Intelligent solutions for payload planning

Payload capacity optimisation – or an organisation’s ability to maximise the efficiency of its fleet capacity usage – is an integral part of an effective transport management plan. 

Optimising payload capacity

Local Eyes B.V., a leading provider of location intelligence and data solutions, highlights the importance of focusing on your fleet’s payload capacity, and the benefits of using an intelligent, data-driven approach to maximise productivity.

Based in the Netherlands, Local Eyes offers a variety of solutions for fleet management, geomarketing, and last-mile logistics. The company notes that payload capacity optimisation is intertwined with other approaches such as route optimisation and logistics mapping, which can also present a host of challenges. If done correctly, however, these tools can help businesses to get the most out of every shipment and maximise resource use.

Wasted space means wasted money

“You could have the best drivers in the world, but if you’re sending out a fleet of half-empty trucks on every deployment, the waste of resources involved can damage your customer service, the environment, and your revenue. Sub-optimal payload capacity therefore means one thing for enterprises: cost,” notes Marcel Lagerwerf, Local Eyes sales support, on the company’s website.

“Intelligent enterprise logistics solutions can be used to improve productivity and resource management across your entire fleet. This means lower emissions, less kilometres driven, and increased revenue for your enterprise,” he continues.

Route optimisation solutions combine knowledge of individual vehicle types and capacity with fleet-wide route planning to ensure that vehicles are working at optimal payload capacity. By distributing orders efficiently across the fleet, explains Lagerwerf, fleet operators can better fill their vehicles to capacity and eradicate unnecessary journeys.

Data-driven payload efficiency

To arrive at optimal payload capacity and resource utilisation, it is necessary to first establish an understanding of the fleet, its vehicles, and their individual capabilities. Gathering data on the optimal payload capacity of each vehicle is critical. According to Lagerwerf, this consists of the total cargo weight that can be loaded onto a vehicle and transported in a fuel-efficient manner, as overloading can increase wear and tear and be dangerous on the road.

“Packaging and packing play a key role here too. You’ll need to take into account the kinds of containers and packaging materials in use, as well as the optimal configuration of orders as they are packed in the vehicle,” he elaborates. “Logistics technology solutions can give you a bird’s-eye view of your fleet’s overall capacity once this information is taken into account, enabling you to automatically batch and distribute orders across vehicles with ease.”

“Tools that work in sync with live driver input can give you further operational insight into exactly how efficient your fleet is on a given day. Furthermore, fully customisable dashboards ensure you have access to all the data you need – whenever you need it.

“Combined with intelligent route planning, truck navigation, and mapping solutions, optimising your payload capacity can help you cut running costs, deliver better customer service, and ultimately, get the most out of your fleet,” Lagerwerf concludes.