Custom Routes for Heavy Loads: The Role of Truck Scheduling Software in Managing Size and Weight Restrictions

The need for efficient and compliant truck routing has never been more critical. According to a report, the global supply chain and logistics industry is valued at over $10 trillion. Trucking accounts for 70% of all freight tonnage in the United States alone. Yet, despite its massive scale, trucking still faces challenges related to route optimization, driver compliance, load capacity management, and ensuring timely deliveries. 

With the rise of e-commerce, the pressure to optimize routes for heavy loads while managing size and weight restrictions has intensified. This is where transport scheduling software comes into play, helping dispatchers and supply chain managers ensure that deliveries are safe, on time, and fully compliant with regulations. 

Let’s explore how custom routes tailored to these complexities can drive efficiency and support modern-day supply chain needs.

Efficient truck routing is vital not just for reducing operational costs but also for enhancing the safety and efficiency of heavy-load deliveries. From Full Truckload (FTL) to Less Than Truckload (LTL) shipments, modern enterprises require solutions that can handle diverse fleet sizes, specialized delivery requirements, and complex size and weight restrictions. Navigating this complex network of factors without the right technology can lead to delays, compliance violations, and increased costs.

Transport scheduling software is designed to address these challenges. It integrates real-time data, AI-powered insights, and route optimization algorithms to enable enterprises to plan routes that take into account a myriad of constraints. Whether it is managing driver hours, ensuring vehicle compliance with height and weight restrictions, or optimizing truck capacity. The result is improved efficiency, compliance, and cost-effectiveness for enterprises.

Full Truckload (FTL) routing involves planning for larger, heavier shipments, often requiring specific considerations to ensure safe, compliant deliveries. With FTL shipments, a single truck carries an entire load, which demands precise planning to optimize fleet utilization and maintain timely deliveries.

• Multi-day Route Planning
  For heavy loads, especially those requiring long-haul journeys, multi-day route planning is essential. Transport scheduling software accounts for delivery times, driver working hours compliance, and regulatory constraints.
  By factoring in mandatory rest periods and break times, you can ensure that your drivers remain compliant with Department of Transportation (DoT) standards while meeting committed service-level agreements (SLAs). This leads to enhanced operational efficiency without compromising safety or delivery timelines.
• Dedicated Capacity and Fleet Optimization
  Transport scheduling software excels in optimizing dedicated fleets—vehicles exclusively assigned to a single company or specific purpose. Whether managing a large fleet of trucks or specialized vehicles required to transport high-value goods, the software tailors routes to meet specific operational needs. This approach ensures on-time deliveries while reducing risks related to fleet underutilization or inefficient scheduling.

Less Than Truckload (LTL) shipments, which involve multiple stops and pickups, add another layer of complexity to route planning. Proper LTL routing is critical to reducing fuel consumption, improving delivery times, and enhancing overall cost-efficiency.

• Multi-stop Routing
  FarEye’s LTL optimization focuses on consolidating shipments headed in the same direction into a single truckload. By doing so, it minimizes unnecessary transit and fuel consumption. This consolidation also enables carriers to efficiently service multiple customers with minimal detours, cutting down on delivery time while enhancing operational efficiency.
• Real-time Visibility
  Real-time visibility is another powerful feature of FarEye’s LTL transport scheduling software. With real-time tracking, carriers and shippers can proactively monitor shipments, address potential delays, and provide customers with accurate delivery ETAs. This ability to track and trace shipments as they move through various stages of the supply chain improves reliability and customer satisfaction key for B2B and B2C enterprises looking to maintain strong relationships.

Truck routing for heavy loads is far from simple, as it involves multiple constraints, each with its own set of requirements. To effectively manage routes, it’s crucial to consider a variety of order, vehicle, road, and driver parameters.

1. Order Parameters
   FarEye’s transport scheduling software factors in the weight, height, and delivery windows of orders. By doing so, the software ensures that routes avoid bridges, tunnels, and roadways that can’t accommodate heavy loads or oversized shipments. This level of precision guarantees that deliveries are not only on time but also avoids potential fines or road closures due to non-compliance.

