The 10 Best Route Planning Software Solutions in 2023

For most businesses, Verizon Connect is the best route planning and optimization software. It offers core tracking tools like reports, custom locations, and traffic and weather alerts. Our research team gave the service a perfect score for tracking tools in our Verizon Connect review.

Route optimization software is all about getting from one point to another as efficiently as possible. That means addressing a huge range of problems. You'll need to instantly create a daily schedule with a handful of destinations for each vehicle in your fleet, you'll need to pick a driver, and you'll need to GPS track everything in real time so nothing goes wrong, from wrong turns to collisions. The right route planning software can do it all, saving you time and money.

Our expert testers picked three top factors to consider: Trip optimization, cost reduction, and driver safety. These are the route optimization tools that made the cut.

Here's our complete roundup of the best route planning software solutions, 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.

What Is Route Planning Software?

Route planning software allows any business with a fleet of commercial vehicles to conduct every vehicles's daily route from a central location. With it, a manager can automatically create a route to one or multiple destinations, and assign a vehicle and driver to use that route for the day. A good route planning software will offer tools including automatic route optimization, mileage tracking, geofencing, and alerts for weather and traffic conditions.

The right route planning software might track fuel use or ensure a fleet complies with federal laws. Efficient route planning has been proven to save 20% on fuel costs. Add enough features, and you'll get a fleet management system (or FMS), which offers route planning along with every other core business fleet need, from maintenance to driver safety monitoring.

The Tech.co research team tested all the tracking tools in this guide, which are listed in order of which ranked higher for the vehicle tracking research category. Those scores are cited in each review, but we've also included their overall FMS score in the cards at the bottom of each review, so take care not to confuse the two scores.

Verizon Connect Reveal Route Planning Software: Best overall

Price from: $23.50/vehicle/month 

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 offers all the tracking tools any fleet will need, with its fast 30-second refresh rate standing out as one reason to pick it over the competition. To give an example, this 30-second rate beats competitor Samsara, since Samsara offers rates that can be as fast as 30 seconds, but does not guarantee them. Verizon does, however, and its other core tracking tools include in-depth summary reports, customizable routes, intricate scheduling, geofencing, mileage tracking, and alerts for weather and traffic. We particularly loved the software's scheduler, which offers a timetable view that shows each driver's progress with a color-coded system: Orange for in-progress routes, green for completed ones, etc.

The brand is great for large fleets, since it offers a full-stack fleet management system and field service software. Used properly, all these tools will add up to huge savings for journey optimization vs. money spent. Features include:

• Fleet summary reports (Templates: daily, detailed, distance travelled, and geofence)
• Custom locations
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Automatic route optimization
• Mileage
• Traffic alerts
• Geofencing
• 24/7 support

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. For fleet managers, the tool hugely streamlines their daily managing duties. For clients, it ensures extra visibility and reliable delivery times. Pre-set alerts help as well, covering warnings for speeding, idling, and geofence.

Managers can also use a “replay” feature to track recently completed routes, seeing driver details and time stamps for each vehicle.

A daily report within the Verizon Connect Reveal software, viewed on a desktop. Image source: Tech.co

Pricing

The main Verizon Reveal fleet management software pricing can vary, depending on the features offered, with the typical licensing fee starting at $23.50 per vehicle per month, but rising into the hundreds of dollars depending on the features needed.

The high end is certainly expensive compared to the industry average, but Verizon Connect is a great route planning option for a growing fleet that needs all the bells and whistles: It can ultimately save a fleet more money by reducing expenses and speeding up routes.

If you already have Verizon Connect, however, and you find the features are too excessive, there are plenty of other options — keep reading.

Omnitracs Route Planning Software: Best for Reliability

Pricing not available

Another trustworthy software provider for route planning is Omnitracs, since it offers every important tracking tool a fleet will need.

The software's core route planning tools include fleet summary reports, custom locations, real-time refresh rates, automatic route optimization, mileage tracking, traffic alerts, and geofencing. With the software, you can view the locations of your tractors, trailers, and custom landmarks with a single glance. This lets you spot wrong turns or traffic jams as they happen, and quickly communicate to a driver how to adjust so that the route stays on track.

