Best Route Planning Software for 2023

Verizon Connect is the best route planning software, due to its vast range of features and integrations with other key systems including asset tracking, field service, and dash cams.

Any fleet will benefit from route planning software. It can help managers dispatch vehicles to multiple locations, it can automatically determine which route is the fastest or most effective, and it can help drivers and managers communicate any changes or setbacks while on the go.

The three crucial factors that most managers keep in mind while picking out the best route planning service for them are their price range, the features they need, and the level of support their team may need. Using these evaluation areas for our research, we've ranked ten of the best route planning software providers available today.

Here's our roundup, along with the bonus features to expect from each, and what makes each one stand out from the pack. To skip to the bottom line, you can also compare custom route planning software prices here.

The ten best route planning software options include:

1. Verizon Connect Reveal — Best overall
   
2. Samsara — Best for the transportation industry
   
3. Teletrac Navman — Best for data-hungry companies
4. Fleetio — Best low cost option
5. Motive (formerly KeepTruckin) — Best value solution
6. Intellishift — Best mid-range option
7. Omnitracs — Best for reliability
8. US Fleet Tracking — Best for location tracking only
   
9. WorkWave— Best for customizable route planning
10. ProTransport — Best for ease of use

Also in This Guide:

• Methodology: Rating the Best Route Planning Software
• Route Planning vs Google Maps and Waze
• 2023 Buyer's Guide
• Final Verdict
• FAQs

Verizon Connect Reveal Route Planning Software

Best overall
Price from: $45/vehicle/month

Verizon Connect Reveal represents the biggest conglomeration of telemetrics software, having formed as the result of a three-party merger between Verizon Networkfleet, Fleetmatics, and Telogis. It's the most powerful, feature-rich option on this list, covering every task a fleet might need handled, including a full-stack fleet management system and field service software. Bonus features include:

• Route optimization
• Traffic awareness
• IFTA fuel tracking
• Work order delivery
• Electronic proof of delivery
• Vehicle maintenance
• Vehicle diagnostics
• ELD compliance
• Asset tracking
• Reporting and analytics
• Mobile app

Route planning features include the ability to adapt to changes in traffic in real-time, as well as automatically planning out the best route for each vehicle in advance.

Pricing

The main Verizon Reveal fleet management software pricing can vary, depending on the features offered, with the typical licensing fee within a broad range somewhere between $40 and $250 per month per vehicle. The high end is certainly expensive compared to the industry average, though all hardware units are included for free, with free installation.

Verizon Connect is a great route planning option for a growing fleet that needs all the bells and whistles, to help it ultimately save more money by reducing expenses and speeding up route monitoring.

Samsara Route Planning Software

Best for the transportation industry
Price from: $45/vehicle/month

Samsara route planning is a central feature found in its top-quality fleet management system. The system comes in three parts: Managers will use the central dashboard to view a real-time map of their fleet and vehicle information, while drivers will use the Samsara Driver App to manage their hours of service and receive their routes. The third element, the plug-and-play hardware unit, comes with a one-year warranty and can be quickly installed in each vehicle driving routes.

Samsara also offers additional hardware add-ons, most notably the CM32 Dual-facing Dash Cam, which is a great dash cam for truckers and built to be fully operated with Samsara's fleet management software. All these abilities and add-ons make Samsara a great system for long-haul transportation.

Here's what bonus features to expect from the service. Individual packages might not include all of them, but basic packages will include most:

• Route monitoring and dispatch
• Fuel tracking
• ELD compliance
• Driver safety
• Two-way messaging
• Proof of delivery reciept
• Routing reports
• Heat map of driver locations
• Mobile app
• Reefer monitoring
• Trailer tracking
• 24/7 support

While the route planning software automatically compiles routes, it also collects data that highlights the differences between each planned route and the actual path/travel times that the vehicle took in reality, allowing managers to use the data to manually optimize future routes and improve them even further. With today's inflation-boosted fuel costs, these small tweaks can quickly add up to big savings.

Pricing

The service starts at $45 per vehicle per month, around the industry average. The Samsara FMS is a popular system, and for good reason: All these useful features come in an easy-to-use interface, with 360 degree support and training options.

Teletrac Navman Route Planning Software

Best for data-hungry companies
Price from: $35/vehicle/month

Another well-known FMS service, Teletrac Navman pulls on a full thirty years of experience to deliver its route planning software, which is bundled with plenty of additional useful features. A few standouts include a feature that automatically sends email alerts to managers in the event of a driver compliance violation, and on the driver's side, the ability to send a proof of delivery notification upon arrival at a destination.

