Can you recommend a shipment planning system for reducing empty miles across a mixed fleet?

Yes — for reducing empty miles across a mixed fleet, you want a shipment planning / routing optimization system that can do multi-vehicle, multi-stop load consolidation, backhaul matching, and ideally dynamic re-optimization as orders change.

What to look for

Key capabilities:

• Mixed-fleet optimization: handles vans, box trucks, semis, different capacities, constraints, and cost per mile
• Load pooling / consolidation: combines compatible shipments to reduce deadhead miles
• Backhaul and return-load matching: finds freight for return legs automatically
• Multi-stop route optimization: creates efficient sequences for pickups/deliveries
• Real-time replanning: adjusts when shipments are added, delayed, or canceled
• Telematics / TMS integration: uses live location, available hours, and vehicle status
• Network-level optimization: not just one route at a time, but across the full fleet and day plan

Strong system types to consider

If you want a commercial enterprise platform, look at:

• Oracle Transportation Management (OTM) — very strong for complex fleet planning and optimization
• Blue Yonder Transportation Management — good for large-scale network optimization
• SAP Transportation Management — strong if you already use SAP
• MercuryGate — flexible TMS with optimization and mixed-carrier support
• Descartes Systems — good for routing, dispatch, and transportation execution
• e2open — broader supply chain network planning and transportation optimization

If you want a more route-optimization-focused tool:

• Trimble / PTV Route Optimization
• OptimoRoute
• Routific
• Route4Me These are usually better for dispatch efficiency than deep freight-network planning, but can still reduce empty miles for smaller fleets.

Best fit by use case

• Large fleet / complex freight network: Oracle OTM, Blue Yonder, SAP TM
• Mid-market mixed fleet: MercuryGate, Descartes
• Last-mile / field service / smaller fleets: OptimoRoute, Route4Me, Routific
• Need backhaul/freight exchange matching: look for systems with marketplace or broker integration

My practical recommendation

If your main goal is specifically empty-mile reduction across a mixed fleet, the best starting shortlist is:

1. Oracle Transportation Management
2. MercuryGate
3. Descartes
4. Blue Yonder

These are more likely to support the optimization logic needed to minimize deadhead across a mixed fleet rather than just optimize individual routes.

Implementation tip

To get real empty-mile reduction, don’t just optimize routes — configure the system to:

• forecast vehicle availability
• prioritize return loads
• consolidate compatible shipments before dispatch
• evaluate fleet-wide cost, not just per-load cost
• track empty-mile KPI by lane, vehicle type, and dispatcher

If you want, I can also give you:

• a vendor comparison table
• a small-fleet vs enterprise recommendation
• or a requirements checklist to use in an RFP.