Speedy Route Alternative: Best Multi Stop Route Planner

Updated on February 29, 2024 by Jennifer Collins

In today’s world of high fuel costs and environmental awareness, route planning has become increasingly important for companies that perform multiple deliveries as part of their business.

Effective route planning will reduce costs in terms of fuel, wages, and wear and tear on vehicles, freeing up drivers and vehicles for other business. It also means reduced truck emissions, thereby reducing the company’s environmental footprint, an important consideration in countries that monitor emission levels.

If your business has reached a point where optimization of your delivery process is a consideration, there are a number of options available to businesses, large and small. If you're someone who enjoys dabbling with technology, you could plot your routes with GPS and mapping software, but if you prefer to leave it to the experts, there are applications that will do all the work for you. 

Speedy Route is a company that offers free route planning for up to 10 delivery locations and thereafter, an affordable monthly subscription that will allow you to plan routes for a maximum of 10 drivers and unlimited locations. In this article, we compare it with Track-POD, the world’s leading all-in-one platform for order management, route planning, and electronic proof of delivery (ePOD).

We take a look at the services offered by both platforms to help you decide what type of route planning model would best suit your setup and your budget.

Multi-stop route planning and why it's important

Multi-stop route planning is the coordination of multiple deliveries per vehicle, selecting the most direct routes with the shortest possible distances between drop-off points, and making as many deliveries as possible per route. 

When optimized in this way, you reduce the mileage, saving fuel and improving delivery times. You should also find that by organizing your routes in this way, you can free up a driver and vehicle for use elsewhere in the business.

In the long term, reduced mileage means fewer vehicle repairs and improved customer satisfaction.

Multi-stop deliveries do come with their challenges. Perishables and urgent deliveries, such as medical supplies, need to be factored into the route calculations, sometimes requiring a change in the schedule. Because of their urgent nature, they may disrupt the smooth flow of the route plan.

Other problems that may be encountered en route include traffic congestion, bad road or weather conditions, and vehicle breakdowns. If these conditions are apparent during the initial route planning stage, they will be factored into the route plan. 

However, things like traffic jams are seldom predicted, and management may need to intervene during the tracking process. Fortunately, Track-POD has an efficient communication system between logistics managers and drivers that empowers them to collaborate and come up with a more suitable route.

Speedy Route location planning application

Speedy Route is a route-planning app that will allow you to enter multiple destinations, plotting the best route possible between destinations. How it works: 

• You enter the start location. 
• Enter your delivery locations in between, depending on your subscription limitations, if any.

Speedy Route tracks the entries on a map as you enter the information.

As you continue entering new destinations, the system re-routes the delivery stops. This method optimizes your delivery routes, allowing one stop per delivery location before returning the vehicle to the original starting point. 

Speedy Route allows you to enter more than one vehicle at a time. If it is able to schedule an optimal route, or routes, without using all the vehicles, it will do so.

The app is free to use if you have up to and including 10 locations, although this functionality may change over time without any notification. The app also only allows three free route calculations from any one IP address in a period of 24 hours.

Once these parameters have been exceeded, you will need to pay a monthly subscription fee for the service, as follows:

• $69 per month for up to five drivers, with a maximum of 500 stops per route.
• $99 per month for up to 10 drivers, with unlimited stops per route.

A powerful alternative to Speedy Route: the Track-POD route planning software

Track-POD system supports a limitless number of stops per route, which can be imported to the system in bulk or via an integration, and can automatically distribute them among your drivers based not only on the number of vehicles but also on their technical parameters, such as their load capacity. 

Track-POD has multiple payment options:

Customers are able to purchase a per-driver license that starts at $29/month. Track-POD also provides four plans for pre-order pricing to those operating at a larger scale. All plans are preceded with a free 7-day trial to test the platform.  

To aid you with your decision on which plan to opt for, check out Track-POD’s pricing page.

Comparing the features

For your convenience, we have put together some comparisons between the two platforms.

Route calculations and flexibility

Speedy Route calculates the best route based on each address you enter. It creates a final Excel spreadsheet with the route destinations from start to finish, enabling the document to be printed or exported to be used by the driver. 