Two-way communication is another essential route planning feature, allowing managers to dispatch drivers while letting drivers check in with managers whenever needed. This helps managers make informed decisions in real time. Add in the system's robust reporting and analytics abilities, which help inform long-term decisions as well, and you have a service designed to aid data-driven management.

Here's the full list of core features:

• Routing optimization
• Proof of delivery
• Two-way messaging
• Driver safety
• Vehicle diagnostics
• ELD compliance
• Compliance violation alerts
• Fuel tracking
• Customizable dashboard
• Reporting and analytics
• 24/7 support

The service's customizablity and ability to create great data reports makes it stand out, although its great customer support doesn't hurt, either.

Pricing

Teletrac does not make its plan pricing public, although $35 per vehicle per month is a good estimate. Contact the company for a custom quote that takes your fleet size and required features into account. The broad feature range and 24/7 client support make Teletrac Navman a good all-around FMS option for fleets that are looking for more than just route planning solutions.

Fleetio Route Planning Software

Best low cost option
Price from: $5/vehicle/month

Fleetio offers the Fleetio Go mobile app free to download, and it can be paired with the company's two flagship fleet software services: Fleetio Manage, a stripped-down FMS solution, and Fleetio Drive, an ELD-compliant tracking service. Drive allows managers to schedule routes, with real-time fleet maps and real-time messaging, while Manage allows route managing and adds asset tracking, maintenance management, and parts/inventory tracking. Here are the features to expect from the more inexpensive and route planning-oriented option, Fleetio Drive:

• Location tracking
• Trip historical data
• Geofencing
• Two-way messaging

Drivers can send proof-of-delivery messages via the messaging capability as well, though the limited solution doesn't include route optimization.

Pricing

Unlike most services listed here, Fleetio's two fleet tracking services work without requiring in-vehicle hardware units, cutting down on the upfront costs behind fleet tracking. The service starts at just $5 per vehicle per month for route planning, though an even cheaper $3 per vehicle per month plan can track inventory and scheduled maintence needs.

This makes Fleetio Drive a good choice for a fleet that needs an inexpensive way to get started with route planning, but doesn't need automated fuel tracking or vehicle diagnostic reporting.

Motive (formerly KeepTruckin) Route Planning Software

Best value solution
Price from: $25/vehicle/month

Motive — the company rebranded from the punny KeepTruckin in April 2022 — offers both hardware units and the software to go with them, including a manager dashboard and driver mobile app.

Drivers will instantly receive a dispatch on their phones, and managers can comb through drivers' hours of service data in order to find the best option for each job. Motive uses an open API for their software, ensuring that any third-party routing service can be integrated with the Motive dashboard.

• Route monitoring and dispatch
• ELD compliance
• IFTA fuel tracking
• Vehicle inspection
• Vehicle diagnostics
• Driver safety
• Open API
• Two-way messaging
• GPS location tracking

If your fleet doesn't need a full fleet management system, but does need to stay in compliance with the ELD mandate (and wouldn't say no to a few other FMS perks), this might be the routing and dispatch service you need. Unlike the inexpensive Fleetio, Motive offers vehicle diagnostics, which may ultimately save a fleet more money by catching mechanical failures before they progress enough to require expensive repairs.

Pricing

At $25/vehicle/month, the price isn't as low as Fleetio's, but it offers greater flexibility alongside its core features, making it the best value solution.

Intellishift Route Planning Software

Best mid-range option
Price from: $19.99/vehicle/month

Intellishift's software (also known as Silent Passenger) lets managers handle all their route monitoring and dispatching tasks from a single dashboard. The company is a nimbler, smaller operation than well-known services like Verizon Connect and Samsara, though it still offers stellar tech support and a sleek product.

Bonus features cover all the common perks, from vehicle maintenance to driver safety, while a fleet status dashboard tracks all in-duty vehicles with data including vehicle name, current driver, last location, next destination, current speed, and engine status. Vehicles with the ignition on are color-coded green, while turned-off vehicles appear in red. Here's the full feature list:

• Wireless dispatching
• Route optimization
• Vehicle maintenance
• Driver safety
• Two-way messaging
• Mobile app
• Asset tracking
• IFTA fuel tracking
• ELD compliance

Managers can easily optimize routes for the shortest distance or least fuel used, while reserving the right to make changes in real-time while the driver is en route.

