guaranteeing you will never be late to an appointment.
"After getting Badger Maps, weekly meetings per rep jumped from 12 to 20. This led to a 22% increase in annual revenue."
Brad Moxley
Business Development Manager, Cutter & Buck
Territory management is simple with Badger Maps as you can visualize your top accounts, update information on the go, see who’s generating revenue, and much more. You can colorize your pins as different colors and understand where your highest priority leads and customers are located versus your low priority accounts.
As well as optimizing your routes, Badger Maps also mobilizes your sales CRM software, giving you instant access to important customer information as you work your territory. You can easily sync and leverage data in your CRM, all from your mobile device.
Badger Maps is the best route optimization software for field service and field sales teams looking to spend less time on the road and save money on gas.
On average, field teams using Badger Maps save 8 hours a week, drive 20% less, and sell 22% more.
Routific is a route optimization app designed specifically for drivers who work in large-scale delivery operations.
It offers a user-friendly interface that allows you to easily plan delivery routes by considering key factors such as delivery time windows, driver schedules, and vehicle capacities. Routes can be sent directly to your mobile device, making it convenient for drivers on the go.
What sets Routific apart is its ability to account for delivery fleet-specific factors like time windows, vehicle capacities, delivery types, driver speeds, priority stops, shift times, and breaks. More accurate optimization means more accurate ETAs, completions, and happier drivers. You can change routes on the fly while in your car.
Routific also includes a notification feature to update customers on their ETA, and a proof of delivery feature that lets you send messages about where deliveries have been dropped. The app captures data like missed deliveries and completed ones.
Managers will find the driver tracking feature very useful. While it doesn’t track their physical location via GPS, it can track drivers based on their completed deliveries while also providing ETAs for future stops. You can view and track multiple drivers at once on the same map and get an accurate view of both the territory and estimated route completion.
PROS
CONS
Real-time driver tracking
Bug issues with route optimization
Proof of delivery
Mobile app has limitations
Customer notifications
Unable to communicate with customers from within the app
Cost effective
Drivers can’t modify routes
Circuit - Best Route Optimization Software for Small Delivery Services
Main Benefits: Shareable routes, Proof of delivery, Customer notifications, Accurate ETA’s
Pricing: Standard - $20/mo, Starter - $100/mo, Essentials - $200/mo, Standard -$250/mo, Pro - $300/mo
Circuit is another route optimization tool designed specifically for delivery drivers. Unlike Routific, which focuses on the needs of larger delivery fleets and enterprise-level logistics, Circuit is designed with the needs of small to medium-sized delivery teams in mind. While it might not have advanced team management or analytics capabilities, its focus on flexibility and user-friendliness ensures it meets the day-to-day requirements of smaller teams without overwhelming them with unnecessary complexity.
A key feature of any delivery route optimization software is Proof of Delivery (POD), and Circuit excels by collecting electronic signatures, photos, and notes to ensure accountability and improve customer satisfaction. It also lets you prioritize stops, set time windows, and effortlessly share delivery ETAs with customers.
PROS
CONS
Modern interface
No advanced analytics
Proof of delivery
Occasional technical issues
Affordable
Limited integrations
Samsara - Best Route Optimization Software for the Trucking Industry
Main benefits: Real-time GPS tracking and fleet management, Enhanced driver safety, Asset tracking, Automated maintenance alerts
Samsara is a route optimization software with excellent GPS fleet tracking capabilities that works best for the trucking industry.
Route optimization is available for routes with a maximum of 20 stops. Real-time GPS tracking can show your vehicles' live locations and provide detailed reporting which can allow for better-planned routes, last-minute driver dispatches, and accurate ETAs for customers.
Samsara's modern AI Dash Cams capture high-definition video and quickly send footage of key incidents to office management. Their Helicopter View feature can give you an instant aerial view of your assets, letting you know exactly where your assets are at any given moment.
The Sustainable Fleet Management feature can help you reduce their carbon footprint and achieve your sustainability goals. You can gain visibility into the driving behavior of your field team with the data informing you of areas where you can improve fuel efficiency.
PROS
CONS
User-friendly interface
Pricing point can be high for smaller teams
Comprehensive safety features
Can’t create routes with more than 20 stops
Robust reporting and analytics
Some features are best used on desktop
Motive - Best Route Optimization Software for Public Sector
Main Benefits: Shareable routes, Proof of delivery, Customer notifications, Accurate ETA’s
Motive, which was formerly called Keep Truckin’, is a great route optimization tool that teams working in the public sector can use to track fleets and equipment, dispatch workers, and optimize routes.
Motive’s GPS vehicle tracking capabilities allow you to follow the location of your vehicles in real-time, with location updates as fast as every two seconds. This can save you a lot of time making time-consuming check-ins with management in order to provide them with updates.
The AI Omnicam that can be placed on the side or the rear of your vehicle is the first of its kind and it can help drivers eliminate blind spots and prevent accidents. The AI can detect bad driving behaviors, keeping you safe as you go about your work. These safety capabilities make Motive an excellent choice for public sector teams who do have an added responsibility of serving the public.
PROS
CONS
Driver safety
No traffic alerts
Great customer support
GPS signal can be patchy in remote areas
Real-time GPS tracking
Can be expensive
Vehicle health diagnostics
Contract transparency issues
Conclusion
Using route optimization software can really be a game changer for field teams. By adopting the right route optimization tool, you’ll ultimately save time and money by cutting down planning and drive time - allowing you to accomplish more each day.
The tricky part? Choosing the right software for your business needs. There are tons of options out there so it’s better to do your research than run the risk of spending money on a route optimizer that isn't the right fit.
MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT ROUTE OPTIMIZATION SOFTWARE
Does Google Maps have a route optimizer?
No, Google Maps doesn't have a route optimization feature. To optimize your routes, you will need to invest in a specific tool to do it, such as Badger Maps.
How do you optimize a route?
To optimize a route, you should use route optimization software to determine the most efficient path based on factors like traffic, distance, time windows, and vehicle capacity. Software can factor in real-time data and business-specific needs to minimize travel time and fuel costs.
What is an example of route optimization?
An example of route optimization is a delivery company planning routes for drivers to drop off packages at 50 different locations. By optimizing routes with the help of software, you can analyze factors like traffic patterns, delivery time windows, and vehicle capacities to create an efficient sequence of stops. This ensures you take the shortest and fastest route to your destination, reducing fuel costs and delivery times while meeting customer requirements.
