How Route Optimisation Saves Time and Petrol for Field Service Teams
In today’s competitive service economy, time and fuel are two of the most valuable—and expensive—resources for field teams. Whether you’re running a plumbing company, a pest control operation, or a fleet of couriers, your bottom line is deeply impacted by how efficiently your team moves from job to job.
This is where route optimisation comes into play. It's not just about finding the shortest path—it's about using smart technology to minimize travel time, reduce fuel consumption, and increase the number of completed jobs without adding stress or overhead.
In this post, we’ll break down how route optimisation directly translates to significant savings in both time and petrol, with real-world stats, examples, and practical insights for service-based businesses.
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The Problem with Manual Routing
Before diving into the benefits of route optimisation, let’s talk about the pitfalls of traditional planning methods:
- Manual scheduling often relies on intuition, postcodes, or just alphabetical lists.
- Static routes fail to account for daily variations like traffic, cancellations, or delays.
- Inefficient travel paths mean longer days, higher fuel bills, and more wear on vehicles.
According to a 2023 industry report, field service businesses using manual routing experience up to 30% more idle travel time compared to those using optimized routing software.
Over a month or year, that adds up to thousands of dollars in unnecessary fuel spend—and countless hours lost.
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What is Route Optimisation?
At its core, route optimisation is the process of determining the most efficient route between multiple stops based on a range of real-world variables. Unlike basic GPS navigation, modern route optimisation tools (like RouteMate Plus) consider:
- Real-time traffic conditions
- Job duration estimates
- Time windows and service-level agreements
- Technician skills and availability
- Vehicle types and fuel efficiency
- Road closures, tolls, and more
The result is a route that minimizes drive time while maximizing productivity.
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Time Savings: Getting More Done in Less Time
1. Faster Job Completion Through Efficient Routing
When routes are intelligently planned, travel time is minimized. Technicians spend less time on the road and more time on site, completing more jobs per day.
A field service team that normally completes 6 jobs per day using manual planning might be able to handle 7–8 with optimized routes. That’s a 15–30% productivity boost, just from smarter scheduling.
2. Avoiding Traffic Congestion
Route optimisation software pulls in live traffic data to reroute technicians in real-time, avoiding bottlenecks, road works, or unexpected closures.
In cities like Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, where congestion can cost up to 50 minutes per technician per day, route optimisation can save 3–5 hours per technician per week.
3. Smart Sequencing Based on Time Windows
RouteMate Plus prioritizes jobs with tight time windows and intelligently sequences visits to avoid backtracking. This allows teams to stay on schedule and avoid late arrivals, which improves customer satisfaction while keeping the day flowing smoothly.
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Petrol Savings: Less Fuel Burned, Less Money Wasted
1. Fewer Kilometres Driven
By reducing unnecessary detours and optimizing the order of visits, route optimisation can cut down total kilometres driven by up to 20–25%.
For a small field team that drives 1,000 km per week, that’s a potential savings of 200–250 km per vehicle—roughly $50–$75 in fuel savings per week per van (based on an average of $2.00/L petrol and 10L/100km).
Multiply that over months, vehicles, and regions, and you’re looking at tens of thousands of dollars in annual savings.
2. Reduced Idle Time and Stop-Start Driving
Heavy traffic and unnecessary idling not only waste time—they guzzle fuel. Optimized routes minimize idle periods and reduce start-stop driving patterns that lead to high consumption.
This is especially impactful for:
- Urban delivery services
- HVAC or electrical technicians in metro areas
- Any operation where short trips and tight deadlines are the norm
3. Better Fuel Efficiency Through Predictive Planning
Advanced route optimisation considers vehicle types and fuel consumption patterns. For example, electric vehicles can be routed to avoid high-load roads or detours, preserving battery life and extending operational range.
For petrol vehicles, smooth, consistent routes with fewer abrupt stops and less idling translate to up to 15% better fuel efficiency.
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Real-World Example: Field Service Fleet in Sydney
Let’s run a simplified case study:
- A field service business operates 10 vehicles in the Sydney metro.
- Each vehicle drives about 250 km per week.
- Petrol cost: $2.10/L | Fuel efficiency: 10L/100km
Before optimisation:
- Weekly distance: 250 km x 10 = 2,500 km
- Fuel cost: 2,500 km / 100 x 10L x $2.10 = $525/week
After route optimisation (20% reduction):
- Weekly distance: 2,000 km
- Fuel cost: 2,000 / 100 x 10L x $2.10 = $420/week
Weekly savings: $105
Annual savings: $105 x 52 = $5,460
And that’s just on fuel—time savings, extra jobs, and reduced vehicle wear add even more value.
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Bonus Benefits of Route Optimisation
1. Lower Vehicle Maintenance Costs
Fewer kilometres and less aggressive driving lead to lower wear and tear on company vehicles. This means:
- Fewer oil changes and brake replacements
- Less downtime for vehicle servicing
- Extended lifespan for the fleet
2. Reduced Carbon Emissions
Cutting back on unnecessary driving has a direct environmental benefit. Businesses can lower their CO₂ output by up to 30%, contributing to sustainability goals and enhancing their green credentials.
3. Happier Technicians
Less time stuck in traffic or scrambling to meet tight schedules means your field team feels less stress and burnout. That translates to higher morale, better performance, and improved employee retention.
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How to Get Started with Route Optimisation
Thinking of implementing route optimisation in your business? Here’s a simple roadmap:
Step 1: Evaluate Your Current Routes
Look at your current routing process. How many kilometres are driven each week? Are technicians regularly delayed? Are customers complaining about late arrivals?
This assessment will highlight key inefficiencies.
Step 2: Start Small
Choose one team or region and implement route optimisation for a week. Measure:
- Total drive time saved
- Kilometres reduced
- Number of jobs completed
- Fuel costs before vs. after
These insights will help build internal buy-in and a roadmap for full deployment.
Step 3: Choose the Right Tool
Look for a platform like RouteMate Plus that offers:
- Real-time traffic data
- Job duration and skill-based routing
- Vehicle-aware optimisation
- Easy integration with your job scheduling tools
- Mobile access for on-the-go updates
Step 4: Train Your Team
A good routing tool is only as effective as the team using it. Provide training and clear expectations to your dispatchers and technicians. Encourage feedback during rollout.
Step 5: Track and Iterate
Once implemented, continue to monitor key metrics:
- Jobs per technician per day
- Average kilometres per route
- Fuel consumption per vehicle
- On-time arrival rate
Use these to refine your routes over time.
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Conclusion
If your business involves vehicles on the road, route optimisation is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to save money and boost efficiency.
From trimming petrol costs and cutting drive time to reducing carbon emissions and delighting customers with prompt service, the benefits stack up fast. And with tools like RouteMate Plus, getting started has never been easier.
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Ready to unlock serious time and fuel savings?
Get in touch with us to see how RouteMate Plus can optimize your operations and make every kilometre count.