Optrak launches enhanced capabilities for container transport planning and vehicle routing
- Latest functionality increases efficiency and accuracy of container movements
Optrak Distribution Software Limited (www.optrak.co.uk) today announced that the latest version of Optrak has been enhanced to allow companies transporting containers to plan their movements more accurately leading to better utilisation of vehicle and container resources, lower transport costs and increased transport planning accuracy.
Managing the movement of containers is a complex planning task for many companies engaged in multi-modal freight transportation and logistics such as freight forwarders, hauliers, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, etc. By improving Optrak's capabilities in this area, companies are able to optimise container movements, decrease empty running, reduce fuel costs and minimise overall carbon emissions.
Traditional vehicle routing systems do not cope well with the challenges thrown up by the need to return or restitute an empty container back to a dock or port, or some other location as determined by the haulier or container owner. Optrak has therefore addressed new planning requirements with specific functionality to allow the unique container movement patterns to be accurately incorporated in the normal planning and optimisation process.
The powerful new functionality can manage a number of container movement scenarios such as:
- picking up a container from the docks, delivering the contents to a customer location and then taking the empty container to a restitution point.
- picking up an empty container from the docks, transporting it to a customer site where it is loaded with goods and then delivering the container to the docks.
- full containers are transported from the docks to a customer to be unloaded. The empty container is taken to a new customer and loaded, and the full container returned to a dock or port.
By enabling Optrak to solve these complex container collection and delivery problems, companies can better manage fleets that are engaged solely in container movements, or running an integrated fleet with normal multi-drop planning and scheduling requirements.
Tim Pigden, Managing Director Optrak commented, "It is clear that managing container movements in a complex logistics operation represents an opportunity to introduce better transport planning and optimisation techniques. The latest version of Optrak will benefit any company engaged in transporting goods by container using the road network."