10 Best Dispatch Routing Software of 2023
Best dispatch routing software

In the last few years, dispatch routing software has brought about a paradigm shift in the transportation and logistics industry. The software enables businesses to manage their routing and dispatching operations effectively.

Using dispatch routing software, dispatchers and managers can plan & optimize routes and assign them to different drivers as per their availability. So, one-click driver dispatching is your go-to solution.

Earlier, it used to consume hours of time when done manually, but dispatching software helps streamline the work and improves performance across all parameters.

When it comes to selecting the right software, it is a must to consider different factors like route optimization capabilities, flexibility, real-time tracking, integration with existing platforms, and more.

Moreover, the right software solution helps companies to optimize routes, improve customer service, and enhance overall resource utilization. Herein we have compiled a list of the 10 best dispatch routing software of 2023, so choose one that meets your needs.

The Best Dispatch Routing Software of 2023

Upper star(5.0)

Best Route Dispatching Software

Starting Price

$80/month

Free trial

7-days

Key features

One-click dispatch, track drivers’ location, collect proof of delivery

Upper is the top route dispatching software that makes it effortless to dispatch multiple routes to multiple drivers. Using this software, users can plan the most efficient routes for deliveries/services based on different factors like location & time, time window, service time, priorities, and vehicle type.

Once you have planned & optimized routes, then you can dispatch those routes to your drivers as per their availability. Automate dispatch operations quickly and streamline your routing process with multiple drivers effortlessly.

Features

  • Simply import CSV or Excel file to add hundreds of stops at a time
  • Plan and optimize routes based on time or distance as per your preference
  • Plan driver routes considering factors like time window, service time, priorities, and vehicle type
  • Dispatch multiple routes to multiple drivers effortlessly with Upper’s one-click dispatch
  • Dispatch multiple routes to multiple drivers effortlessly with Upper’s one-click dispatch
  • Prioritize urgent deliveries and delight your customers
  • Schedule optimized routes in advance for weeks and dispatch them to drivers
  • Drivers can collect proof of delivery with photos, notes, and e-signatures
  • Swap routes between drivers in case of emergencies and make last-minute changes on the fly
  • Choose between left or right curbside delivery to avoid taking unnecessary turns, saving delivery time and fuel
  • No need to re-plan the entire route again; reverse it in a tap
  • Drag & drop any stop and update your timeline automatically
  • Make quick modifications even after routes are optimized with a multi-selector tool
  • Monitor driver’s compliance with optimized routes in real time by looking at their movements actively
  • Use the customer notification feature to keep your customers informed about their delivery status or with accurate ETAs
  • Upper allows verifying incorrect & duplicate addresses before you optimize the route
  • Set priority deliveries while planning the route
  • Have the routes be dispatched to the drivers through multiple channels with just one click
  • Get highly detailed reports and analytics to improve business operations
  • Archive planned routes and refer to them whenever you require
  • Dedicated driver app that allows dispatchers to allocate tasks and drivers to communicate delivery status and details
  • Integrate Upper with other businesses platforms with our API

What People Say About Upper

jason dudney

Samsara star(4.1)

For Large Enterprises to Streamline Operations

Starting Price

N/A

Free trial

30-Days

Key features

Dispatching routes in a click, tracking progress, real-time visibility into activities

Samsara is a well-known dispatching software for trucking, buses, delivery vehicles, and more. Instead of manually calling drivers to see where they are, Samsara lets you instantly track vehicle location, route progress, and late or missed stops. With just a few simple taps, you can dispatch routes to drivers and track progress.

One of the solutions that Samsara offers is the vehicle diagnostics tracker that monitors the health of your fleet vehicles and suggests optimal maintenance times accordingly. With vehicle diagnostics, Samsara adds a GPS tracking feature for better delivery management.

