Delivery route management and optimization

Abstract

In some implementations, a method is performed by data processing apparatuses for managing and transmitting delivery route information. Data representing delivery routes is received, each delivery route including a sequence of scheduled delivery stops at locations within a geographic region, each delivery stop corresponding to orders that are scheduled for delivery. The delivery routes are classified into groups of delivery routes based on one or more criteria, and each group of delivery routes is assigned to a respective carrier entity. Respective portions of the data representing the delivery routes are transmitted to corresponding computing systems of the carrier entities assigned to the delivery routes. A carrier entity that has been assigned a group of delivery routes forwards individual delivery routes in the group of delivery routes to driver devices of individual drivers for execution of the individual delivery routes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for managing and transmitting delivery route information, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a routing management system, data representing a plurality of delivery routes, each delivery route comprising a sequence of scheduled delivery stops at locations within a geographic region, each delivery stop corresponding to one or more orders that are scheduled for delivery;   classifying the plurality of delivery routes into a plurality of groups of delivery routes based on one or more criteria, wherein at least one of the plurality of groups of delivery routes includes multiple delivery routes from the plurality of delivery routes;   assigning each group of delivery routes to a respective carrier entity, at least two groups from the plurality of groups of delivery routes being assigned to different carrier entities; and   transmitting, from the routing management system, respective portions of the data representing the plurality of delivery routes to corresponding carrier computing systems of the carrier entities assigned to the group of delivery routes, wherein a first carrier entity that has been assigned a first group of delivery routes forwards individual delivery routes in the first group of delivery routes to driver devices of individual drivers to execute the individual delivery routes.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein classifying the plurality of delivery routes into the plurality of groups of delivery routes comprises grouping delivery routes based on distances between locations of at least some of the scheduled delivery stops in the delivery routes. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein classifying the plurality of delivery routes into the plurality of groups of delivery routes comprises forming groups that minimize the distances between locations of the at least some of the scheduled delivery stops among the delivery routes in each group. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein classifying the plurality of delivery routes into the plurality of groups of delivery routes comprises forming groups that maximize the distances between locations of the at least some of the scheduled delivery stops among the delivery routes in each group. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , comprising selecting delivery routes for inclusion in a first group of delivery routes that is assigned to the first carrier entity based on at least one of a capacity of the first carrier entity, a first geographic region that the first carrier entity is designated to service, or a cost of delivery services of the first carrier entity. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , comprising selecting delivery routes for inclusion in the first group of delivery routes that is assigned to the first carrier entity based on distances between one or more pickup or delivery locations in the selected delivery routes to a location associated with the first carrier entity. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the data representing the plurality of delivery routes comprises:
 selecting a group of orders;   identifying delivery constraints for each order in the group of orders;   providing data representing the group of orders and the delivery constraints to a routing engine; and   obtaining the data representing the plurality of delivery route from the routing engine, wherein the routing engine generates the plurality of delivery routes using the data representing the group of orders and the delivery constraints.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein a second carrier entity that has been assigned a second group of delivery routes provides representations of delivery routes from the second group for display in a graphical user interface to permit drivers associated with the second carrier entity to self-select delivery routes to assign themselves. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the individual drivers are employees or contractors for the first carrier entity, and the individual drivers are independent of the first carrier entity. 
     
     
         10 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations for managing and transmitting delivery route information, the operations comprising:
 receiving, by a routing management system, data representing a plurality of delivery routes, each delivery route comprising a sequence of scheduled delivery stops at locations within a geographic region, each delivery stop corresponding to one or more orders that are scheduled for delivery;   classifying the plurality of delivery routes into a plurality of groups of delivery routes based on one or more criteria, wherein at least one of the plurality of groups of delivery routes includes multiple delivery routes from the plurality of delivery routes;   assigning each group of delivery routes to a respective carrier entity, at least two groups from the plurality of groups of delivery routes being assigned to different carrier entities; and   transmitting, from the routing management system, respective portions of the data representing the plurality of delivery routes to corresponding carrier computing systems of the carrier entities assigned to the group of delivery routes, wherein a first carrier entity that has been assigned a first group of delivery routes forwards individual delivery routes in the first group of delivery routes to driver devices of individual drivers for execution of the individual delivery routes.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein classifying the plurality of delivery routes into the plurality of groups of delivery routes comprises grouping delivery routes based on distances between locations of at least some of the scheduled delivery stops in the delivery routes. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , the operations comprising selecting delivery routes for inclusion in the first group of delivery routes that is assigned to the first carrier entity based on at least one of a capacity of the first carrier entity, a first geographic region that the first carrier entity is designated to service, or a cost of delivery services of the first carrier entity. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , the operations comprising selecting delivery routes for inclusion in the first group of delivery routes that is assigned to the first carrier entity based on distances between one or more pickup or delivery locations in the selected delivery routes to a location associated with the first carrier entity. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein receiving the data representing the plurality of delivery routes comprises:
 selecting a group of orders;   identifying delivery constraints for each order in the group of orders;   providing data representing the group of orders and the delivery constraints to a routing engine; and   obtaining the data representing the plurality of delivery route from the routing engine, wherein the routing engine generates the plurality of delivery routes using the data representing the group of orders and the delivery constraints.   
     
     
         15 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more data processing apparatuses including one or more processors, memory, and storage devices storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for managing and transmitting delivery route information, the operations comprising:
 receiving, by a routing management system, data representing a plurality of delivery routes, each delivery route comprising a sequence of scheduled delivery stops at locations within a geographic region, each delivery stop corresponding to one or more orders that are scheduled for delivery; 
 classifying the plurality of delivery routes into a plurality of groups of delivery routes based on one or more criteria, wherein at least one of the plurality of groups of delivery routes includes multiple delivery routes from the plurality of delivery routes; 
 assigning each group of delivery routes to a respective carrier entity, at least two groups from the plurality of groups of delivery routes being assigned to different carrier entities; and 
 transmitting, from the routing management system, respective portions of the data representing the plurality of delivery routes to corresponding carrier computing systems of the carrier entities assigned to the group of delivery routes, wherein a first carrier entity that has been assigned a first group of delivery routes forwards individual delivery routes in the first group of delivery routes to driver devices of individual drivers for execution of the individual delivery routes. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein classifying the plurality of delivery routes into the plurality of groups of delivery routes comprises grouping delivery routes based on distances between locations of at least some of the scheduled delivery stops in the delivery routes. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 15 , the operations comprising selecting delivery routes for inclusion in the first group of delivery routes that is assigned to the first carrier entity based on at least one of a capacity of the first carrier entity, a first geographic region that the first carrier entity is designated to service, or a cost of delivery services of the first carrier entity. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 15 , the operations comprising selecting delivery routes for inclusion in the first group of delivery routes that is assigned to the first carrier entity based on distances between one or more pickup or delivery locations in the selected delivery routes to a location associated with the first carrier entity. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein receiving the data representing the plurality of delivery routes comprises:
 selecting a group of orders;   identifying delivery constraints for each order in the group of orders;   providing data representing the group of orders and the delivery constraints to a routing engine; and   obtaining the data representing the plurality of delivery route from the routing engine, wherein the routing engine generates the plurality of delivery routes using the data representing the group of orders and the delivery constraints.