Optimize and Track Routes

PC*Miler Connect can optimize any sequence of stops to minimize the total time (when using Practical routing), the total distance (when using Shortest routing), total toll distance (when using Toll Discouraged routing), and distance of the National Network (when using State + National Network routing).

Optimizing a trip reorders the route and is only done once for a given sequence of stops. The following functions can be used for optimization:

• PCMSSetResequence sets whether optimization can change the last destination stop.
• PCMSOptimize runs routes between every stop in the trip’s stop list before resequencing the stops. After the optimization step, you must call PCMSCalculate to get the new distance for the optimized route.

Least Cost Routing

PC*Miler’s Least Cost routing generates a series of alternative routes with distance, time and cost estimates, and lets the dispatcher or driver (or an external system, such as a truck dispatch optimization system) choose an optimal route. If the Tolls add-on is installed, toll costs are factored in as well.

In PC*Miler Connect, the function PCMSSetCostOptions allows users to set the cost variables that are used to calculate Least Cost Routing (miles per gallon, cost per gallon, other cost per mile, cost of labor per hour, and CO2 pounds per gallon).

Get a Driver’s Location

PC*Miler Connect can tell you a driver’s estimated location at any time or distance into the trip. Knowing a driver’s location a certain number of miles into a trip is critical when planning fuel stops; knowing the location a certain number of hours into the trip is critical to determining a driver’s hours of service (HOS) compliance. Together, these functions allow you to plan trips and manage a fleet more effectively.

• PCMSGetLocAtMiles determines the location miles into the trip from the origin.
• PCMSGetLocAtMinutes determines the location minutes into the trip from the origin.
• PCMSLatLongAtMiles determines the latitude/longitude at a given distance into the trip from the origin.
• PCMSLatLongAtMinutes determines the lat/long at a given number of minutes into the trip from the origin.
• PCMSLatLongsEnRoute retrieves the sequence of lat/longs along a route.

Track Equipment

PC*MILER Connect includes functions that allow you to determine a particular location’s proximity to a planned route. This information can be used for planning and optimizing routes, such as finding places for a driver to refuel or rest. It can also be used as a quick check of how far a vehicle is off the planned route.

• PCMSCalcDistToRoute determines the air distance between a given location and the nearest point on the route.
• PCMSAirDistToRte determines more exactly the air distance between a given point and the route if the current route leg is known.

Use Latitude/Longitude Points to Obtain Trip Information

PC*MILER Connect includes functions that can process latitude/longitude points to obtain trip information. These functions can be used by external programs that calculate distances between GPS pings, such as third-party automated driver log programs or fuel tax programs.

• PCMSReduceTrip allows PC*MILER Connect to receive a large file containing latitude/longitude points and derive trip information from it for use with external programs.
• PCMSAddPing is an alternative to PCMSReduceTrip that enables you to enter latitude/longitude points directly into PC*MILER Connect without having to read them from a file first.
• PCMSReduceCalculate can then be called to calculate a trip based on the lat/long pings added with PCMSAddPing. It is meant to reduce the number of pings in a trip—ideally for one-way trips, but it can usually handle round trips.

TIP: As PCMSAddPing and PCMSReduceCalculate are alternate methods to PCMSReduceTrip, we recommend calling the APIs in the following order: First call PCMSAddPing, then PCMSReduceCalculate, then use the standard report APIs to generate the route.