Pros

  • Samsara has a massive product lineup that has a lot of hardware solutions for you to implement and use with its routing system.
  • The advanced AI camera and fleet management systems from Samsara allow you to track your driver’s actions to avoid any future liabilities.
  • Samsara software provides real-time visibility into fleet activities, asset locations, and operational data.
  • Get detailed reports and visualizations that help identify trends, optimize operations, and improve overall performance.

Tate. F

Everything you need is included and in one place. Fleet tracking, cameras, HOS, safety, performance, and dispatch tools all live in one place. Additionally, the team is very responsive in creating one-off or custom integrations should you need them.

Cons

  • Customers report that the driver app from Samsara is very laggy and glitchy when used, as it has a lot of problems with editing logs.
  • According to past customers of Samsara, the customer service is not up to the mark, and they often employ unethical sales tactics to sell the product.
  • The breadth of features and functionalities offered by Samsara may be overwhelming or unnecessary for smaller businesses with simpler operational needs.

Mihail. S

Driver app is hard to use, and it’s slow. Hard time to edit logs. Crossing border glitches. Don’t give a warning to the driver in case the driver forgets to do DVIR.


Onfleet star(4.7)

Best For Last Mile Businesses

Starting Price

$500/month

Free trial

14-Day

Key features

Dispatching in a few taps, monitor driver’s progress, analysis & improvement

Onfleet is a dispatching software that comes with several useful features. One of its key features is real-time driver tracking, which allows dispatchers to monitor their drivers’ progress in real-time. This helps to optimize routes and improve overall efficiency.

Onfleet offers route optimization that manages traffic patterns for drivers to reach their destinations quickly. Onfleet’s USP lies in customer communication. Dispatchers send notifications to customers to keep them informed of their delivery status and estimated delivery time.

Pros

  • The user interface of Onfleet is easy to use for new dispatchers due to its clean and intuitive design.
  • The inbuilt driver chat window is a very convenient feature if you want to communicate last-minute details to any staff members.
  • On Onfleet, the KPIs are represented visually, which makes it very easy and quick to grasp, leading to faster analysis of business operations.

Jillian. T

With us needing to do 2,000 deliveries per day, we really needed a straightforward and high-capacity route optimization too. OnFleet is that and everything more. I love that there’s a driver app, in-app communication, and real-time tracking.

Cons

  • The pricing of Onfleet is quite high, considering the features that it offers to customers.
  • The accuracy of the ETAs is not dependable, as the time estimates are often too pessimistic.
  • The software doesn’t have mobile support for dispatchers.
  • It has quite a lengthy process for adding drivers and assigning them to teams.

Hannah. K

The price point feels a little bit too high since the last increase


Omnitracs star(3.6)

Best For Fleet Businesses

Starting Price

$500/month

Free trial

N/A

Key features

Increase driver safety, efficient routing, & one-click dispatch

Omnitracs is a leading provider of fleet management solutions that work with companies to handle their fleets while enhancing safety and cutting costs effectively. They offer companies cloud-native routing solutions to track the real-time location of their cars, keep an eye on driver behavior, and plan the best routes.

The software offers tools to reduce travel time and fuel consumption by optimizing routing and dispatching while taking into consideration variables like traffic, weather, and road conditions.

Moreover, it also provides a variety of safety and compliance options, such as electronic logging devices (ELDs), driver scorecards, and vehicle inspections.

Pros

  • Reliable software to track the hours of service for drivers and vehicles to ensure compliance with safety standards.
  • Because Omnitracs has a wide range of fleet management products, it is very easy to set up the routing software alongside hardware solutions like ELDs.
  • Omintracs makes it very easy to download reports and upload dispatch and delivery addresses with its quick data import and export features.

Ben W.

The software works great & has options to fit any business size and type. For the nursery industry, flexibility in routing options & fluctuating product size all worked great as RTS offers easily changeable capacities.

