Google launched two new solutions to help fleet operators improve delivery success and optimize fleet performance. The offerings—Last Mile Fleet Solution from Google Maps Platform and Cloud Fleet Routing API from Google Cloud—were announced on March 17.
The pandemic has accelerated ecommerce adoption and strained supply chains, while consumer expectations around delivery speed and visibility have reached all-time highs. At the same time, last-mile delivery is estimated to make up more than half of total shipping costs. This means last-mile fleet operators must work harder to create better consumer experiences and improve their operations. Last Mile Fleet Solution and Cloud Fleet Routing API help fleet operators address these challenges through an integrated suite of mapping, routing, and analytics capabilities.
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Cloud Fleet Routing API focuses on the route planning phase of delivery and allows operators to perform advanced fleetwide optimization, enabling them to determine the allocation of packages to delivery vans and the sequencing of the delivery tasks.
Natively integrated with Google Maps routes data, Cloud Fleet Routing API can solve simple route planning requests in near-real-time, and scale to demanding workloads. Customers can specify a variety of constraints, such as time windows, package weights, and vehicle capacities. Cloud Fleet can help carriers meet sustainability targets by reducing the distance traveled and number of delivery vans.
Last Mile Fleet Solution focuses on delivery execution and allows fleet operators to optimize across every stage of the last-mile delivery journey, from ecommerce order to doorstep delivery. The solution also helps businesses create exceptional delivery experiences for consumers and provides drivers the tools they need to perform at their best when completing tasks throughout the day. It builds on the On-demand Rides & Deliveries mobility solution from Google Maps Platform, which is already used by leading ride-hailing and on-demand delivery operators around the world.
When implemented together, Last Mile Fleet Solution and Cloud Fleet Routing API allow businesses to optimize across every stage of the last-mile delivery journey, with features such as:
- Address capture to help obtain an accurate address and location for each pickup or delivery.
- Route optimization to help ensure drivers are provided with routes that optimize around the fleet's constraints—including delivery time windows—and adapt based on real-time traffic.
- Driver routing and navigation to deliver a seamless driver experience and improve route compliance with in-app navigation powered by Google Maps.
- Shipment tracking to keep consumers updated with live, day-of shipment tracking, including up-to-date location and arrival times of customer packages.
- Fleet performance to enable visibility into real-time route progress and shipment insights for operations teams.
“The pandemic further accelerated both ecommerce and the number of deliveries, which were already growing rapidly. The increased strain on delivery networks, plus many other factors like driver shortages, poor address data, factory closures, and an increase in fuel prices have impacted delivery time and success,” said Hans Thalbauer, managing director of global supply chain and logistics industries for Google Cloud. “With Google Maps Platform’s Last Mile Fleet Solution and Cloud Fleet Routing API, we’re making it easier for delivery fleet operators to address these issues and create seamless experiences for consumers, drivers, and fleet managers.”
