Optimized route planning through intelligent use of traffic data

According to the 2025 Gartner VRS Market Guide, “the market for vehicle routing and scheduling is evolving, driven by requirements in cost optimization, customer experience, fleet sizing, equipment type optimization, mode optimization and sustainability.”

The industry expert reports, “there is an increasing need for efficient vehicle routing and scheduling (VRS) to streamline operations to improve service and reduce costs. This is due to growth from e-commerce, grocery and other forms of consumer delivery.” Other key findings in the Gartner report state that “today’s performance expectations demand the ability to optimize for unexpected changes to delivery schedules to ensure smooth operations and enhance the customer experience.” In addition, “The growing focus on sustainability is driving the need to find better ways to manage and reduce carbon emissions, which directly improves efficiency across deliveries.”

According to Gartner, “a Market Guide defines a market and explains what clients can expect it to do in the short term. With the focus on early, more chaotic markets, a Market Guide does not rate or position vendors within the market, but rather more commonly outlines attributes of representative vendors that are providing offerings in the market to give further insight into the market itself.” In the 2025 Market Guide for VRS, Gartner recommends supply chain leaders should “prioritize evaluating solutions based on their ability to enhance fleet operations.”

Gartner also recommends that supply chain technology leaders should “validate the benefits of extended VRS capabilities by identifying whether they warrant adoption or replacement in your business. These capabilities include mobile solutions for drivers, carbon footprint calculations, electric vehicle routing, artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML), visibility, sustainability and 3D load building.”

EPG’s Route Planning and Execution Suite Greenplan

Developed by scientists at the University of Bonn in collaboration with logistics experts at DHL, Greenplan’s routing algorithm leverages hard data on historical traffic flows, fleet capacities, and time-of-day-dependent factors to mathematically derive efficient routes for distribution. Greenplan is comprised of transportation management solutions for planning and executing routes as well as a route optimization engine and consulting services. To support drivers, Greenplan pairs with the EPG ONE App to automate route updates and provide proof of delivery for managers and customers.

Greenplan’s dynamic calculation model is fully customizable, adapting to fluctuating demand and aligning with customer-specific priorities to best utilize available resources and reduce energy consumption. Greenplan’s four distinct solutions are adapted to each company and integrated into existing operations, outfitting dispatchers with tailored tools for data-powered performance.

Greenplan considers the peak and off-peak characteristics of daily traffic flows, using predictive analytics to improve routes, timings, and efficiencies. The software additionally calculates overlapping districts to balance loads while preserving drivers’ familiarity with their regions. This method aims to lower overtime hours, shorten handling times, and improve ETA compliance for higher overall efficiency. These elements have long been core features of Greenplan’s algorithm, but the software continues to evolve, adding new capabilities like fuel/charging stop optimization to calculate fuel prices, recharging availability, and electric vehicle reach for smoother, cost-effective routes.

The 2025 Gartner Market Guide for Vehicle Routing and Scheduling is now available to download.