Cons

  • Omnitracs uses a map system that feels very outdated which can impact the overall clarity of operations for drivers.
  • The customer service department of Omnitracs is reportedly unhelpful with the issues that you are facing.
  • The reliability of the software is not good as the software sometimes shuts down while drivers are driving to the destination.

Erin M

Customer service is completely atrocious. One person would tell you one thing, and another person another thing.


Badger Maps star(4.6)

Best For Field Sales Reps

Starting Price

$59/month

Free trial

4-Days

Key features

Plan and optimize routes quickly, dispatch routes to drivers, custom check-in reports

If you are a dispatcher that overlooks field sales operations, then Badger Maps might just be the perfect dispatch routing software for you. This is mainly due to the features that Badger Maps offers to enhance planning routes for sales trips.

One of these features is to filter our map areas based on their sales prospects. Another is to plan the entire route by using your finger to tap on the points that you want to visit on the map. This makes route planning incredibly easy and fast for such operations.

Pros

  • Sales teams can have greater success in generating leads using Badger Maps because it allows you to filter areas depending on previous sales records.
  • Route planning can be done with ease as Badger Maps enables you to quickly draw a route by just using your finger and tapping on map points.
  • BadgerMaps has a proven track record for offering great customer service to its customers whenever they encounter any issues with the system.

Kerby B.

The lassoing of clients into routes automates my daily planning. The ability to capture and track key account information. The ability to track and weed out bad prospects. The ability to search for specific entities and then have them visually represented by a color on my map.

Cons

  • The Badger Maps routing software offers a laggy experience, especially when you are creating longer routes with a lot of stops.
  • There have been incidents where the loss of recorded data has been frequent for some users with the notes feature.
  • Badger Maps’ offline functionality is limited, and users may require an internet connection to access certain features or map data.

Steve. D

Badger has had a poor ability to keep notes that I have entered reliably. I have been frustrated losing key info on numerous occasions. I stopped reporting the issue because it kept happening so often. I do have to keep separate notes with key contact data because I cannot trust that the info will be there when I need it from Badger. The red map points of accounts I have on the map will often have to be tapped several times for the account to be accessed. The action will either stop and not load, or the app will switch to the blue Google badge.


Route4Me star(4.4)

Best For Logistics Service Businesses

Starting Price

$199/month

Free trial

7-Days

Key features

Dispatching routes in a click, real-time tracking of vehicles

Route4Me is a routing and dispatching software that claims to be capable of completing your entire route planning procedure within 60 seconds. It is the best option for dispatchers as the sooner they plan the route, the sooner they can dispatch it to the drivers.

It also ensures that you stay updated throughout the delivery process, as the driver app can still function with brief periods of connectivity loss. Any data that fails to be uploaded due to a loss of connectivity is resent as soon as the driver app is reconnected to the internet.

Pros

  • Route4Me is great in terms of connectivity as it connects with GPS apps with a single click.
  • Stops can be moved and rearranged even when a route is being carried out, making it easy to accommodate last-minute changes.
  • Route4Me provides real-time tracking of vehicles and deliveries, enabling businesses to monitor the progress of routes.

Matteo. G

Very easy to use, with a fantastic interface that doesn’t require any kind of training. Platform speed is very high, and API availability makes Route4Me the standard de facto route planning system.

Cons

  • There is very limited support for issues, as the only way to submit a complaint is by raising a ticket which usually ends up being inconclusive.
  • Sometimes, when the site is under heavy load, it cannot process requests properly and often crashes completely.
  • Users with intricate routing requirements may need to assess whether Route4Me can handle their specific needs.

Stacy. S

Sometimes, I can’t get a job to show up on the route where it is supposed to. When I need to rearrange the jobs, it will throw one job way out in the left field, so to speak, and all but ignore it. And then I have to report it as a problem on the map so customer service can fix it for me.


Track-PODstar(4.6)

Best For Varied Businesses

Starting Price

$35/month

Free trial

7-Days

Key features

Instant dispatching, performance tracking, and insights

What separates Track-POD from other mainstream platforms is its dispatching capabilities. With Track-POD, you can optimize routes with an enormous number of stops at once, making it easier for dispatchers to assign routes to drivers’ teams.