Why do we rate Omnitracs second in this guide if it has all the same tracking tools that Verizon offers? Two reasons. First, Omnitracs doesn't say exactly how fast its data refresh rates are: They're “real-time,” but that term can refer to anything from five seconds to five minutes in the world of fleet tracking. Second, Verizon offers better additional fleet management tools beyond just tracking, which makes it a more efficient system for large or growing fleets. That said, we found Omnitracs offers many great fleet management tools, including ELD compliance, two-way messaging, proof of delivery, and IFTA fuel tracking.

Here's the full list of core route planning features:

• Fleet summary reports
• Custom locations
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Automatic route optimization
• Mileage
• Traffic alerts
• Geofencing
• 24/7 support

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. The software 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.

Samsara Route Planning Software: Best for the Transportation Industry

Price from: $27/vehicle/month 

Samsara route planning is a central feature found in its top-quality fleet management system, and the system also offers dash cam integrations that are useful for transportation fleets in particular.

Samsara's core tracking tools include a Driver Record for real-time driver insights, custom locations that help managers build the best routes, scheduling tools, and historical performance tracking. Routes can be automatically optimized for up to 20 stops at a time, and AI-powered custom alerts (including for traffic and weather) can be set SMS and email. You'll also get mileage tracking and geofencing, as well as a heat map of driver locations.

Samsara also offers additional hardware add-ons, most notably the CM32 Dual-facing Dash Cam, which is one of the best dash cams 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, and one of the most switched-to services for fleet operations unhappy with their previous route planning software.

Features include:

• Fleet summary reports
• Custom locations
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Automatic route optimization
• Mileage
• Traffic alerts
• Geofencing
• 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. In 2023, with fuel costs rising amid a labor shortage, these small tweaks can quickly add up to big savings.

With Samsara, managers can easily track route progress across an entire fleet with a glance. Image source: Samsara

Pricing

The service starts at $27 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. See our full Samsara fleet management review here.

Teletrac Navman Route Planning Software: Best for Data-Hungry Companies

Price from: $25/vehicle/month 

Teletrac Navman's TN360 route planning software holds plenty of useful features. Some standout tools include automatic alerts, two-way communication to allow managers to get real-time information directly from drivers, robust reporting and analytics, and a “proof of delivery” notification, which triggered upon arrival. All these tools make Teletrac a stellar option for companies that want as much data as quickly as possible.

Teletrac's easy-to-use tools include scheduling and dispatch. Reports and charts can be autogenerated from prompts (“show me fuel consumption by vehicle for the past 7 days” is one example). You'll also get traffic updates, mileage tracking, and the ability to set custom locations and custom alerts. You'll automatically receive email alerts in the event of a driver compliance violation, and the driver can quickly send a proof of delivery notification upon arrival at a destination.

TN360 doesn't clarify how quickly it refreshes beyond saying it offers “real-time” tracking, but is likely around once-a-minute, below Verizon's 30-second refresh rate. The speediest fleet systems can refresh every 15 seconds (Geotab) or even every 3-second period (Motive).

Here's the full list of core features Teletrac offers:

• Fleet summary reports
• Custom locations
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Mileage
• Traffic alerts
• Geofencing
• 24/7 support

Teletrac does not itself offer automatic route optimization, but does have integrations with third-party services for the feature. 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 $25 per vehicle per month is a good estimate for starting costs. 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.

Azuga Route Planning Software: Best for the Retail Industry

Price from: $25/vehicle/month 

Azuga stands out for its benefits to retail fleets in particular: With it, you'll be able to reduce fuel use both through time-saving alerts and optimization features, as well as analytics such as fuel consumption trends in reports. Drivers can even be alerted automatically when near the cheapest gas station in the vicinity. Better tracking and reduced fuel spend are some of the biggest issues facing retail fleets today, making Azuga the attractive route planning option.

Azuga's features include active tracking through Google Earth GPS mapping, traffic and weather alerts, and an admittedly wide refresh rate between 30 seconds and 59 minutes. Custom locations are supported, and the software calls them “landmarks.”

Azuga also offers the automatic route optimization that Teletrac foregoes. You'll be able to choose how to optimize a route, from time duration to distance travelled to the weight of the cargo delivery.

