How to Use Fuel Efficient Route Planning on Google Maps?

TL; DR: Optimized routes, minimal fuel costs, and shortest distance traveled, all together with Upper’s Google Maps Chrome browser extension.

Google Maps passed 23 million downloads and is one of the leading software used for navigation purposes globally.

It’s used across 45 countries and 3000+ cities and offers over 5 million unique miles of street view.

Multiple applications use Google Maps APIs. 

But does Google Maps offer a desirable ecosystem for delivery drivers when it comes to managing delivery business operations?

Can you increase your fuel efficiency and minimize delivery expenses using the platform?

Well, we’ll answer all your queries and figure out the truth behind fuel-efficient route planning on Google Maps.

So, without further ado, let’s get the learning started.

Forget Spaghetti Routes, Optimize Routes for Your Entire Team with Upper

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Best Ways To Use Google Maps For Fuel Efficient Route Planning

Many delivery businesses rely on the free services of Google Maps and use its fuel efficiency route planning features. 

Over the years, it has updated the platform to help delivery businesses create the most fuel-efficient routes and minimize CO2 emissions.

Here’s what the platform offers.

Google Maps Eco-friendly routing

Maps recently updated the routing model that enables delivery drivers to reach their destination using shortened paths with lower fuel consumption.

You can save fuel costs and provide drivers with the fastest route to fulfill the desired business outcome.

With the powerful route planning AI and useful insights from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it offers eco-friendly routes for users to prevent millions of tons of carbon emissions per year.

Google Maps displays the most efficient and fastest route to help you choose the desired option. The application offers turn-by-turn directions for different types of AI-suggested paths.

Within a few clicks, you can check the ETA and relative fuel saving between the different routes and filter out what works best for your delivery drivers. 

The eco-friendly features are the prominent fuel-efficient option for the delivery businesses to maximize productivity and minimize the average fuel consumption during delivery.

Google Maps is an efficient route planner with gas stops, restaurants, rest stops, hotels, and other key waypoints along your journey, making it easy to plan a smooth and well-organized trip.

Google Maps Lite Navigation For Two-Wheeler Deliveries

The popularity of quick food and grocery delivery businesses is rising. Google Maps provides an excellent feature for fuel-efficient two-wheeler deliveries.

The lite navigation provides quick access to the delivery information without keeping the screen on and accessing the turn-by-turn navigation. The fuel-efficient feature is great for bypassing traffic congestion, finding nearby stations, and achieving relative fuel savings.

It’s great for drivers who don’t want to enter the turn-by-turn navigation because the phone is tucked away during the ride. The new feature is available on iOS and Android devices and increases the efficiency of delivery drivers in following eco-friendly routes.

These are the prime two eco-friendly features offered by Google Maps. However, these eco-friendly alternatives are not the core requirement for streamlining your delivery business and ensuring on-time deliveries.

That’s why it is not referred to as the primary delivery route planner in the delivery industry.

Check out the drawbacks of using Google Maps in your delivery business.

Drawbacks of Google Maps 

1. No bulk scheduling

The platform doesn’t offer delivery route scheduling beyond ten stops, limiting the mobile application’s usability.

With the scale in your delivery business, you can’t rely on the software to assist delivery drivers in handling their work operations with finesse.

2. No automation 

You can prefer fuel-efficient routes created using Google Maps, but it doesn’t offer automation features that can assist you in scheduling and dispatching delivery jobs.

The application doesn’t solve the complexities of the delivery business because it’s not designed to keep the delivery drivers and the delivery businesses in mind.

3. No communication

Maps doesn’t offer a robust communication portal between management and the on-ground delivery team that can streamline delivery operations.

You cannot communicate important details with the on-ground driver using the application, which can restrict real-time changes and block the smooth flow of communication.

The management team cannot assist the delivery driver in bypassing different difficulties during the delivery execution to deliver a quality customer experience.

4. No detailed reports for optimization

Google Maps doesn’t provide detailed reports for the delivery business to analyze the business and employee performance and optimize the workflow.

