Efficient logistics operations depend on a well-structured dispatch planning system. A robust dispatch planner can save time, cut costs, and enhance the overall reliability of transportation services. Whether operating with Full Truck Loads (FTL) or Partial Truck Loads (PTL), manual and/or automatic planning systems are vital tools for achieving smooth operations. Here's an in-depth look at Fleetx’s dispatch planning framework and its key components.
Necessary Masters for Dispatch Planning
Before initiating any dispatch operation, setting up foundational masters ensures the system runs smoothly.
- Address Book Master with Zones: The address book organizes all source and destination points. Zones streamline regional grouping and create lanes for route optimization.
- Vehicle Size Master: Categorizing vehicles by size enables accurate dispatch allocation based on volume and weight requirements.
- Vehicle Master: Vehicle-specific data, including registration numbers, capacity, and group assignments, are the necessary parameters required when planning based on specific vehicle numbers.
- Lanes Master: Defined by zones, lanes serve as the backbone for efficient route planning and transporter selection.
- Contracts Master: Contracts automate transporter selection, reducing manual errors and ensuring compliance with agreed terms.
- Materials Master: A comprehensive materials database helps determine vehicle utilization and optimize dispatch capacity.
By ensuring that vehicles and addresses are grouped appropriately, dispatch planning becomes more cohesive, saving time during execution.
Manual Planning
Manual planning provides flexibility for FTL and PTL dispatches, catering to specific operational requirements.
FTL Dispatch
- Group-Based Planning: FTL consignments are grouped based on the address book group for the source location. Users access these consignments in the OPEN state and proceed to create dispatches for one group at a time.
- Vehicle Selection: The system displays total weight, volume, and utilization metrics for available vehicle sizes. Users select a vehicle size and can assign a transporter or an exact vehicle, depending on preferences.
- Fallback to Contracts: If no transporter is selected, contracts automatically guide transporter allocation. If no contract is found, the dispatch remains unplanned.
PTL Dispatch
- Flexible Options: PTL consignments are planned similarly to FTL, but the primary focus is on selecting the transporter.
- Automated Allocation: Contracts play a significant role in transporter selection, ensuring efficient PTL dispatch planning.
Automatic Planning
Automatic planning optimizes operations by leveraging algorithms for rapid decision-making.
- Bulk Processing: Users can select all consignments of a group in the OPEN state or deselect specific ones before submitting them for planning.
- Vehicle Arrangement: Vehicles are filtered based on group, proximity to source, and availability. Prioritized vehicles include those not-on-job or those completing STARTED jobs with favorable ETAs.
- Lane Optimization: Dispatches are grouped by source-destination zones, reducing travel time and costs.
If vehicles are insufficient, the unplanned consignments retain their OPEN status for future planning.
Type-Based Dispatch
In logistics, type-based dispatch refers to a method of dispatch planning where the allocation of resources and/or vehicles is determined by the type of goods being transported, the specific vehicle requirements or specific delivery conditions. This method of dispatch planning ensures that the most appropriate resources are used for each delivery. This helps to optimize resources, reduce costs and ensure customer satisfaction.
Fleetx offers the following type-based dispatch options:
- Container-Based Dispatch: Consignments are matched to vehicles based on container and vehicle dimensions. Preferred transporters are prioritized, but fallback options ensure uninterrupted operations.
- Distance-Based Dispatch: The plan gets created for a generalised use case and caters to the milk run scenarios for the clients the priority here is minimising the amount of distance travelled by all the vehicles combined.
- Time Window-Based Dispatch: The plan gets created in a similar way to the Distance based plan but we can include constraints for the operational timings of the source and the destination locations.
Advanced Dispatch Validation
Once a dispatch plan is created, validation ensures execution with operational goals.
- Plan Overview: Users can view all dispatch plans within a set time range, filtering by dispatches or consignments. Each dispatch card displays material details, utilization, and route information.
- Validation Actions: Users can update vehicle size, transporter, or vehicle numbers before validating or rejecting a plan.
- Rejection Protocol: Rejected plans revert materials to the OPEN state, allowing re-planning.
- Approval Flow: Validated plans trigger actions for transporters, who can confirm or adjust vehicle assignments. Upon confirmation, jobs are created for selected vehicles, enabling seamless execution.
Benefits of an Efficient Dispatch Planner
An effective dispatch planner offers several advantages:
- Cost Savings: By automating and optimizing transporter selection, operational costs are significantly reduced.
- Time Efficiency: Automatic planning minimizes manual intervention, accelerating the dispatch process.
- Improved Resource Utilization: Accurate vehicle assignment ensures trucks are neither underused nor overloaded.
- Scalability: A structured planner supports business growth by handling increasing consignments without compromising efficiency.
Conclusion
Dispatch planning is at the heart of efficient logistics management. With the right masters, flexible manual and automatic planning options, and customizable settings, businesses can achieve seamless operations. As advancements like time-window optimization and 3D load visualization become standard, the dispatch planning process will continue evolving, meeting the growing demands of the logistics industry. So, what are you waiting for?