Another nifty feature of Track-POD is its ability to show you the cost of each route that you take, allowing you to make better routing choices. You also get proof of delivery options and live driver tracking, making it excellent for keeping tabs on fleet operations.

Pros

  • Using Track-POD, dispatchers can easily plan a route with a lot of stops as the software is not prone to slowing down under load.
  • Facilitates two-way communication between managers and drivers using an inbuilt chat feature for quick transfer of information.
  • Track-POD optimizes delivery routes based on multiple variables such as distance, traffic, and delivery windows.

Pavlos M.

This software is easy to use with many features that can make your life easier. You can see all your orders and routes on the map. So planning becomes child’s play. It gives a very detailed analysis of your working day/period. The support team is great. Quick responsive, and willing to help. Track-POD loosens your hands and really helps you control your delivery business.

Cons

  • Users have reported that the driver app often crashes randomly without any obvious reason, hindering the progress of drivers.
  • Track-POD is known for having limited customization options, including limited custom fields, which do not allow you to plan routes with additional parameters.
  • Users may require some time and training to fully utilize its features.

Jake W.

There are many features that are essential that just aren’t implemented. For example, being able to see an updated ETA for delivery in the admin UI. The app has the info, so why not show it? They have a good API but make certain data hidden for no good reason. A complete lack of webhooks is also completely unexplained. The driver mobile app itself will randomly crash and require deleting and reinstalling. The whole ‘flow’ of the mobile app is confusing. Editing orders and routes after starting them is convoluted and unnecessarily difficult. If the drivers miss a step in the app, the admin user cannot fix it.


Tookan star(4.3)

Best Choice For On-demand Delivery Businesses

Starting Price

$129/mo

Free trial

14-Days

Key features

Monitor delivery activities in real-time, third-party API integration

Tookan is the ideal delivery management solution if your delivery or service agents handle a lot of transactions, as it has unique features that allow you to track their actions. Tookan offers an agent wallet that shows you all of their monetary transactions in real-time.

Their app is also capable of generating barcodes that authenticate any delivery or service instantly. Though this can get expensive as Tookan charges you based on the number of tasks that you complete on using it.

Pros

  • Flexibility in subscription plan options as addons are available for businesses to scale up features according to their requirements.
  • Tookan offers a lot of features to monitor delivery activities and agents’ actions on the go to managers and dispatchers
  • It has sector-specific solutions for various industries like food delivery, waste management, and cannabis.

Pennye J.

Its ease of use and the ability to set various filters to scale the routing based on time or distance.

Cons

  • Customers report that customer service is lacking in terms of effectiveness and support.
  • Tracking freezes at times, and it becomes hard to track the driver’s location, which affects the overall visibility of operations.
  • The customer support team is not responsive, so you might have to wait quite long to get answers.

James L.

Not working as it should, and no contact from Tookan support.


Zeo Route Planner star(4.5)

Best For SMB Companies

Starting Price

$24/mo

Free trial

7-Days

Key features

Auto assign stops as per driver availability, track driver’s live location

Zeo Route Planner is used by over 800k users worldwide. They claim that you can set up Zeo Route Planner yourself in under 15 minutes. It has all the regular features offered by routing software, such as route optimizing and dispatching. With just a few simple taps, you can dispatch routes to your drivers’ team and track progress.

But by far, the communication features make the Zeo Route Planner special. It has 2-way communication for your drivers. Zeo Route Planner also lets you message your customers with your unique brand theme and lets customers track their packages in real-time.

Pros

  • With the Zeo Route Planner, you can keep your customers at ease by providing your customers with a live driver tracking link to let them see the status of their delivery.
  • Zeo Route Planner ensures that your team is easily able to use the software and has a dedicated support team to help you in case you get stuck while using the software.
  • The Zeo Route Planner application supports multiple languages, which is a significant advantage.