Detailed reports with key metrics, such as trip progress, ETA difference, and the number of bikes or vehicles operating, can help the delivery business enhance its delivery operations and achieve the desired business outcomes.

5. No central control

You don’t get centralized control over the delivery business operations and must constantly check the number of vehicles on the road to complete the daily delivery targets.

You cannot access different business details with just a few clicks because you don’t have powerful dashboard access.

These drawbacks can hinder the growth of your delivery business and restrict you from delivering a quality customer experience.

Using Google Maps help you extract eco-friendly routes but won’t help you tackle other complex issues while managing your delivery business workflow.

So, what’s the solution?

Use professional route planning and optimization software to bypass the drawbacks of Google Maps.

How is a Professional Route Planning Software Better Than Google Maps?

A delivery route planner can help you get the fastest routes to increase your delivery business’s efficiency and productivity. By using a planner, you can scale your business productivity and manage multiple routing addresses with just a few clicks, unlike trying to organize multiple locations in Google Maps, which can be cumbersome and time-consuming.

You can analyze your business data and decide to deliver a quality customer experience. A route planner can automate the job scheduling and dispatching process, which can help you skyrocket your revenue and outshine your competitors.

But which route planner is best for your delivery business?

Out of multiple industries, Upper Route Planner offers quality features and a reasonable price, making it perfect for streamlining your delivery business and helping you make fuel-efficient and sustainable choices.

Upper Route Planner Can Help You With Fuel Efficient Route Planning – Customer Success Story

Upper Route Planner helped Chef Nicole (Miami) increase their deliveries by 3x and save up to 10 hours per week of their delivery time.

The software also helped the Miami-based healthy meal delivery service to

  • Import delivery addresses from Excel for quick processing
  • Spot different repeat addresses using the algorithm for enhanced performance
  • Record digital proof of delivery
  • Save time and fuel costs to increase delivery productivity by 3x
  • Automate route planning and optimization for different drivers within a few clicks
  • Remove the manual delivery management and add individual service timers for different delivery stops

You can also transform your delivery business operations like Chef Nicole by choosing Upper Route Planner as your reliable route planning and optimization partner.

Avail of the 7 days free trial and achieve the desired business outcome.

Get Upper for Seamless Routing

Upper is 3x faster in planning and optimizing routes than any other navigation app. So, don’t hesitate to swap Google Maps for an advanced route planner. Try it now!

FAQs

No. It is not a professional route planner and does not offer quality route scheduling, dispatching, or reporting features compared to a dedicated route planner.

Google Maps offers features like eco-friendly routing and lite navigation, enabling fuel-efficient planning for different delivery businesses.

Upper Route Planner is an excellent replacement for Maps by Google for route optimization and planning because it offers the user route planning and optimization options. The software helps you streamline your delivery operations and achieve the desired outcomes.

You can change the settings of Google Maps by

  1. Opening Google Maps app.
  2. Enter the destination.
  3. Tap directions.
  4. In the top right, tap More and select Route options. 
  5. Turn on fuel-efficient routes.

A fuel-efficient or eco-friendly route in Google Maps focuses on lowering fuel consumption, which can help you reach the destination quicker.

Yes. it offers eco-friendly routing focused on minimizing the CO2 emissions because of vehicles.

Takeaway

Google Maps is a decent navigation software ideal for common commuters to reach their destination faster and more eco-friendly.

But being a result-oriented delivery business, you need quick route options for your delivery drivers, centralization control, digital proof of delivery, automated calendar-based scheduling, and dispatching.

These features are available in a professional route planner, and there’s no better option than Upper Route Planner to streamline your delivery operations.

Access the to experience the transformation.

Author Bio
Rakesh Patel
Rakesh Patel

Rakesh Patel, author of two defining books on reverse geotagging, is a trusted authority in routing and logistics. His innovative solutions at Upper Route Planner have simplified logistics for businesses across the board. A thought leader in the field, Rakesh's insights are shaping the future of modern-day logistics, making him your go-to expert for all things route optimization. Read more.

https://www.upperinc.com/blog/using-google-maps-trip-planner/