Is Detrack the right choice for you? In this blog we’ll go over all Detrack’s overall UX, key features, pricing, and more.
Detrack is a delivery management platform that’s been around for almost 10 years.
That means that Detrack’s surely had some time to pick up the pace and develop more sophisticated features over the years.
Yet, it still has some rather unexpected omissions regarding core functionality, as we’ll shortly see.
And we recently analyzed 99 providers and 40K route optimization software reviews that we found online:
So, if you’re wondering if Detrack might be the right choice for you, keep reading since in this blog we’ll go over all the essentials.
Finally, we’ll offer an alternative solution for businesses that won’t find Detrack to be a match for their particular needs.
Detrack is a delivery management platform that has a number of handy features, including contactless POD, customer notifications, and live delivery tracking, as well as sub-users management functionality
However, Detrack has one huge shortcoming - it has no native routing capabilities, not even the most basic ones
Since Detrack needs to be integrated with ElasticRoute for routing functionality, which adds extra costs to your monthly subscription and is charged per driver, it’s the best option for micro-businesses and individual drivers
eLogii is the best Detrack alternative for bigger businesses, those aiming to scale, and those that simply need a more advanced and easily customisable solution
In order to provide you with a first-rate Detrack review, we’ve done a couple of vital things:
We’ve interviewed a couple of dozen past and present Detrack users to find out what encouraged them to choose it in the first place, what they liked and disliked the most about it, as well as what compelled them to stop using it
We’ve read customer reviews on all the reputable SaaS rating sites - G2, Capterra, and GetApp
Finally, since we’ve been in the delivery management space for quite some time now, we know what makes a good delivery management software. That’s why we paid particular attention to matters such as:
Detrack’s ease of use and interface design
Its key features
Value for money
Which businesses will benefit the most from Detrack - and which would be better off with a different solution
And now that we’ve gotten all the technicalities out of the way, let’s begin!
One of Detrack’s biggest advantages is that it’s very user-friendly.
Although it’s a pretty feature-rich tool, Detrack is surprisingly easy to use, as it has a simple, clean, and intuitive interface.
Its driver app is also fairly easy to navigate.
So, it’s fair to say that Detrack won’t pose a problem even for users who’re not exactly tech-savvy or have little experience with delivery management software.
Moreover, Detrack has a well-organised knowledge base comprised of articles and video tutorials.
Detrack’s customer support is also praised for being helpful and highly responsive.
Detrack’s simple interface combined with a rich knowledge base offers an excellent user experience.
The only thing you could say is not as great is Detrack’s overall appearance, as it is a bit dated.
Moreover, the fact that it has no native route optimization features means that users have to push data from Detrack into the route optimization software that integrates with Detrack, which can be pretty time-consuming.
But, we’ll explain more about this shortcoming in the following section.
Covid-19 had a severe impact on deliveries in general, as the need for contactless delivery and POD collection became imperative.
Detrack has a really nifty option for completely contactless POD, meaning that your drivers or couriers and the customers will be able to maintain a safe distance from each other if necessary.
Namely, Detrack enables customers to sign for their deliveries using SMS.
All the customers need to do is click on the link that’s provided in the text message they receive when the delivery arrives.
After following a few simple steps everything will be over and done with - you get your POD and the customer gets its package without any physical contact whatsoever between them and the drivers.
Detrack also includes options that guarantee outstanding customer experience - something a delivery business can’t do without today.
Firstly, Detrack enables customers to track their deliveries live via a tracking link you send in an email or SMS notification.
That way, customers will know exactly when to expect their package, which in turn minimises the risk of failed deliveries and reduces the number of support calls.
Moreover, this feature can be personalised to reflect your brand since you can add your company’s logo, name, hotline, and customised message.
Detrack also provides the possibility for your customers to easily leave feedback after receiving their delivery.
Once again, all that can be done by clicking on a link that your customers will get via email or SMS.
Finally, Detrack includes automated SMS and email notifications from each stage of the delivery process to ensure that customers are kept in the loop on their package’s whereabouts and ETA.
However, it should be noted that Detrack only enables sending SMS notifications by connecting with an SMS provider such as Twilio.
This means that you’ll have to pay at least $20 over your monthly Detrack subscription for Twilio’s services if you want the possibility to send multi-channel notifications to your customers.
If you own a business that focuses exclusively on transportation and delivery services or you’re a 3PL provider, then this Detrack’s feature could be a great thing to have.
Options for adding sub-users that can have different permissions, rights, views, and restrictions help a lot with managing clients more quickly and easily.
For example, if you set up a sub-user with a Customer role, they’ll have access to all the information in their organisation’s database, in addition to having the possibility to use the filter and search functions. However, they won’t have any editing or uploading rights.
That will enable you to keep your clients up-to-date on the business you’re doing for them. Giving them access to that vital information will make things like payments much easier, as each client will know at a glance how much work has been done so far and what they owe you for it.
Moreover, being transparent with your business is a sure way to keep clients happy and more than willing to contract you for longer periods.
Detrack’s drivers’ app enables drivers to accept tasks by simply scanning a package’s QR code, which helps reduce the time couriers need to spend at pick-up locations.
Barcode scanning is used for checking if an item belongs to a certain task (i.e. an item that needs to be collected or delivered).