Pricing

Intellishift's telematics system starts at $19.99 per vehicle per month, and is recommended for US-based fleets that appreciate the ethos of a smaller, mid-range software provider – along with the support options that they bring to the table.

Omnitracs Route Planning Software

Best for reliability
Pricing not available

For a ready way to boost your fleet's visibility and improve communication on both sides, check out Omnitracs' messaging, GPS locating, and dispatch capabilities. It's another route planning software that folds its features into those of a full FMS, and it's all accessible through a single dashboard. It's also worth noting that Omnitracs offers a “navigation integration” ability, which uses predictive modeling to improve route optimization as it gains more data over time. However, this feature is available as an additional module, so it costs extra. Here's a look at the features included in the basic plan:

• Route optimization
• Location tracking
• ELD compliance
• Two-way messaging
• Proof of delivery
• IFTA fuel tracking

Customer updates are not included, but these features do cover the basic needs of a fleet driver, from messaging to proof of delivery receipts. The software will update itself occasionally, which will disrupt service for a few minutes and can be annoying to fleets that operate 24/7 and don't have downtime.

Pricing

Omnitracs offers a solid all-around service, but does not make its pricing public, so you'll need to get in touch directly for a custom quote. It doesn't offer any unique features, and it doesn't stand out for anything in particular, but it remains dependable, offers a decent range of abilities, and gives 24/7 online support to its users – which earns it a place on our list.

US Fleet Tracking Route Planning Software

Best for location tracking only
Price from: $30/vehicle/month

US Fleet Tracking's route planning software is differentiated from the others on this list due to its (relative) lack of features. It comes with the most basic and most useful features, but none of the expansive suites that many others offer. And why not? For a smaller fleet that doesn't require as much work, buying a feature-heavy plan wouldn't be the cost-effective choice. Here's what features the company offers, though you'll have to learn more about US Fleet Tracking's price plans in order to ensure you're getting the features you need:

• GPS location tracking
• Manager-to-driver messaging and dispatch
• Route monitoring alerts
• Driving safety alerts
• Geofencing
• ELD compliance

In addition, fuel tracking is available with some plans. US Fleet Tracking offers a broad range of hardware, with nine different units sold, as well as an assortment of accessories.

Pricing

US Fleet tracking starts at a tidy $30/vehicle/month. Sometimes staying simple is best: This cost-effective offering is recommended for fleets that want a location-tracking routing service without a high monthly price tag.

WorkWave Route Planning Software

Best for customizable route planning
Price from: $49/vehicle/month

Speaking of stripped-down route planning software, another option is WorkWave's Route Planning & Optimization Software. Once managers establish their fleet-specific needs and settings (such as when vehicles are available, what skills they offer, where prices are set, and when maintenance days or vacation time is scheduled), the software will optimize the daily route for them. The resulting custom-designed routes will balance all considerations, from distance and cost to efficiency and speed, taking into account variables like the load size or skills needed. Features include:

• Route monitoring and optimization
• Drag-and-drop route modification
• Route simulations
• Mobile app
• GPS tracking
• Open API

WorkWave is a great option for a fleet that needs a flexible routing software, but not a lot else, as it doesn't offer the full featureset that's found in our top picks including Verizon Connect, Samsara, and Teletrac Navman.

Pricing

The $49/vehicle/month starting cost isn't the cheapest. If you operate a long-haul fleet, you'll likely need to pair WorkWave with a more comprehensive FMS to get the best bang for your buck. If you're just here to supercharge your route planning, this is the option for you.

ProTransport Route Planning Software

Best for ease of use
Price not available

ProTransport's color-coded dispatch board keeps track of every vehicle in a manager's fleet, charting locations and availability in real time. Two-way messages help keep drivers and managers on the same page. Geofencing capabilities are also supported, though additional features are a little limited. The intuitive interface is a stand-out feature. There's also:

• Route monitoring and dispatch
• Location tracking
• ETA alerts
• Two-way messaging
• Geofencing
• Driver schedules

This route planning software is a great choice for managers who prioritize simplicity and ease of use for themselves and their drivers. The software isn't bogged down with unneeded features, and it'll keep a watchful eye on fleets with its display board.

Pricing

Pricing isn't available, so you'll need to contact the service for a quote custom-fitted to your needs.

