All kinds of clever, state-of-the-art gadgets exist today to make your work life more accessible, pleasurable, and productive. The last time you drove to a far-flung location with multiple stops, chances are you relied on a mobile app to get you there. These tools have saved the lives of professionals who frequently travel for work.
There is a plethora of no-cost route planning programs available. Delivery, outside sales, errand running, exercise, and road trips are just some of the uses for these vehicles. Route4Me planner pioneered the simultaneous launch of mobile route planning apps for iOS and Android devices, making it the first dynamic routing firm to do so. We have approximately ten patents on our dynamic route optimization software, the fastest and most widely utilized worldwide.
On the other hand, there is a shortage of unlimited stop-free route planners available for no cost.
Google Maps
Google Maps is a trustworthy and simple-to-use route planner that may be used for travel by foot, car, bicycle, or public transportation.
You may build routes with up to 9 stops using Google Maps, receive turn-by-turn directions and real-time traffic updates, and receive all these features at once. You may explore the map using Google Maps through satellite imagery, an aerial view, or an interactive street view that goes all the way around.
Since it does not optimize routes that include more than one stop, Google Maps is most helpful in determining the most efficient way to get from point A to point B while traveling by car.
RAC Route Planner (UK only)
The RAC Route Planner app is helpful if you are in the UK. It provides detailed information about traffic and weather and helps you plan multi-stop journeys.
The RAC app can also be used for European route planning, albeit doing so will need you to manually enter each destination’s full street address. The RAC app does not provide autocomplete suggestions like Google Maps and others.
An excellent choice for those in the United Kingdom or continental Europe who value a focus on road safety.
RouteXL
If you need an accessible route planner but don’t want to use Google Maps, RouteXL is a solid alternative. The free version optimizes your itinerary and supports up to 20 stops. Simply input your stop list in a spreadsheet and send the optimized routes to your preferred navigation software or smartphone.
As a critical caveat, you should realize that not all the locations we supplied in our test were recognized by RouteXL. It caused an incorrect stop to be made in one instance. Therefore, you must double-check your addresses before using this app.
As an additional limitation, RouteXL can only plan routes for a single car at a time. If you need to plan routes for multiple drivers, you’ll have to do so individually, eliminating some of the efficiencies gained through route optimization.
In Conclusion
A single driver and a few locations are all you need to get started with one of these accessible route planning applications for your delivery service. When your company expands, you’ll likely need to switch to a more advanced form of route planning software.