That lowers the risk of any shipment-related errors, such as not picking up all the items that are part of a certain delivery job or delivering the wrong package to a customer.
The first driver you get Detrack for is free and it stays free, no matter how many other drivers you subsequently add or for how long you use Detrack.
This is a great option both for individual couriers who’ll get to use Detrack for free for good as well as for businesses that own smaller fleets.
But, there is a problem with this.
Namely, Detrack has no native route optimization solution, meaning that its standard offering comes without any route planning or optimization options whatsoever.
If you want routing features, you’ll get them through integration with ElasticRoute - a route planning software that integrates well with Detrack.
However, ElasticRoute has no free options. The first driver will cost you $29 per month, while each additional driver will cost you $39 per month if you opt for monthly billing.
Detrack is undoubtedly a platform that has most of the essential functionality you’d like to see in a delivery management solution.
Its options for contactless POD, customer satisfaction, and sub-user management are especially handy.
And since Detrack has a free forever version for the first driver, this makes it a very attractive choice for individual drivers or businesses with smaller fleets.
On the other hand, Detrack has one huge shortcoming.
Its utter lack of routing capabilities significantly reduces Detrack’s advantages, since this is the one thing you cannot go without when it comes to delivery management.
The only way Detrack can provide routing is through integration with ElasticRoute, and while this doesn’t significantly increase the overall subscription price, it still means that Detrack does not, in fact, have a free forever version, since you’ll have to pay for the integration either way.
Moreover, the fact that it has no native routing functions in the app itself, can sometimes cause lags and glitches no one wants to experience mid-delivery.
So, if you want to make the most of ElasticRoute and Detrack combined, you better get used to constantly pushing and pulling data back and forth between the two platforms.
And let’s not forget that Detrack has no native options for sending SMS notifications either.
That means that if you want to send both SMS and email notifications, you’ll have to sign up for a platform that provides SMS-sending services (e.g. Twilio or Vonage).
At first glance, Detrack looks like a real budget option, especially once you consider that the first driver will have free forever access to all of Detrack’s features.
Besides, even Detrack’s paid-for version isn’t that expensive, as it comes at $24 per driver per month when paid monthly.
However, things quickly change once you consider several things.
Firstly, Detrack has no native routing options - not even the most basic ones. The only way to get routing is to integrate Detrack with ElasticRoutes, which means extra costs.
ElasticRoute doesn’t have a free forever version, which basically means that Detrack doesn’t really have a free-forever version since route optimization is an essential part of delivery management as such.
Moreover, Detrack doesn’t have options for sending SMS notifications in the app itself. So, if you want to achieve provide the best customer experience possible, you’ll have to pay extra for SMS providers like Twillio or Vonage.
Detrack comes off as being a very cheap software, but it comes with a price of its own.
Since Detrack doesn’t have any native routing features, you’ll have to pay extra for integration with ElasticRoutes. That means that Detrack doesn’t really come with a free-forever version, as no serious business providing last-mile delivery services can do without route optimization.
Moreover, given that it charges users on a per-driver basis, Detrack is not a suitable option for businesses that have bigger fleets, as the costs will rack up before you know it.
Detrack’s per-driver pricing makes it a great choice for micro-businesses, i.e. companies that have very small fleets.
In fact, individual drivers and couriers would benefit the most from using Detrack, especially once you consider that there’s a free-forever version for the first driver. Of course, this is only possible for drivers that don’t need route optimization since Detrack’s standard offering doesn’t include this feature.
In addition, businesses providing 3PL services could also find Detrack to be a match due to its options for easy adding and managing various types of sub-users.
On the other hand, if you need a solution that’s more scalable, easily configurable, and includes all the essential functionality in its standard package, then eLogii might just be the right platform for you.
eLogii is an all-around delivery management and optimization platform that helps users tackle all the challenges of modern-day delivery and transportation logistics.
eLogii has a wide range of highly-customisable features which make it a perfect choice for various types of businesses - from field service providers to retailers, pharmaceutical companies, restaurants, couriers, food & drink delivery services, etc.
Some of its features include:
Several methods of ensuring customer satisfaction, such as real-time SMS and/or email notifications from every stage of the delivery process, live ETA notifications (with updated recalculations if something changes on the road), live tracking of every delivery, enabling customers to leave feedback quickly and easily, etc.
Moreover, eLogii doesn’t have one-size-fits-all pricing packages, which makes it an ideal solution for small, medium, and large businesses alike.
eLogii comes with custom-tailored pricing plans based on your business’s particular configuration and needs, with the typical entry-level price starting at around $359 per month for 2500 tasks.
Each plan includes unlimited users, drivers, and vehicles, which is an excellent option for larger businesses or those aiming to scale.
You can compare each plan’s features on our webpage for a detailed overview of what each eLogii package includes.
All in all, Detrack can be a great match for the smallest of businesses and individual couriers and drivers, as it’s a very budget-friendly option for those types of users.
3PL services providers could also find Detrack to be helpful since it can give them a hand with achieving greater transparency and better coordination with their clients.
However, larger businesses, companies aiming to scale, as well as those users that need a more customisable platform that offers cutting-edge routing technology as standard will be much better off with eLogii.
If you’re interested to see if eLogii could match your particular needs as well, you could always…
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