Cheetah Software Systems Inc., a cloud-based transportation logistics solutions provider, has announced the Cheetah Supply Chain Optimizer, a decision support system designed to solve and optimize large-scale routing for shipments that require both local and line-haul movements. CSCO allows Cheetah customers to more efficiently route deliveries through their entire distribution network, helping determine whether orders should be planned for truckload, regional less-than-truckload, local LTL or line-haul routes.
Typically, local pickup-and-delivery problems are daily problems, whereas line-haul freight delivery problems require multi-day planning. At the same time, line-haul movements are high-mileage operations and mostly take place between cities, terminals, rail yards or ports. However, local and line-haul freight movements actually are interrelated closely; line-haul schedules affect local delivery schedules and vice versa. CSCO is intended to overcome the unpredictability and inefficiencies created by this complexity.
CSCO specifically is designed to group shipments and route them through the available terminal network with the best possible consolidation scheme. Better consolidation means using fewer trucks and driving less miles for the shipments within a given time period. Results from using CSCO can include significant decreases in manifests, loaded weight, average days en route, total miles and other factors that improve efficiency, asset utilization and profitability.
“The Cheetah Supply Chain Optimizer helps our customers route products across their entire distribution network, allowing them to plan their operations from pickup sources all the way through to delivery destinations regardless of how many routes are in between,” says Bobby Darroll, Cheetah’s president and CEO. “By using CSCO, Cheetah customers can dramatically improve their efficiency, asset utilization and ultimately their profitability.”
