Planning truck routes across Europe has become more complex yet crucial for optimizing logistics operations. With evolving regulations, new toll systems, and increasing environmental considerations, using our advanced truck route planning tools is essential to navigate these challenges efficiently. This guide will walk you through the steps to plan an effective truck route in Europe, helping you reduce costs, avoid delays, and ensure compliance with various regional requirements.
Steps to Plan a Truck Transport Route
- Step 1: Access Our Truck Route Planner for Europe
- Step 2: Set Destinations for Truck Route
- Step 3: Choose the Optimal Routing Mode
- Step 4: Calculate Truck Driving Time and Compliance
- Step 5: Calculate Additional Charges
- Step 6: Add Specific Truck Attributes
- Step 7: Create Transport Orders
- Step 8: Propose and Optimize Transport Offers
- Step 9: Dispatch Route to Driver
- Step 10: Share Route with Carriers and Subcontractors
- Conclusion: Navigate European Truck Routes with Confidence in 2024
Step 1: Open the Truck Route Planner
To begin planning your European truck route, access our Planner module in the IMPARGO platform. Our tool is specifically designed to handle the intricacies of cross-border trucking, offering detailed maps and options tailored for European roadways.
Step 2: Set Destinations for Truck Route
Input your starting location and final destination in the "Stops" section of our planner. We automatically calculate the optimal route, considering all relevant European truck restrictions, such as weight limits, low emission zones, and road tolls.
Input your start location in the “Stops” section.
This will mark the starting point on the map. Then, input your end location to automatically calculate the truck route, taking into account all relevant truck restrictions and routing parameters. You will see detailed results such as truck mileage, operational time, costs, and more at the bottom of the map.
Adding Additional Stops in Truck Route Planning
After setting your start and end points, you can include additional stops by using the “Add stop…” function. This allows you to customize your route with as many stops as needed, providing flexibility in your planning process.
Modifying Stops Using Drag & Drop in Truck Route Planning
IMPARGO’s route planner allows you to modify the location of your truck stops using a simple drag-and-drop feature. This can be useful for adjusting the route to bypass specific truck restrictions or to better meet your logistics needs.
Adjusting the Route with Via Points in Truck Route Planning
You can further customize your route by adding via points. These points enable you to guide the route through specific locations, adapting to real-time challenges like traffic changes or road closures.
Step 3: Choose the Optimal Routing Mode
IMPARGO offers multiple routing modes to suit different priorities. Whether you need the fastest route, the most cost-effective one, or a path that avoids toll roads, you can select the mode that best fits your operational requirements.
Reordering Stops for Optimal Efficiency in Truck Route Planning
To enhance route efficiency, you can dynamically reorder stops. IMPARGO provides tools to easily change the sequence of stops, ensuring that your truck follows the most efficient path.
Avoiding Specific Countries in Truck Route Planning
If your route needs to bypass certain countries, IMPARGO allows you to exclude them from your journey. This feature is particularly useful for regulatory compliance and optimizing transit times.
Integrating Live Traffic Data in Truck Route Planning
IMPARGO incorporates live traffic data into its route planning, helping you adjust for current road conditions. This real-time information ensures your routes are as efficient and timely as possible.
Step 4: Calculate Truck Driving Time
Europe's strict driving time regulations require careful planning to avoid penalties. Our planner allows you to calculate driving time accurately, including breaks and mandatory rest periods in different European countries.
For accurate planning, you can add extra time at specific stops to account for loading, unloading, or other activities. This adjustment directly influences the overall operational duration and costs.
Adding Extra Time for the Entire Tour in Truck Route Planning
You can also allocate additional time for the entire tour, affecting the trip’s overall schedule and costs. This is crucial for planning breaks, additional loading times, or other necessary delays.
Step 5: Calculate Additional Charges
When planning routes across Europe, it's important to consider additional charges like tolls, ferry costs, and environmental taxes. Our platform helps you estimate these costs, providing a comprehensive overview of expenses.
