UK-based AGM Telematics launched routeMASTER Dispatch, a new cloud-based modular system that offers end-to-end logistics, back office solutions.

Based in Market Harborough, UK, Meatlink, a meat products wholesaler, equipped its van fleet with the unique routing and scheduling system, which according to the company, has brought immediate savings and revolutionized the planning and logistics of its multi-drop delivery service throughout central England.

routeMASTER’s Dispatch module automatically converts orders into their optimum routes, sends the manifest to the driver and calculates arrival times and distances for the whole delivery route. Thus, the time-consuming task of manual route planning is removed and drivers are able to provide customers with an accurate ETA for each delivery. Furthermore, the overall journey time and distance travelled are reduced, which in turn, achieves significant fleet efficiencies.

“We have been in business for 14 years and have a good deal of routing and scheduling experience,” says Mike Newing, director for Meatlink. “Even so, as soon as we fitted the routeMaster Dispatch system, we saw immediate benefits and now can’t see how we ever got on without it. In just two months, we can see the bottom line savings and certainly our work is now less stressful. It’s a great way to get more out of the vehicle fleet and to make sure our customers are well looked after.”

Using cloud-based architecture, routeMaster Dispatch enables the entire Meatlink team to work from the same plan and view in real-time the progress of each individual order. Should a sudden change be required, new instructions can be added to the existing manifest in the traffic office and automatically updated on the drivers’ screen. 

“The vehicle tracking is a very useful tool,” adds Newing. “We have complete visibility of the fleet and can check each job status at a glance. Also, by using the reporting suite, we can look at individual driver activity and review planned deliveries vs. actual, which helps to improve overall performance.”

According to Meatlink, the new system also enabled it to open up new areas, which before were not easy to incorporate in a given delivery route. Now, with an average of 12-20 drops per vehicle each day, Meatlink can add new orders and destinations without compromising the overall delivery schedule. 

“It’s all about efficiency,” says Newing. “We saw the benefits from Day 1. It’s a very simple system to fit and operate, but even so, the AGM Telematics team are always on hand if we need any advice or technical assistance. Most importantly it’s easily affordable and soon adds up to less road miles, less fuel and also puts a tick in the box for the environment.” 

“Our reputation is built on supplying no-nonsense and competitively priced fleet management solutions [that] are easy to install, simple to use and guaranteed to provide a fast and significant return on investment,” says George Weston, director of AGM Telematics. “The new routeMASTER solution lives up to these qualities and complements our wide range of vehicle tracking, scheduling and monitoring systems. We believe it is set to become the standard for multi-drop fleet efficiency across a range of industry sectors.”