Methodology: Rating the Best Route Planning Software

Our research team relied on the core three needs of most fleet managers: A high value-to-price ratio, a wide range of useful features, and a strong support team. We relied on hands-on research to ensure that each route planning software on this list came at a cost that was reasonable for the features it offered.

Tech.co's impartial researchers scored each service on a five-star scale across these six categories, before compiling all scores into one overall ranking:

• Price – How much bang for your buck?
• Tracking – How well does the service track vehicles?
• Driver Management – What features log driver activity?
• Vehicle Management – How are the fuel, maintenance, or diagnostic features?
• Product Features – What integrations or hardware are offered?
• Help & Support – What support options are included?

Our top three route planning services ranked the highest, offering a large range of features for prices between $35 and $45 per vehicle per month while maintaining strong 24/7 live support.

The additional route planning services in this guide are worth considering as well, since some fleets may require fewer features at a lower price: Fleetio has the lowest prices around ($5 per vehicle per month), while Motive has fairly low pricing ($25 per vehicle per month) and includes more advanced features, such as vehicle diagnostics.

Read our full guide to the best fleet management services.

Route Planning vs Google Maps, Waze or Other Navigational Apps

Route planning software designed for commercial vehicle use is set apart from consumer-grade navigational apps like Google Maps or Waze. The biggest difference is professional route optimization. A good route planning software will be able to figure out the most efficient route every time, taking into account the physical location of every stop and matching it against speed limits, high-traffic times, and real-time weather conditions. Additional features may include the ability to prioritize certain customers or minimize fuel used.

Route planning software will also include additional features, compared to consumer apps, such as two-way messaging, proof-of-delivery receipts, ELD compliance, maintenance alerts, reporting, and IFTA fuel tracking (so that a fleet can pay accurate fuel taxes).

Navigational apps are a great free resource for a single vehicle in a casual situation to find its way to more than one destination. But any professional fleet will save far more money by paying for the right service, rather than simply opting for a free one.

Why use route planning software? Why shouldn't I just use Google Maps?

Route optimization can save fleets a lot of money, and it's not included in free navigational apps like Google Maps.

Consumer apps do take into account limited traffic information from other users, and can list the estimated route times, so you can try to optimize your routes by shuffling the order of destinations around and comparing the different route times as you go, to get the shortest one. But the different types of routes will increase exponentially with every stop you add — if you have just six stops, you'll have 720 possible routes! That's not a problem for a software program built to handle this, but a human being is better off guessing than counting up 720 potential routes to find the most efficient one for that day.

There are other features that navigational apps won't offer, too. Two-way messaging is a big one, as it lets drivers easily communicate with their manager.

2023 Buyer's Guide to Route Planning Software

If you're new to purchasing route planning software, there are a few more questions you might want answered, before taking the leap and investing in a program for your fleet. Here are some of the most important aspects to understand.

What are the different kinds of route planning software?

Simple route planning software just includes GPS tracking and basic route optimization, perhaps with two-way messaging and ELD compliance included. More advanced offerings may include a full fleet management system, which includes other fleet benefits such as maintenance alerts and fuel purchase tracking. There are also field service systems, which are designed to allow customer updates.

Ultimately, though, route planning software varies by product, as they all offer different combinations of features.

How does route planning software work?

Route planning software uses hardware units to track the location of every vehicle in a fleet. This location data is sent to the central dashboard used by the manager.

At the start of the day, the manager can assign vehicles and drivers to a set route — the software will optimize the list of stops, putting them in order of efficiency. Then, over the course of the day, the system might update the route as new information comes in, such as unexpected traffic slowdowns or poor weather. The manager can then update the drivers via the driver app, either by adjusting their route or with a direct message (or both).

What are the most common features of route planning software?

The top features of high-quality route planning software include:

• Route optimization
• Two-way messaging
• Proof-of-delivery receipts
• ELD compliance
• Reporting and analytics
• Mobile driver app

Fairly common additional features beyond the basics include:

• Traffic awareness
• Maintenance alerts
• IFTA fuel tracking
• Asset tracking
• Customer Updates (common in field service software)

The most feature-rich options are Verizon Connect Reveal, Samsara, and Teletrac Navman. On the other end of the scale, try Fleetio for a stripped-down, inexpensive alternative.

Is there a route planning software option for free?

There's no trustworthy route planning software permanently available at no cost. Free alternative apps include Google Maps and Waze, although these are better termed “navigational apps,” since they won't optimize your routes for you. For everything else, you'll have to pay.

For more information on route planning software, see the FAQs below.

FAQs