Why small fleets shouldn’t rely on Google Maps for driving routes
There’s no secret that many small delivery fleets use Google Maps for their driving routes. It’s widely known thanks to Google’s infrastructure; it’s free, simple, and most drivers already have it on their phones. At first glance, it looks like the perfect app to plan your driving routes and get from point to point.
But, as anyone working in the delivery industry has faced, delivery work isn’t just about getting from one place to another. It’s about handling lots of stops, saving time, and keeping the customers happy. And this is where Google Maps falls short. Let’s break down why Google Maps isn’t enough for small delivery teams and what better options look like.
Why small fleets use Google Maps
A small fleet doesn’t have a large budget to spend in the beginning. And it’s easy to see why they may rely on driver experience and Google Maps for planning and driving on the routes. The app is free, people already use it as it comes installed on most phones, and anyone can start using it with zero training. It gives basic directions, shows traffic, and gets you where you need to go.
For simple tasks, like driving to a couple of locations, it’s a perfect choice. But when your route includes 15, 30, or even 100 deliveries, things get complicated. Google Maps wasn’t built for this kind of work.
The real limits of Google Maps for driving
While Google Maps is available anytime on a mobile phone, there are a few limitations. A delivery team won’t be able to base their operations on Google Maps because:
- You can add only 10 stops per route. And that includes your start and end locations. If you need more than 10 stops, you have to break the route into multiple parts. That takes time and makes things harder to manage.
- No smart route planning: Google Maps can’t reorder your stops to save you time or fuel. You have to guess the best way yourself.
- No driver tools: You can’t assign routes to drivers, track their progress, or check if deliveries were actually made.
- No proof of delivery: There’s no way to collect signatures, photos, or notes when a package is dropped off. You need to add to your tech stack other tools, which can become difficult to remember to use.
- No real-time updates: If traffic changes or a stop gets canceled, you’re on your own.
Google Maps wasn’t built for delivery fleets, but for going from one location to another at a time. It’s missing the tools that businesses need to run smooth, on-time, cost-saving operations.
The hidden costs of using Google Maps
Having Google Maps pre-installed on a mobile phone seems like a bargain. But relying on it for planning your delivery routes can cost more than you think.
Adding stops and arranging them manually is prone to error, which can cause more harm. You lose precious time doing so, time you can dedicate to other, more important tasks. Drivers waste time and fuel when routes are not optimized, and clients get frustrated when businesses don’t communicate transparently or worse, don’t respect their availability window.
These costs add up fast. Drivers take longer to finish their routes, so labor costs are higher. Some deliveries might even fail, and you wouldn’t find out until the end of the day.
The biggest cost is your time. When you’re building routes by hand or splitting them into chunks, you lose hours each week doing work that a route planner software can do in seconds.
What small fleets actually need
At first, when they’re still growing, small fleets don’t need something fancy. But they do need more than basic GPS to start building trust with their customers. Here’s what they should be looking for:
- Route optimization: A tool that finds the fastest way to handle every stop efficiently and keeps customer intervals into account.
- Driver management: So you can assign tasks to the drivers and see where everyone is without calling them every hour to find out the latest status.
- Live tracking: Know where your drivers are, monitor what’s already been delivered, and what’s still left.
- Customer notifications: To let the customers know when to expect their order.
- Proof of delivery: Signatures, photos, or notes to confirm every delivery.
These features save time, cut costs, and reduce stress.
Logistia Route Planner: The Best Option for Small Fleets
A tool like Logistia Route Planner offers you everything Google Maps can’t. You can plan from a couple of stops to hundreds, in just a few clicks. You just add the locations, and Logistia Route Planner will handle the rest: to find the most effective route for your drivers and customers.
Once you make the routes, drivers can already be on their way. No need to call them, you can see their whereabouts in the app, so you don’t disrupt them working. They arrive at the location and get the proof of delivery (signature, photo, timestamps – all are available at their fingertips). And if they’re in an area without signal, Logistia Route Planner works offline, and everything will sync when they’re back online.
Need to make changes mid-route? No problem, you can make the edits and they’ll be instantly available to the drivers.
It’s made for teams like yours, the ones growing fast and tired of doing things the hard way. Try it today to see the difference.
Final thoughts
If you’re still using Google Maps for driving, you might think you’re saving money, but you’re actually doing extra work. And it’s costing you.
While it might be okay for personal use or for travel, Google Maps was never built for managing multiple deliveries or drivers. Small fleets need smart tools to work with that save them time, cut costs, and make their lives easier. That’s where the all-in-one route optimization software like Logistia Route Planner helps.
It plans faster and better. It helps you deliver smarter and tracks driver moves. Try Logistia Route Planner for 14 days for free and see how much smoother your operations can be.