An opportunity has appeared on the Internet for free training in the use of road transport management software map&guide Professional 2010. The map&guide representative in Poland, the Bydgoszcz-based company Autosoftware, has also launched a free consulting service for small carriers, consisting of preparing route and fee calculations based on IT systems. The service is aimed mainly at one or two-person transport companies, where the owner is sometimes also the driver and, due to a lack of time, cannot always calculate the freight parameters proposed to them.
A simulation of working on the real map&guide software is available on the website: http://www.mapycyfrowe.com/MGP2010/MGP2010menu.htm.
Testing the latest version of the IT tool for carriers includes setting program parameters, selecting a profile for a specific vehicle for which routes are then calculated, and many other parameters.
Setting program parameters focuses mainly on choosing the currency in which transport calculations will be conducted. In turn, selecting a vehicle profile includes, on one hand: the type of truck and semi-trailer or trailer, length, height, width, weight of the transport unit, and axle load, but also parameters such as the characteristics of the roads the vehicle is to travel on, transport costs (e.g., hourly rates), road tolls, and an exhaust emission calculator.
Calculating a route involves entering the start and destination addresses, after which the software provides the shortest or fastest route and potential alternative routes, e.g., cheaper ones due to road tolls or other parameters. Another very important stage is starting the calculation of the most optimal route in terms of time, length, or costs.
For the most optimal route planning in terms of travel time, distance, and costs, the “search for next” function is useful. It allows for a quick search for the nearest point on the map from where the vehicle will be located. Then, the dispatcher at the transport company can import customer data into the software. The addresses of their individual facilities, to which something needs to be delivered or picked up, will help in calculating the transport unit’s route. Finally, there is also an option for planning routes for distribution companies.