IMPARGO allows you to include custom additional charges in your route planning. This helps in creating a comprehensive cost estimate, covering all possible expenses such as ferry costs or driver premiums.
Step 6: Add Truck Attributes
Customizing routes based on your vehicle's attributes is essential in Europe, where road restrictions vary widely. Our platform allows you to input dimensions, weight, and emission classes, ensuring your route avoids roads with restrictions unsuitable for your truck.
To ensure routes are suitable for your fleet, you can input specific vehicle attributes such as dimensions, weight capacities, and emission classes. This customization helps in avoiding issues related to road restrictions.
Utilizing Advanced Vehicle Options in Truck Route Planning
Advanced vehicle options in IMPARGO provide detailed settings for hazardous goods, axle weights, vehicle height, and average speeds. These settings help in planning precise and compliant routes.
Planning Routes for Hazardous Goods (ADR) in Truck Route Planning
IMPARGO offers specific tools for planning routes that involve hazardous goods. By selecting the appropriate categories, you can ensure your route complies with safety regulations and avoids restricted areas.
Step 7: Create Transport Order
After planning your route, use our platform to create and manage transport orders. This step includes integrating all necessary documents, adhering to European documentation standards.
Initiate the Order Creation Process
In the Planner module, click the "Create new order" button on the top right corner of the interface. This will open the add order view.
Add Order Data or Documents
Include any additional data or documents as needed. For detailed instructions, visit IMPARGO’s Knowledge Center.
Save the Order
Save the order by clicking the “Save” button at the bottom right corner. The created order will be visible in the orders table in the Orders Module. Here, you can update the order status, share it with your fleet or relevant team members, and utilize the order history for reference.
Step 8: Create Transport Proposal
Calculate costs and create transport proposals tailored to European clients. Our platform enables you to adjust prices based on real-time data and offer competitive rates in the European market.
Creating and sending a transport proposal is essential for efficient communication with your customers. After calculating the cost and price for the transport in the Planner module, follow these steps to create and send a transport offer:
Initiate the Offer Creation Process
In the Planner module, click the "Send" button on the top right corner and choose “Send offer to customer”. This opens the add order view.
Add Offer Data or Documents
Include additional data or documents as required, select a customer, and finalize the price. For detailed instructions, visit IMPARGO’s Knowledge Center.
Save and Send the Offer
You can either save a draft by clicking on "Create offer" or directly send an email to the customer with a link to the offer. The offer can be managed in the “My Offers” tab within the Orders Module, where you can update its status, share it, and keep records.
- Calculating Freight Market Price
- Creating Truck Route Reports (PDF)
- Creating and Sharing Orders / Offers
Step 9: Dispatch Route to Driver
If you have truck drivers connected to the IMPARGO DriverApp, you can easily send your planned route along with all necessary information for the driver to adhere to during the transport.
Find the “Send” Button
Locate and click on the "Send" button on the top right corner of the Planner.
Choose “Send to Driver”
Select “Send to Driver” from the options that appear.
Edit Order Details
A new window will open, displaying the order details and any references you have added.
Step 10: Share Route with Carrier
This feature facilitates smooth coordination and helps maintain efficiency in cross-border transportation. For seamless logistics operations, share your planned routes with carriers and subcontractors using our IMPARGO platform.
Find the “Send” Button
Locate and click on the "Send" button on the top right corner of the Planner.
Choose "Send to Carrier/Subcontractor"
Select "Send to Carrier/Subcontractor" from the options that appear.
Edit Order Details
A new window will open, displaying the order that was created with the specified route and details.
Navigate European Truck Routes with Confidence in 2024
Planning truck routes across Europe in 2024 requires a blend of advanced tools and strategic insights. Our platform provides everything you need to navigate the challenges of European logistics, from calculating costs to ensuring compliance with regional regulations. For a more detailed guide on how to optimize your European transport operations, visit our Knowledge Base.