62dlow

The Zeo route planner app works great, is simple to use, I run a monthly route but never in the same order, the 10 minutes it takes me to enter my route and optimize it from and back to my home normally saves me 60 to 90 minutes a day … I do hope one day a feature where I can enter an entire month of stops then lasso them into individual days would be awesome.

Cons

  • The app has issues with launching and crashes at random moments without any solid reason, which makes many users question its reliability for business operations.
  • The software allows only up to 15 stops per route with unlimited routes.
  • The support requests would go unanswered for days, and the answers would not match the queries.

Shattered Rose

The app is good and easy to use. I purchased a day plan twice, but not going to the 3rd time I tried to delete my previous route, but it won’t let me. Also, every time I launch the app, it says something went wrong, and I try again later. So I really need an app that can function well. I hope the developers of this app will fix it soon because it needs some attention. Thank you.


RouteXLstar(3.5)

Best For Small to Midsize Businesses

Starting Price

€35/mo

Free trial

Up to 20 Addresses

Key features

Plan a route with multiple stops, dispatching in a click & track progress

If you want a route planning and dispatching software that is completely free to use, then RouteXL is the best option for your business. You can plan and optimize routes with up to 20 stops in the free version. It is a great option if you are looking to craft routes for smaller operations.

You can still plan routes with more than 20 stops if you buy their daily or monthly subscription plans. RouteXL is powered by OpenStreetMap, which calculates the optimal route and guides the drivers to follow them. Read on to get a complete review of RouteXL software.

Pros

  • Dispatchers have many route-sharing options available, including the option to export routes to satellite navigation devices.
  • Easy modification to the route plan is possible using the drag-and-drop functionality from RouteXL
  • You can save any previously created routes to use them anytime in the future, eliminating the need to make the same route repeatedly

Jared. B

Free! How can you beat that? Also, the software has the ability to add multiple stops and locations. It also has the ability to save previous routes and add details to each stop. Overall, RouteXL is very comprehensive.

Cons

  • Because the map color scheme lacks contrast, navigating through the user interface and planning routes becomes a lot more confusing.
  • There is no dedicated driver app that is offered by RouteXL, making features like live driver tracking and proof of delivery impossible.
  • New users often require a lot of time to adapt to the interface because of its layout and configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is dispatch routing software?

    Route dispatch software is a type of software designed to assist businesses in efficiently managing and optimizing their delivery or service routes. It is commonly used by companies involved in logistics, transportation, field service management, and other industries that require planning and dispatching routes for their mobile workforce.

  • What features should you look for in dispatch routing software?

    In the vast ocean of routing software options, it can be difficult to choose the right one for yourself. Still, here are some top features to look out for in dispatch routing software to see if it is suitable for the needs of a business.

    • Route optimization
    • Instant dispatching
    • Ability to configure route on demand
    • Progress monitoring
    • Route scheduling
  • How much does it cost to get dispatch routing software?

    Typically, dispatch routing software comes in the neighborhood of under $200 and grants most of the advanced features that are needed for your business. The primary deciding factor behind the cost of dispatch routing software is your usage and business requirements.

Conclusion

All in all, dispatch routing software is a boon to businesses that desire higher operational efficiency and greater customer satisfaction. It single-handedly holds the potential to wipe out all of the issues that plague the logistics industry, such as delivery delays, miscommunications, and more.

Though not all dispatch routing software is made equal, some are inherently superior to others, while others are simply overpriced for what they bring to the table. Choosing between so many options can quickly prove to be a stressful and confusing endeavor for many individuals.

Thankfully, software such as Upper can always be relied on to provide some of the best utility and functionality in the segment at affordable prices. To experience how this software will work for your business, you can start a 7-day free trial.

Author Bio
Parag Khatsuriya
Parag Khatsuriya

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