COLUMBIA, Md. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — April 16, 2024 — RouteSmart Technologies, a leader in route planning and optimization solutions, has released a new suite of tools designed to enhance waste management services for clients who collect garbage and recycling in alleyways.

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Alleyways can pose challenges for waste and recycling collection. (Photo: Business Wire)

This innovative feature in RouteSmart Online addresses the unique challenges waste haulers face when servicing alleys in urban environments. Unlike streets, alleys often present accessibility issues due to their narrowness, requiring haulers to navigate these confined spaces with smaller trucks. This not only complicates the logistics of waste and recycling collection but also necessitates the use of additional resources and presents issues with safety. The complexity of servicing alleys can lead to increased time for waste and recycling pickup, necessitating more vehicles, and resulting in greater wear and tear as well as higher fuel consumption for these vehicles.

“In addition to the tight fit where you need to run smaller trucks in tight spaces and there are dumpsters and containers, sometimes there are homeless people who are sleeping in the alley and there have been some unfortunate instances where trucks have run over them,” David Biderman, President of Biderman Consulting, LLC, and former executive director of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) said. “The other safety-related issue occurs when you finished servicing the alley and then you have to come out of the alley and onto a street. Sometimes there may be a pedestrian there.”

Traditional route planning systems frequently falter in alley service scenarios. These systems may not include alleys on their maps, leading to inefficiencies and suboptimal service, as they fail to accurately assign customers located in alley-accessible areas. This oversight can cause significant additional work for both the back office and drivers tasked with servicing these customers. By seamlessly associating a street with the corresponding alley, RouteSmart Online ensures that customers assigned to a particular street are serviced along the designated alley, streamlining operations, and enhancing service quality. This capability not only addresses the logistical challenges of alley service but also aims to improve customer satisfaction and operational efficiency in the face of urban waste management complexities.

"RouteSmart Online revolutionizes the way waste haulers service alleys, starting with our advanced assignment feature," says Senior Product Manager Mike Corder. "By geocoding customers to their actual street addresses, our system then seamlessly associates each street with its corresponding alley. This means that even though the service requirement is for the alleys behind customers' homes, where many cities mandate waste collection if alleys are navigable, our system ensures that waste haulers can accurately and efficiently service these unique locations."

Corder highlights how this approach not only addresses the direct service needs but also significantly enhances operational efficiency and customer satisfaction by ensuring that every customer, regardless of their waste collection point, is serviced effectively.

"This innovative feature is a testament to our commitment to navigating and simplifying the complexities of urban waste management, offering a solution that significantly improves both the precision of service and overall operational effectiveness."

In RouteSmart Online, customers are assigned to the street based on the address information, and we can seamlessly associate a street with the corresponding alley. By leveraging this innovative assignment feature, waste haulers can ensure that customers assigned to a particular street are serviced along the designated alley, streamlining operations and enhancing service quality.

"We want to empower our clients to efficiently navigate the complexities of urban waste management, ultimately improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency," Corder said. “This tool goes a long way in doing that.”

For more information on how to revolutionize your waste-hauling operations, visit www.routesmart.com.

About RouteSmart Technologies:

RouteSmart Technologies, a leader in route optimization solutions, addresses the most complex routing challenges for waste collection, public works, postal & local delivery, utilities & field service, and newspaper delivery clients around the globe. Through a precise and detailed approach, RouteSmart helps improve route safety, provides operating cost reduction, and achieves efficiencies through route planning automation. Rooted in research and focused on continuous enhancement, RouteSmart’s team of leading industry experts and global network of distributors and partners intimately understand the routing challenges faced within each industry and constantly innovate their routing solutions to meet changing distribution demands. Visit RouteSmart.com to learn more.

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Matthew Kemeny, Sr. Communications Manager
Phone: 717.433.8740; Email: mkemeny@routesmart.com