RoadWarrior Alternative: Reasons Why Dispatchers Prefer Circuit
Say goodbye to the RoadWarrior lifestyle and hello to Circuit! Our route optimization software is the top alternative for drivers and delivery teams.
Key takeaways
- RoadWarrior is for teams that don’t need to make a lot of deliveries or who won’t benefit from managing delivery processes, such as order tracking and proof of delivery.
- Circuit for Teams is the best RoadWarrior alternative for package delivery dispatchers because you can choose from three services.
- Circuit for Teams lets you plan multidriver routes, monitor ongoing routes, and send delivery notifications to your customers.
RoadWarrior is a route optimization tool that helps drivers plan multi-stop routes efficiently.
Individual drivers use RoadWarrior to optimize their routes, while delivery teams use RoadWarrior to plan routes and monitor their drivers’ progress.
But RoadWarrior’s route planning software is also missing several core aspects of running a successful delivery business.
Including, capturing proof of delivery, sending customer notifications, setting start points from multiple depots, planning multi-stop routes for larger delivery teams, and more.
RoadWarrior works better as a more generic route planner that can be appreciated by food delivery businesses, and salespeople planning a trip.
In contrast, we focused on making our route management software, Circuit for Teams, with dispatchers for multiple package delivery drivers in mind.
This post covers how Circuit for Teams works as a RoadWarrior alternative by helping you manage multiple delivery drivers to get packages to your customers quickly, efficiently, and securely.
If you’re ready to discover the benefits of using a full-fledged package delivery software, start your free 14-day trial now.
Circuit: A Road Warrior Alternative for Individual Delivery Drivers
Circuit actually has two tools.
First there’s Circuit’s Route Planner, a free mobile app for individual delivery drivers needing a route management tool.
With this free app, your drivers can optimize routes of up to ten stops (that’s two stops more than RoadWarrior’s free plan).
Here’s how our route optimization platform works:
- Drivers download our free mobile app (available for iOS and Android devices).
- Manually enter their addresses using our easy auto-complete feature, which suggests addresses based on your location (or upload a spreadsheet if you’re using an Android device). You can also use voice commands to add multiple stops to a route while on the go.
- Drivers can set any customization parameters (such as time windows or setting one specific as a top priority).
- Circuit Route Planner uses its advanced algorithm — which factors in variables like time, distance, and traffic patterns — to create the most efficient route.
Once your drivers use “Start Route,” Circuit Route Planner opens their preferred GPS tool — such as Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps — and the driver can start making their drops.
After your driver makes a drop, they mark it as completed, and Circuit Route Planner moves on to the next stop.
Circuit Route Planner is always developing and adding new features to improve the user experience.
Here are some of the latest improvements:
- Easily toggle between map views. Drivers can switch between different map views for easier navigation by tapping the map pin button.
- Enhanced stop details sheet features. Stop information and editing functions can now be accessed with a swipe, scroll, or tap.
- Copy stops between routes. Allows drivers to select and copy missed, failed, or specific stops from one route to another for reattempting deliveries.
- App-wide navigation. Drivers can check their main route map view and stops list without pausing the navigation functionality.
- Voice command bulk upload stops. Add multiple stops to a route quickly using voice commands for a more convenient experience.
- Set first and last stops for routes. Drivers can prioritize which stops to attempt first or last, allowing them to manage their delivery schedule efficiently.
- Edit existing stop addresses. Correct any incorrect addresses without having to delete and re-add the stop.
- Swipeable stop details sheet. Easy to read and edit stop details for improved usability.
- Package ID feature. Assign unique package IDs to stops for faster package retrieval during delivery.
- Dynamic stop markers on routes. Improved map visibility with dynamic stop markers reflecting the status of each delivery stop.
- Reoptimize routes without losing original stop order. Make changes to a route without affecting the original order of stops.
- Share read-only route links. Share live location and route information with third parties through read-only route links.
- Automatic address scanning for Apple iOS. Use Apple’s iOS 15 Live Text feature to scan addresses directly into Circuit Route Planner.
- Improved address formatting. Better address formatting for delivery drivers, so important information is visible upfront.
Along with the free option, your drivers can subscribe to a Circuit Route Planner Pro Plan.
The features are the same as the free plan, but for $20 a month, your drivers can create routes of up to 500 stops with unlimited routes per day.
To compare: RoadWarrior’s most affordable individual driver paid plan limits them to routes of 200 stops or fewer and cuts drivers off after 500 total optimized stops for the day.
Here’s what Circuit Route Planner Pro plan customer and professional courier Pete had to say in a review.
While RoadWarrior is a popular choice among individual drivers, it may not be the best option for dispatchers managing medium to large delivery teams and full-time staff.
With RoadWarrior’s most affordable individual driver paid plan, drivers are limited to routes of 200 stops or fewer and a total of 500 optimized stops per day.
For dispatchers managing larger teams, this limitation could prove to be a significant constraint, affecting the overall productivity and efficiency of the delivery process.
RoadWarrior doesn’t offer a centralized platform for dispatchers to monitor, manage, and optimize routes for their entire team.
This makes it difficult for dispatchers to get a comprehensive overview of the delivery operations and make informed decisions to improve their team’s performance.
On the other hand, Circuit for Teams offers a more comprehensive solution for dispatchers managing medium to large delivery teams.
The software provides advanced features tailored to the needs of dispatchers, such as team management, centralized control, and seamless integration with other business tools.
This allows dispatchers to optimize their delivery operations more effectively, saving time and improving overall productivity.
Let’s explore how dispatchers — with medium to large delivery teams and full-time staff — use Circuit for Teams to optimize their delivery operations.
