Convert Regular Vehicle Routes Into Commercial Truck Routes

Due to numerous state regulations, traffic restrictions, and physical road constraints, commercial routing requires a substantially different type of optimization than regular routing. Thus, for example, certain vehicles, such as those with more than 2 axles, hazmat restrictions, weight, width, height, bridge, and tunnel avoidance, as well as other Class 1- 8 vehicle restrictions, can be prohibited from using particular roads, tunnels, bridges, overpasses, etc. In addition to posing a serious danger to public and driver safety, driving commercial vehicles on public roads can also result in large fines and law violations. In order to minimize risks, account for overweights, increase operational efficiency, and avoid fines for using prohibited roads, Route4Me’s dynamic routing software allows you to convert your routes that are optimized for regular vehicles into the routes that are optimized specifically for commercial vehicles with just the touch of a button. To learn more about the difference between regular and commercial route planning, visit this page.

To convert a regular vehicle route into the route optimized for a commercial vehicle, this route must be assigned the vehicle with a particular Vehicle Profile that contains commercial vehicle parameters and can influence the route optimization accordingly. You can assign vehicles to routes from the Routes List, Routes Map, and the Route Editor (learn how). For more convenience, before converting a route, you can open it on the map in the Route Editor to view how the applied modifications change the route’s directions and metrics.

Regular vehicles are the vehicles in your Route4Me fleet that don’t have an assigned Vehicle Profile. Vehicle Profiles can contain commercial vehicle parameters and constraints that are applied to the optimization. To learn more about using the default and creating custom commercial Vehicle Profiles, visit this page.

To convert a regular vehicle route into the commercial vehicle route, this route must be assigned the vehicle with a particular commercial Vehicle Profile. To do so from the Route Editor, first, go to “Edit” and then select “Assign Vehicle” from the menu.

Next, select the vehicle from your Route4Me fleet with an assigned Vehicle Profile that contains the commercial parameters you want to be applied to the optimization.

Once the route is converted, it is re-optimized based on the parameters specified in the Vehicle Profile of the assigned commercial vehicle and its directions and metrics are updated accordingly. The routes that are optimized for regular vehicles have fewer constraints since regular vehicles are allowed to travel on most public roads without any specific size, weight, length, and other restrictions. Depending on the vehicle’s type (i.e., heavy-duty, medium-duty, hazmat vehicles, etc.), specific weight, size, length, and other parameters, commercial routes can be optimized to avoid all roads that prohibit the use of commercial vehicles with the corresponding parameters. Thus, for example, commercial routes can avoid driving over the bridges with specific weight restrictions, or under the overpasses and through the tunnels with particular maximum height limitations.