Route planning features include:

• Fleet summary reports
• Custom locations
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Automatic route optimization
• Mileage
• Traffic alerts
• Geofencing
• 24/7 support

Pricing

Unlike many fleet management systems, Azuga makes the prices for all three of its plans available to the public, with no need to contact them for a quote. The lowest priced plan is $25 per vehicle per month, the second plan is $30, and the highest plan is $35. These are great prices, making the service even more attractive.

You can read more about the other tools to expect from Azuga in our full Azuga review.

Nextraq Route Planning Software: Best for Avoiding Contracts

Price from: $99/vehicle/month 

Most fleet systems will tie their users into a contract that requires paying for a certain length of time upfront, typically between one and three years. A few offer a rolling monthly contract, however, which means that you'll only have to pay for a month at a time. If you don't have the thousands of dollars on hand to pay for a year of vehicle route planning software at a time, Nextraq is for you.

Nextraq offers fleet reporting, including a “Detailed Activity” report which tracks vehicle locations and statuses. Other routing tools include scheduling and dispatch, traffic alerts, automatic route optimization, mileage tracking, and geofencing.

Data refresh rates are between 30 and 15 seconds, putting Nextraq above industry heavy-hitters like Verizon and Samsara when it comes to data speeds.

Nextraq does not support custom locations, unlike Samsara, Omnitracs, and many others. This is the one glaring omission in its otherwise top-notch scheduling and dispatch functionality. Custom locations are a useful way for a manager to assign routes that are frequently used, but you'll have to do without the tool if you opt for Nextraq.

Features include:

• Fleet summary reports
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Automatic route optimization
• Mileage
• Traffic alerts
• Geofencing

Nextraq does not offer 24/7 live support, although it do have phone support on workdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., EST.

Pricing

Nextraq isn't cheap. The starter plan costs $99 per vehicle per month, which puts the price of this fleet management system above the average for the industry, which is roughly between $25 and $35. Other plans are priced higher: The Hardworker plan is $149 per vehicle per month, while the Professional plan is $499 per vehicle per month.

Lytx Route Planning Software: Best for Monitoring Drivers

Price not available

Lytx stands out from other route planning software for two rare features. First, it has AI-powered alerts, which can identify issues such as maintenance needs or driver safety concerns, relaying them to a fleet manager. Second, dash cams can upload real-time video to the cloud, giving managers literal visibility. Together, these tools make Lytx far better at monitoring drivers than the other route planning solutions in this guide.

The data Lytx collects can be compiled into reports, from fuel useage tracking to idle time reduction. The service offers core functions including reports, automatic route optimization, mileage tracking, traffic alerts, and geofencing in addition to AI alerts and video telematics.

Similarly to Nextraq, Lytx does not support custom locations. The service can be used as a full FMS as well, though it lacks two-way messaging and theft prevention.

Features include:

• Fleet summary reports
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Automatic route optimization
• Mileage
• Traffic alerts
• Geofencing
• 24/7 support

Pricing

Lytx doesn't make its pricing public. Your quote will vary, based on two main factors: the exact features you require and the number of assets you need to be tracked.

Geotab Route Planning Software: Best for Flexibility

Price not available

Geotab sells hardware units that can be owned permanently, rather than licensed on a monthly basis. Geotab units have an open API and can be configured to run third-party software, making them the most flexible solution for fleets that need unique applications.

Geotab offers a wealth of tools that includes reports, custom locations, audible in-cab alerts, scheduling and dispatch, automatic route optimization, mileage tracking, and geofencing.

Geotab's analytics tools are good but not as complex as those available from Verizon and Samsara. For example, you'll get a total of five main types of report (vehicle, fuel usage, maintenance history, maintenance due, and idling events). Its refresh rate is an impressive 15 seconds, cutting in half the data refresh times of top route planning tools like Omnitracs.

Just one core tracking tool is lacking from Geotab's arsenal: The device doesn't support traffic alerts, automatic notifications that other systems can send to warn managers of traffic snarls in real-time.

These alerts can potentially save your driver from getting caught in a traffic jam once in a while, but if the lack of these alerts won't throw off your fleet too much, Geotab can offer everything else. In summary, “everything else” include:

• Fleet summary reports
• Custom locations
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Automatic route optimization
• Mileage
• Geofencing
• 24/7 support

Pricing

Geotab's unique pricing depends on third-party sellers: Geotab provides the hardware and some software, but the third-parties set the price for a monthly subscription to the Geotab-powered service. Our research team estimates that hardware units can be bought to own for between $80 and $120, while a third-party may charge between $30 and $40 per month per vehicle in order to rent a hardware and software package.