Circuit for Teams: A RoadWarrior alternative for delivery teams
Circuit for Teams uses both a mobile app and a web app to help you streamline route planning with route execution.
Delivery dispatchers and business owners use the web app to build and monitor their daily routes.
While delivery drivers use the mobile app to get their routes and start making deliveries.
Circuit for Teams lets you optimize multiple driver routes — first create a route by clicking “Create route manually” and adding the route details.
Finally, let Circuit for Teams optimize the route and send it to the driver.
However, because you’re managing a delivery team, you can also optimize your routes depending on how many drivers you have and where they’re located — and in order of the highest-priority deliveries.
This means that customers paying for expedited shipping, or those in need of time-critical delivery (like medicine), will get their orders first.
Once you have optimized and assigned the routes, your drivers can log into the free mobile app, find the routes you've assigned them, and start making their drops.
Route Monitoring
Delivery teams that come to us from RoadWarrior appreciate our user-friendly route monitoring software.
With Circuit for Teams, dispatchers and delivery supervisors can find their drivers’ whereabouts within the context of the route.
This means that instead of telling you a geographical location — such as Jane Smith is at Roosevelt Street and 26th Avenue — Circuit tells you what stops Jane just completed, where she’s headed next, and the updated ETA.
Delivery teams really benefit from this feature when they need to make changes in the route or when a customer calls and asks for an update on their delivery.
If you must make a change to an ongoing route — such as adding or removing a stop — you can make the changes on the web app, and they appear on your driver’s mobile app.
If a customer calls for an update, find the real-time updated monitor and give them their new ETA.
But we also offer customer-facing order tracking, which we cover next.
Customer notifications (order tracking)
Order tracking — or customer notifications, as we contact them — is when you send delivery status updates directly to your customer.
This means your customer is kept in the loop on their order status, so they don’t have to contact your office or customer support line to get an update.
With Circuit, you can send delivery notifications to your customer as an SMS message, email, or both.
You send the first update when the delivery driver starts their route. This update gives the customer a time window, along with a link to a dashboard they can visit to find any changes in the status of their delivery.
You send the second update as the driver gets close to completing a stop.
It’s in this update that the customer can communicate directly with the driver through a messaging system.
This lets customers give additional information to their driver (such as a gate code or precise directions for a hard-to-find address).
Proof of Delivery
When your delivery driver completes a stop with the Circuit for Teams driver app, they can collect electronic proof of delivery.
The driver can get a signature — if you’re delivering goods over a certain dollar amount or for age-restricted items — or take a photo of where they left the package.
If they’re collecting a signature, the driver uses their smartphone and the Circuit for Teams app.
The customer signs the smartphone with their finger, and the signature is stored on file (in the cloud) in your Circuit for Teams Dashboard.
And if the driver is leaving your package at a doorstep, they can take a photo with their smartphone and upload it into the app.
Either way, the Circuit for Teams app sends a copy of the collected proof of delivery to both you as the dispatcher, and the customer.
The new swipeable stop details sheet not only streamlines the delivery process but also integrates proof of delivery features.
Drivers can easily access and view proof of delivery, such as signatures or photos, by swiping left or right on the stop details sheet for efficient documentation and verification of completed deliveries.
This gives all parties peace of mind as they know when — and how — the delivery driver completed the delivery.
(Learn how a local restaurant used our proof of delivery feature to cut down the number of redeliveries to zero.)
For further reading on Circuit for Teams:Learn how our software compares with leading delivery management platforms in our post on Onfleet vs. Bringg vs. Circuit.
Other RoadWarrior alternatives
Other RoadWarrior alternatives to consider include OptimoRoute, Upper, and Tookan. We dive into each option and give some context to help you determine whether these are right for your needs.
OptimoRoute RoadWarrior alternative
OptimoRoute is a cloud-based routing and scheduling software solution that enables businesses to plan and optimize their routes — reducing fuel costs and improving efficiency.
It features a user-friendly interface, multiple-stop optimization, real-time tracking, and more.
According to this routing software company, pricing starts at $35.10 per driver per month. However, some users mention high prices and outdated map routes as OptimoRoute cons.
Upper RoadWarrior alternative
Upper is a navigation app and routing software that helps businesses optimize their supply chain and logistics operations. It offers route optimization, real-time tracking, geofencing, and fleet management features.
Upper is a solid option for freelancers, startups, and small and midsize companies that offer field sales and field service.
Pricing starts at $80 a month for up to three drivers and 250 delivery route stops.
However, if driver tracking is a priority, the Upper route optimization software doesn’t offer active driver GPS tracking in its base plan.
Tookan RoadWarrior alternative
Tookan is an AI-powered software as a service (SaaS) designed to help businesses with dispatch management and delivery management solutions, saving time and costs.
Pricing starts at $99 a month for unlimited drivers. Customers say the Tookan delivery management software is easy to use, and the company has outstanding customer service.
However, one user review says the desktop version is glitchy, and the mobile app drains their drivers’ iPhone and Android batteries quickly, which can be a problem for drivers on the go.
Final thoughts: Upgrading from RoadWarrior to Circuit for Teams
RoadWarrior is a route planning tool built primarily for teams who don’t need to make a lot of deliveries or who won’t benefit from managing delivery processes, such as order tracking and proof of delivery.
This makes Circuit for Teams the best RoadWarrior alternative for package delivery dispatchers.
With Circuit for Teams, you can choose from three services uniquely designed for dispatchers to manage delivery teams of different sizes, and with multiple routes.
Circuit for Teams lets you plan multidriver routes, monitor ongoing routes, send delivery notifications to your customers, and capture proof of delivery (available in three different pricing tiers).
If you’re ready to find the benefits of using a full-fledged delivery software, start your free 14 day trial.
