Route planning is about deciding the order in which a driver visits pickups and drop-offs, and the most efficient path between them. You can assign routes manually or use Jigcar's AI optimisation engine to generate them automatically.
Setting up a plan
These steps apply whether you're planning manually or using optimisation.
Step 1: In the TMS, click Create Plan in the top right.
Step 2: Choose how to set up your routes:
Use driver availability data - select this if your drivers are already set up in the Infrastructure tab. You can then choose which drivers to plan for.
Manually configure routes - use this if you'd prefer to set up routes without driver assignments for now. You can assign them to drivers later.
Step 3: Click Create Plan, then View Plan. You'll see the route on the map view, along with total distance, estimated time, and any flagged issues.
AI optimisation
Step 1: Click the green Optimise button and select the movements you'd like to include in this optimisation run.
Step 2: Choose your driver pool - all trade plate drivers, all MCT drivers, or specific drivers only - then click Start Optimisation and allow the routes to be generated.
Jigcar's optimisation engine generates the most efficient routes based on:
Distance and time - uses Google Maps' API to reduce empty mileage and increase movements per shift
Vehicle dimensions - ensures vehicles fit on the transporter for MCT/SCT loads
HGV routing - uses truck-specific road data that accounts for low bridges, weight limits, and restricted roads
Transporter capacity - maximises truck utilisation
Multi-day planning - builds in breaks and overnight stops for routes spanning multiple days
Step 3: Review the suggested routes. You can accept, adjust, or reject individual routes, and unplan and re-optimise as needed.
Step 4: Once you're happy with the planned routes, click into each one and send it to the driver by pressing Send in the top right.
đĄ Tip: You can choose which jobs and routes to include in each optimisation run, so existing plans stay untouched while new jobs get optimised around them.
â ď¸ Note: You can't currently optimise for trade plate drivers and MCT/SCT drivers at the same time so you will need to separately optimise these. The good news is we're building this capability over the coming months!