Cost-optimised routes throughout Europe from PTV

21 October 2009, 12:45pm

Karlsruhe, Germany, September 21, 2009. A route planner which optimises fuel stops is a totally new innovation in the road transport business. Transport operators can now save a lot of time and cost since the new tool not only displays the current fuel prices, keeps track of fuel consumption levels and calculates toll charges, but also suggests driving times and rest periods. The OMV Fuel Navigator developed by PTV AG for the Austrian energy group optimises routes in terms of time and cost. It covers the entire European continent and is available in 16 languages.

Freight operators are facing great pressure on costs. At the same time they have to take adequate measures to meet the safety needs of drivers and vehicles. To date road transport operators have had to rely on a number of different systems in order to cost-efficiently optimise transport routes and plan drivers' rest periods: route planning software to calculate distance, price lists to determine fuel stops and databases to keep track of toll charges as well as regulations on driving times and rest periods. The new OMV Fuel Navigator combines all these functions into one single system.

PTV's advanced software products enable hauliers to access routes with different vehicle profiles, considering truck parameters such as clearance heights and loading weight as well as toll charges across Europe. Users can store, load and edit their own profiles for their vehicle and configuration data.
Another highlight is the daily update of information on fuel prices including individual customer discounts - a feature which has been specifically developed for OMV. Users also have access to a price history which makes invoicing processes more transparent. The new OMV Fuel Navigator helps drivers to keep track of their fuel consumption levels and suggests driving times and rest periods in compliance with the European guidelines. Additionally, the new tool provides information on opening hours, access routes and equipment of OMV filling stations.

It encompasses approximately 2,200 filling stations of both the OMV and ROUTEX affiliated network. For road haulage operators, over 700 filling stations specifically designed to accommodate trucks are included in the route planner. Users can also create PDF files which include all relevant information. These files can then be digitally forwarded to the drivers.

Karlsruhe-based transportation experts PTV AG have developed a completely tailor-made solution to meet the specific needs of OMV and its customers. The central development platform for map display and route calculation on the Internet is based on a modular structure and consists of ready-to-use components for the development and integration of mobility-based services. The system also provides cross-platform interfaces to numerous external systems which can be used for the management of customer-specific data, for example.

PTV AJAX Servlets allow integration of fast and interactive maps into the OMV Fuel Navigator website. With only a few clicks of the mouse, users can seamlessly move map sections, freely zoom in and out of the map, and display POIs or additional information  without any page reload.

The OMV route planner runs on any standard Internet browser, with no download or installation procedure necessary. Travellers and transport companies can use the new tool, which was launched in September 2009, by registering at www.omv.de/fuelnavigator.

Thilo Schmalkoke, Senior Sales Manager at PTV, says: "With the OMV Fuel Navigator, PTV demonstrates the comprehensive performance capabilities of its software components. The combination of modern front-end architecture and PTV's mobility platform and xServers provides a powerful portal with numerous special features, such as the inclusion of specific truck parameters, toll calculation throughout Europe and individual user profiles."

PTV AG

Geo: International