How Does Routing Software Impact Mileage?
When you work in the transportation industry, tracking mileage is part of your daily data set. But when we get in our personal vehicles to run errands or go visit a friend, we’re rarely thinking about the mileage we’re putting on our vehicles, or even how many miles we’re traveling to get to and from two points. NEMT providers don’t have the luxury of ignoring mileage, though. There are a few different ways providers and drivers may choose to track and manage mileage, so we highlighted a few below.
Old-Fashioned Manual Mileage Tracking
If you need to track your drivers’ mileage, one obvious way to do so is by hand. This means that your drivers should record the miles on their vehicle when they start their day. If you want them to be super analytical, they can record the mileage after each stop they make, too. And of course, at the end of the day, they’ll record the current vehicle mileage. This may seem like a simple way to examine mileage in both short term and long term scopes, but it becomes tedious and time-consuming as you add more drivers, vehicles, and trips to your business. When it comes down to it, tracking mileage on paper doesn’t do much besides giving you blanket numbers. There’s no context, no comparison to speed, no data on whether a driver took the fastest route or not. It’s difficult to make adjustments when you don’t really understand what the numbers mean, which is why this isn’t really a practical way of tracking NEMT mileage.
Excel Spreadsheets
If you know how to use Excel—or another comparable spreadsheet platform—the tool can be invaluable. You can track, categorize, graph, make charts, and essentially view a set of data in a way that’s best for your company. However, there are a few drawbacks to tracking mileage this way. First of all, using spreadsheets means you’re operating under the assumption that everyone understands spreadsheets on a similar level. Drivers would all have to be using a spreadsheet application, whether it’s on a computer or mobile device, to input mileage from the vehicle. If they’re simply writing down the day’s mileage and sending those numbers along to someone else to put into a spreadsheet, the process becomes even more convoluted. Spreadsheets are great in theory, and if you have a team of drivers who are proficient in the technology they might be a great solution. In the end, though, they limit your data and slow down the process if there’s too many people involved.
Routing Software
NEMT routing software remains the best modern way to track mileage at your transportation company. When you’re using software, it’s easy for drivers to electronically log a vehicle’s mileage before and after every trip. They can simply input the data through an easy-to-use driver app that then stores the data into the company’s system for later use. Tracking mileage via routing software allows providers to analyze their routes, the amount of time trips are taking, and the distance drivers are travelling on average. They can then make adjustments as they see fit, and in turn, optimize their entire operation. Once this information is stored in the system, it’s easy to create in-depth reports in a format that works best for your company. Read on to check out more reasons to invest in routing software:
Use Fewer Vehicles for the Same Amount of Trips
When you’re using software to manage your trip process, you can easily cut down on the number of vehicles you have on the road. Non-emergency medical transportation software searches for multiload trip opportunities every time a driver hits the road, so one driver could potentially pick up three different passengers during one trip.
Find the Most Efficient Routes
Avoid traffic, long routes, and anything else that prevents you from getting to a pick-up on time. Routing software analyzes all factors on a route and figures out which route will get the driver to the pick-up point as quickly as possible. Optimized routing ensures every trip is completed within the proper time frame and keeps your drivers’ schedules going as planned.
Save on Fuel
Fewer vehicles and miles driven means less fuel used. No matter the price of gas, reducing the amount of fuel you’re putting into your vehicles is good for your bottom line and your carbon footprint. Since the system shows you how many miles you’re driving on average, you can easily budget for how much you’ll spend on fuel each month.
Find Software That Works Hard for You
If you’re ready to track your mileage in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible, it’s time to find software that does the hard work for you. At iSi Technology, we develop a family of products for those in the NEMT, homecare, and Medicaid billing industries. We’d love to show you a free demo of one of our products, so if you’re interested, get in touch today to schedule yours!