   Order parameters are critical, especially when dealing with highly restricted routes. For instance, considering the pickup (PU) and delivery (DEL) windows ensures that all deadlines are met. It also factors in height restrictions and truck size limitations, ensuring that every route remains compliant with road regulations.

2. Vehicle Parameters
   One of the most critical components of route optimization is choosing the right vehicle for the job. FarEye’s transport scheduling software accounts for truck dimensions, height, width, and length to plan routes that maximize vehicle capacities and comply with road restrictions. Additionally, it ensures the optimal mix of vehicles, whether electric trucks, traditional diesel-powered vehicles, or vans, based on route requirements, load volume, and environmental considerations.

   For accurate route planning, vehicle parameters such as the truck’s height, length, and width must be taken into account. These parameters help determine if a particular route is feasible, ensuring trucks are not sent through narrow or restricted areas where they cannot safely pass.

3. Road Parameters
   In addition to vehicle dimensions, FarEye also factors in road parameters during route planning. This includes considerations for tunnels, bridges, and road restrictions such as weight limitations or clearance issues. Keeping an eye on roadwork, closed roads, or narrow roads further ensures precise routing, avoiding unnecessary delays and detours.

4. Driver Parameters
   Driver compliance is a cornerstone of FarEye’s transport scheduling software. The software accounts for driver working hours and mandatory breaks to ensure adherence to labor laws. This functionality prevents driver fatigue, reduces the likelihood of accidents, and ensures that deliveries meet SLAs without violating regulations.

   Moreover, integrating fuel stops and rest stops ensures compliance with DOT regulations and minimizes delays, keeping the fleet on schedule while meeting safety standards. By factoring in driver idling, FarEye optimizes the route for efficient rest and fuel stops, thus reducing downtime and improving overall fleet productivity.

FarEye’s transport scheduling software delivers a range of benefits that streamline the entire logistics and delivery process. Here are some of the top advantages for enterprises:

1. Minimize Driver Idling Time
   Through dynamic scheduling and real-time optimization, FarEye minimizes idle time, ensuring that trucks are on the move and making productive deliveries. This improves the overall efficiency of the fleet while also contributing to sustainability goals by reducing unnecessary fuel consumption.
2. Co-Mingling Loads
   FarEye’s transport scheduling software doesn’t just optimize individual routes; it also facilitates the co-mingling of loads from different customers, improving operational efficiencies. Instead of relying on static routes or making single-customer runs, FarEye dynamically combines shipments going in the same direction. This approach allows for more efficient use of available fleet capacity and ensures that all customer contracts and time windows are honored.
3. Reduce Empty Backhaul
   Empty backhaul is a major inefficiency in the trucking industry. FarEye helps reduce empty backhaul by optimizing routes for returns, allowing trucks to carry loads on both legs of the trip. This results in cost savings and improved fleet utilization.
4. Improve Driver Compliance Adherence
   Ensuring that drivers comply with working hours and rest period regulations is critical for maintaining legal and operational standards. FarEye’s transport scheduling software automates compliance checks and optimizes routes that align with labor laws, minimizing the risk of penalties and ensuring driver well-being.
5. Achieve On-time and Secure Delivery
   By factoring in real-time traffic updates, road conditions, and delivery constraints, FarEye’s solution ensures that shipments arrive on time every time. Whether it’s FTL or LTL shipments, the software guarantees that deliveries are secure and meet customer expectations.
6. Effective Vehicle Utilization
   FarEye optimizes fleet usage by suggesting the best mix of vehicles for each route. This helps dispatchers and supply chain managers make smarter decisions regarding vehicle allocation, reducing costs while maximizing delivery capacity.
7. Gain a Competitive Advantage
   By offering dependable, compliant, and cost-effective services, enterprises can differentiate themselves in the market. FarEye’s transport scheduling software enables businesses to lead the industry with optimized routing, reduced operational costs, and enhanced customer satisfaction, ultimately becoming a trusted partner in the logistics and supply chain space.
8. Reduce Costs
   FarEye transport scheduling software helps enterprises reduce transportation costs by optimizing load planning and route efficiency. By co-mingling customer shipments, minimizing empty miles, and improving overall fleet utilization, companies can significantly reduce operational costs while improving bottom-line performance.