What is Real-time Dispatching?

A real-time dispatch software automates and optimizes the dispatch process matching ride requests (also known as booking) with drivers and vehicles. A true real time automated dispatch solution is suited for taxi, ride hailing, minicab and last mile delivery. The system does so by taking into consideration live traffic conditions, passenger location and destination, vehicle and driver availability, pre-booked scheduled rides, ride pooling opportunities and more.

Imagine an early Monday morning. Your drivers already have pre-booked rides scheduled, and then a new ride request comes in. Who should you dispatch to pick it up? Naively you may dispatch the closest driver, but if you do, they may not be able to get to a future ride they are already booked for, or traffic at their current location will lead to an unacceptably long estimated arrival time, even though they are geographically closest. 

Dispatchers can go on a desperate manual and error-prone search for the best match, or they can let the real-time ride services, delivery or taxi dispatching software algorithm find the best match in seconds. The same is true for pre-booked rides - making sure only eligible drivers are considered and dispatched to complete them.   

Real time ride dispatching is a game-changer for taxi, private hire and minicab companies as well as for last mile delivery companies that look to ensure higher margins by increasing the number of rides completed per day without investing in more drivers or vehicles.  A real-time dispatching system works hand in hand with an optimized routing solution, which gives you an additional edge in optimizing routes based on live data.  

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Real time dispatch means better response time, more accurate ETAs and greater efficiency

An automated real time dispatching system is critical for the success of any ride based management operation. It significantly enhances efficiency and response times by matching the right driver to the right ride within seconds, providing accurate, reliable ETAs. 

Some may assume it is as simple as matching the nearest driver to the nearest request. But a true real time dispatch solution needs to take into account multiple data points. These include traffic conditions, heading, the actual geography of the city, future pre-booked orders and many other variables.  

Furthermore, dispatching software optimizes operations and ensures better efficiency. Thus enabling solutions like the Perpetual Ride flow, that provide drivers with their next ride even before they drop off their current one for example. 

How a real-time dispatch solution can handle advanced booking scenarios   

One of the greatest advantages of a real-time taxi dispatching software is its ability to provide advanced ride services. These include multiple pickup and drop-off points, ride pooling (or multi-loading as it is sometimes called), combining ASAP rides into a pre-scheduled pre-booked plan, handling special ride requests like wheel-chair accessibility, allowing pre-order rides and more.   

Future looking operators, keen to future proof their business, clearly see the need to leverage advanced solutions that offer operational excellence with improved customer services. These companies empower their operation with a dispatching solution that allows operators to expand beyond just ride hailing, and provide services like student rides, corporate shuttles, Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT) and other contract rides, as well as delivery and specialty rides.  

Real-time dispatching and booking software also contribute to other facets of ride management. These include enabling ride tracking and identification for better security, easing communications with both drivers and passengers, providing location information, and helping troubleshoot issues as they happen with automated vehicle replacement. 

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Real time dispatching for pre-booked rides

This may sound counterintuitive, but one of the major benefits of real-time dispatching is when handling pre-booked rides, bookings and delivery orders (as zTrip and other market leaders know). 

As the ride manifest is ingested, it is tempting to assign rides to drivers and just forget about it. But ride operations like taxis or last mile delivery are a dynamic business, and conditions on the ground change constantly. Traffic, new demand, driver availability and more are all subject to change. A software dispatching solution backed by powerful optimization algorithms can make sure pre-booked and contract rides are always within your operational parameters and meet the SLAs you committed to with no hassle to your dispatching crew.   

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Dispatch software improves sustainability 

An additional benefit of real-time dispatching is its ability to reduce your carbon footprint. By optimizing routes, minimizing deadhead miles, idling and cruising, fleet and transport and delivery services can reduce fuel consumption and emissions. 

An advanced dispatching solution will also include profiles for electric vehicles  that incorporate optimized charging policies and ensure optimal service all around.

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In conclusion, real-time dispatching software has a profound impact on the taxi,ride hailing and last mile delivery  industries. It is an essential tool for operators to ensure they remain competitive and relevant in the face of competition, and the expectations of passengers and drivers alike. 

Future proofing dispatching and operations enable ride operators to focus on strategic tasks that require their personal attention, empowering them by eliminating human errors and hours lost to manual work. 

It enhances efficiency, safety, and security, reduces the environmental footprint, improves the customer experience - and above all ensures operators and transport companies can remain competitive in coming years. 

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