Hi - I’m Rob from the University of Leeds. I have a quick question for truck owners and fleet operators (I’ve posted separately to the drivers’ forum). I have the moderator’s permission to ask my research question. It’s about how you determine route choices.
Given the option, do you care more about saving time or saving money (eg. operating costs)? You may say it’s 100% about saving time, or 75% time and 25% costs. Please tell me which is more important to you (and why).
If your answer is, ‘it depends’ - please tell me what it depends on. All answers treated anonymously and in strictest confidence.
If you want to email me off-list, my email is R.S.Bain@leeds.ac.uk.
Many thanks,
Rob
engineering.leeds.ac.uk/staff/5 … obert_Bain
When loaded we set routes, which are set based on time, ie what should be the quickest route which is not necessarily the shortest. The time is purely because I want rid of the load, it’s high value and hazardous. Unloaded, we let the driver decide his route home.
To be honest I don’t care about saving time or money in the sense you mean. You I can plan stuff till you are blue in the face but weather, accidents and Eurotunnel have their own ideas. 
The old saying “time is money”, and 99% of our work is time sensitive for deliveries and collections. So drivers are planned accordingly, but given some discretion as to the route they take. Routing can be provided if they ask. However, in our company with a fleet of close on 2,000 trucks fuel economy IS the critical consideration. By 09.00 am each Monday I have my depot’s fleet MPG for the previous week. Drivers are encouraged to drive in the most economical style possible and bonus payments are awarded weekly to the most economical drivers.
Both because time is money