Track-POD calculates the best route based on the destinations, but with its interactive software, synchronizes the route’s details with its mobile Driver App that drivers use to manage their workflow, advising them of any changes to the route. It allows for collections as well as deliveries and provides the necessary collection documentation for signature by the driver.

In calculating the route, each destination on the Speedy Route is visited once only for efficiency. Track-POD offers more flexibility, allowing route re-scheduling so that collections of previous erroneous deliveries can be added to the route if practical.

Number of vehicles used

Both the Speedy Route and Track-POD software endeavor to produce the most efficient route plan, saving unnecessary trips and freeing up vehicles and drivers for additional business elsewhere. Speedy Route’s most expensive license allows routing up to 10 vehicles, while Track-POD allows an unlimited amount of vehicles to be added to the system. 

Ease of use

Speedy Route is easy to use. You enter a starting point and then add the delivery addresses one by one. Once you have entered everything, press Optimize Route, and it will do the rest for you. You can download the route plan into an Excel spreadsheet, print it, and hand it to a driver.

Petal&Post, a Track-POD customer, states, “Track-POD was very easy to integrate; our web developer did it seamlessly.” It took up to a week to get their staff used to it; it’s easier than their manual system and saves time. It is also worth noting that Track-POD has been voted as a leader in the Ease of Implementation category on G2, a software review platform.

Technical issues and restrictions

The Speedy Route website claims 'Fair Use', stating that factors such as route complexity, server load, and internet connectivity may affect performance and may not be able to complete the task within a reasonable time. 

Track-POD is a next-generation technology that is cloud-based, meaning that it ensures prompt synchronization between the users (e.g. dispatchers and drivers). Track-POD is also fully paperless, which helps in minimizing human and technical errors. 

Speedy Route's software monitors clients’ IP addresses, restricting the use of more than five different addresses in a 24-hour period of time. Track-POD does not have restrictions regarding IP addresses.

Additional extras

Speedy Route is a route planner only and doesn’t provide any additional functionality.

Track-POD offers more in the way of capturing information such as the dimensions and weight of the product, as well as the nature of the products being transported.

Track-POD has data storage facilities that enable sophisticated reporting and the creation of dashboards for route monitoring.

Track-POD enables the printing and storage of PODs, invoices, and bills of lading. Documents and web interfaces are customizable for the purposes of brand exposure and uniqueness.

Track-POD facilitates integration with other systems, such as the company's ERP and CRM systems, exporting information for the purposes of customer, financial, and inventory information.

 

	Speedy Route	Track-POD
Price	From $69 / month	From $29 / month
Free 7-day trial	limited	+
Multi-stop route planning	+	+
Max number of drivers	10	unlimited
Dedicated Driver App	-	+
Customer Notifications	-	+
Live Tracking & ETA	-	+
Barcode/QR scanner	-	+
Customizable ePOD	-	+
Data storage	-	Up to 2 years
Customer Support	limited	+

Speedy Route vs Track-POD: the verdict

Considering the differing needs of businesses, especially in terms of scale and logistical complexity, Track-POD emerges as the superior choice over Speedy Route for small and larger enterprises. Speedy Route caters well only to smaller entities with less intricate delivery operations, providing a basic route planning solution. 

However, as businesses expand and their delivery networks and customer bases grow, the necessity for a more robust, feature-rich system becomes apparent.

Track-POD stands out by offering comprehensive logistical capabilities essential for larger companies. 

The software's route tracking feature is indispensable for efficiently managing fleet movements, adapting to traffic conditions in real-time, and guaranteeing prompt deliveries. It also enhances customer satisfaction through features that allow end-users to monitor their delivery status, coupled with instant documentation and seamless communication channels with drivers.

These capabilities not only optimize delivery times, leading to significant savings on fuel and maintenance costs, but also contribute to the safety and well-being of drivers and the security of the cargo.

For businesses questioning the value of advanced multi-stop route planning and tracking systems, Track-POD invites you to experience the difference firsthand with a free trial. This opportunity allows you to witness the tangible benefits and operational improvements firsthand, ensuring your investment in the right technology to meet your logistical demands.