Trucking along the right path: cost-efficient and timely truck stops are a result of routing optimization solutions.(Distribution)

WITH GAS PRICES CREEPING UP AGAIN, THE COST OF TRUCK ROUTING IS A priority to many beverage distributors. Although route optimization software solutions may not solve all financial woes, they will help keep trucks on the right path and drivers accountable.

"Transportation is such a huge cost in the beverage industry," says Dan Buttarazzi, director of marketing at MicroAnalytics, Arlington, Va. "How can we save on transportation costs? How can we become more efficient with the routes we run on a daily basis? When times get tough, people are looking to save."

As the economy changes, beverage distributors will have different demands for route optimization, says Chris Macaw, president of bMobile Technology, Boise, Idaho.

"We feel for every client, we need to be a part of their business to help them improve the way they do business and to enhance their bottom line," Macaw says. "A big part is listening to that client to identify exactly what they need to run a better route, to be more efficient, to have better cost control, and to have better accountability."

Helmut Bubestinger, solutions architect for Salient Corp., Horseheads, N.Y., agrees that with manufacturers requiring low costs and high efficiency, solutions can be implemented to tackle those problems. "In this economy, it is necessary to cut the fat, not the lean," he says. "Over-reacting or …