The new mantra for fleets in 2026 is “efficiency drives sustainability,” and some surprisingly effective gains can come from tightening existing procedures.

One area to examine is route optimization and the use of vehicles, time, and resources.

Use the Fleet That You Have

There are many efficiency gains to be realized by examining your existing fleet, said Jeb Lopez, owner and CEO of Wheelz Up, a last-mile delivery company.

“Our objective is maximizing utilization rather than fleet growth, especially given that vehicle costs have risen significantly,” said Lopez.

Wheelz Up uses a mix of full-size high-roof cargo vans for bulky parts deliveries, and smaller vans like Ford Transit Connects for lighter routes. “We evaluate hours in service and route productivity before considering adding vehicles, often reallocating assets instead of expanding,” Lopez said.

Jason Johnson, director of strategic partnerships for Route4Me, a cloud-based route-planning and optimization software company, said that many fleets can benefit from reallocating vehicles rather than adding new ones, especially when fleets are mismatched or routes are unevenly distributed. Underused vehicles create hidden inefficiencies that can fly under the radar for managers.

Many fleets have unused capacity — they just can’t see it yet.

Minutes Matter More Than Miles

Reducing miles is important. Even more important? Reducing time on site.

Time on site is more often the biggest source of hidden inefficiency. Johnson described small on-site reductions leading to larger payoffs, as they can have a significant effect on the overall route. For example, reducing stop times from 25 minutes to 20 minutes can create meaningful savings when multiplied across entire routes.

Lopez agreed. He emphasized the importance of tracking dwell time, noting that even a 15-minute stop discipline can improve overall route discipline and productivity.  

Saving minutes per stop can eliminate entire routes.

Build Smarter Routes, Not Just Shorter Ones

Route optimization isn’t just about reducing distance – it’s also about increasing productivity.

One of the most effective ways to improve efficiency and overall productivity is to increase route density or the number of stops within a given route.

This strategy results in fewer vehicles in use. “Radius planning” also plays a large role by assigning drivers to specific regions to avoid overlap, going hand in hand with reducing deadhead trips and unproductive travel, which adds fuel costs and time.

Johnson described this approach as multidimensional, taking into account time, workload, and miles. Ultimately, the goal isn’t shorter routes, it’s more productive ones – and safer. 

“The safest mile is the one you don’t drive,” said Johnson.

Enroll Your Best Drivers

The most productive route plan possible won’t mean much if it isn’t executed well in real time.

Telematics data can help. Fleet managers can evaluate their planned routes compared to actual driver behavior. Johnson noted that using routing platforms can help determine where inefficiencies arise. Is it the route or the driver?

Analyzing the top drivers who run the most efficient routes is a sure way to institutionalize the best methods across the rest of the fleet.

According to Johnson, several metrics help identify the top-performing drivers:

• Route adherence: the degree to which the driver follows the planned route.

• Timely arrivals: whether the driver consistently meets estimated arrival times.

• Fuel efficiency:minimizing idle time and unnecessary miles.

• Customer feedback: service quality reflected in customer reviews.

• Safety metrics: incidents, harsh braking events, or other safety indicators.

Managers can coach drivers using data and scale behavior change through in-app route playback and performance incentives.

Ide Reduction Pays

Idle reduction is another metric. Lopez said that Wheelz Up uses weekly driver scorecards to help coach behaviors such as unnecessary idling and warm-up practices. Ultimately, the best routing plan only works if the driver does it well.

“We also coach drivers to understand that modern vans do not require extended warm-ups; in the winter, we encourage warming up inside the warehouse rather than in the parking lot,” said Lopez. “Through weekly driver scorecards and conversations, we emphasize how reducing idling lowers fuel costs, maintenance wear, and insurance exposure.”

Small Operational Fixes Add Up

Small operational adjustments deliver measurable gains for fleets.

For example, fueling at the end of the day rather than during routes can eliminate detours and unnecessary miles, especially if fuel stops are planned in advance. Territory planning also reduces overlap between drivers and redundant miles.

Improved communication between drivers and managers can also provide more accurate ETAs instead of delivery windows. This can reduce both wait time and idle time.

Efficiency First, Sustainability Follows

The most effective sustainability gains – fewer miles, less fuel consumption, and lower costs – are already within a fleet’s control.

“Sustainability in last-mile delivery starts with operational discipline: tighter routes, shorter dwell times, less idling, and smarter asset deployment. Fewer miles and less fuel lead to lower costs and lower emissions.

This remains the fastest path to sustainable logistics, even as we look forward to future advances in robotics and autonomous driving,” said Lopez.