Ultimately, you'll have to get in touch to know for sure.

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. Plans start at $25 per month, but the solution's monthly rolling plans are what really make it the best value software.

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 its software, ensuring that any third-party routing service can be integrated with the Motive dashboard.

Many other core tracking tools are offered, including scheduling and dispatch, reports, alerts, mileage tracking, geofencing, and around the clock support. It's missing two features that most of the software in this guide have, however: Motive does not support custom locations or traffic alerts.

• Fleet summary reports
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Automatic route optimization
• Mileage
• Geofencing
• 24/7 support

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. Motive's tools include vehicle diagnostics, which may ultimately save a fleet more money by catching mechanical failures before they progress enough to require expensive repairs.

With Motive, managers can view key analytics in dispatch summary covering the past week, month, 90-day period, or year. Image source: Motive

Pricing

At $25/vehicle/month, the price for Motive is among the lowest in the business. Verizon does start at a few dollars less, but comes with a hefty minimum contract length of three years. In contrast, you'll be able to sign up for Motive on a monthly rolling basis, and for a lot less than the other monthly-paid software in this guide, Nextraq and its $99 per month plan.

Motive's flexible and cheap plans, combined with the core features it offers, make it the best value solution.

Spireon Route Planning Software: Best for Vehicle Maintenance

Price not available

Spireon offers a raft of features that includes geofencing and mileage tracking. It's not a full score due to some limitations including a lack of automatic route optimization and a limited selection of alerts. The software also stands out for another useful fleet management category, vehicle maintenance. Diagnostic reports and maintenance records will help you track and plan for oil changed, tire rotations, license renewals, and other preventative maintance needs.

Core tools offered by Spireon include mileage tracking, which helps a fleet to log the miles driven for tax purposes, as well as geofencing. Spireon's GPS mapping and traffic alerts are powered by Google Earth. Like Teletrac Navman, the Sipreon software does not include automatic route optimization functionality but does support third-party integrations that do have the feature.

Our research team recommends Spireon for urban transport fleets, since it has strong tracking and driver management tools, which ensure that managers can keep deliveries on track even in a fast-paced metropolitan environment.

Features include:

• Fleet summary reports
• Custom locations
• Alerts
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Mileage
• Traffic alerts
• Geofencing
• 24/7 support

Spireon offers support, but does not describe its hours as lasting around the clock. It's unlikely you'll receive the 24/7 support available from many others on this list, from Verizon and Omnitracs to Azuga.

Pricing

Spireon does not make its pricing available, so you'll need to contact the service for a quote custom-fitted to your needs. Keeping vehicles well-maintained is almost as important as keeping them on their routes, and Spireon is a great pick for those who need both.

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 team invested hundreds of hours into testing out 20 different fleet software available in the US and Canada. For this guide, we focused on the software that performed best in the “tracking” category, since it covers core route planning tools including custom locations, alerts, and optimization.

Our top route planning services offered 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: Motive costs just $25 per vehicle per month and includes advanced features, such as vehicle diagnostics.

Read our full guide to the best fleet management services or our complete guide to fleet management costs.

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. 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.

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 safety alerts 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, and driver monitoring systems, which focus entirely on safety and habit tracking.

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

Verizon Connect Reveal's map view, with vehicle info visible. Source: Tech.co

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).

How much does route planning software cost?

The best route planning software will cost around $20 to $35 per month per vehicle, although some services start as low as $5 a month, while costs can climb to $80 or $90 a month. Paying annually instead of monthly will often help you save money, as will a longer contract. Top services like Verizon and Samsara require a three-year contract, but many only require one year, while a few offer a monthly rolling contract.

You can also expect to pay a one-time cost for tracking hardware, unless your fleet already has its own devices installed. Many services offer free installation, although rarely for plug-and-play devices, which you can likely install within a few minutes.

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 (check out our guide to the best ELD devices here)
• 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 (the best dispatch provider for truckers), Samsara, and Teletrac Navman. On the other end of the scale, try Motive for a stripped-down, inexpensive alternative. Check out our guide to Samsara vs Motive for a direct comparison of the two options.

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