Pioneering sustainable routing solutions
The Routing Company (TRC) is a forward-thinking company committed to transforming the public transportation landscape with cutting-edge solutions that prioritize both efficiency and sustainability. More specifically, it is a global on-demand vehicle routing and management platform partnering with cities to power the future of public transit.
By leveraging proprietary, patent-pending routing algorithms and AI, TRC delivers a revolutionary approach to urban mobility, offering up to tenfold improvement over traditional transportation models. Its focus is on optimizing vehicle utilization at a city-wide scale, which not only increases operational efficiency but also significantly reduces emissions, by taking more single occupancy vehicles off the road through shared rides.
TRC partners with local public transportation agencies to bring advanced routing technology to communities worldwide. Its award-winning Pingo platform includes the Drive Pingo™ and Ride Pingo™ apps and the Pingo Dashboard™ operations management tool, which together provide on-demand, paratransit, fixed, shuttle, and flexible transit that enhances ridership of existing transit networks.
In addition to deployments with public agencies and private operators globally, the company is expanding its reach within the U.S., with a particular focus on California, Michigan, and New York, helping cities and regions implement more efficient, flexible, and accessible public transit solutions. To date, the company has moved over 1.5 million passengers around the world.
TRC’s commitment to sustainability, paired with a focus on innovation, positions The Routing Company as a leader in the evolving transportation sector. By addressing the logistics challenges of urban transit with advanced technology, The Routing Company is revolutionizing public transportation by maximizing fleet efficiency and expanding transit accessibility in cities worldwide. This innovative approach optimizes vehicle utilization, creating a more connected and efficient urban mobility network.
Exploring the need for streamlined dispatch-driver communication
Before integrating CometChat, The Routing Company relied on traditional communication methods like walkie-talkies and radios to facilitate in-app communication between dispatchers and drivers. These tools were effective for emergency scenarios or one-to-many broadcasts, but they posed significant limitations when it came to day-to-day, non-urgent communication. Some of them were:
01.
Designed for emergencies
The radio system, though reliable for emergency broadcasts, wasn’t efficient for everyday communication. Dispatchers found it difficult to relay routine instructions quickly and seamlessly.
02.
Cumbersome for routine tasks
Non-emergency tasks like coordinating driver breaks, sending route updates, or communicating specific rider needs (e.g., wheelchair assistance) were time-consuming. The system wasn't built for frequent back-and-forth communication.
03.
Inconvenient for drivers
Drivers often had to stop to manually respond to dispatch requests via text or radio. This created inefficiencies, as drivers were forced to interrupt their routes to engage in communication.
04.
Lack of real-time acknowledgment
Dispatchers lacked a real-time confirmation system. They couldn't easily track whether a driver had received or seen a message, making follow-ups necessary and time-consuming.
These communication limitations started to impede operational efficiency. Dispatchers needed a more streamlined, flexible, and non-disruptive way to send important updates to individual drivers or broadcast messages to entire fleets. The team also recognized the potential for driver feedback and acknowledgment in real time, such as confirming receipt of messages with a simple reaction or acknowledgment button.
Since real-time communication wasn't their core offering, The Routing Company didn't have the resources to develop a custom in-app chat from scratch. Building an in-house solution would have been costly, time-consuming, and would have detracted from their core focus: optimizing transportation logistics. This realization led the company to explore third-party communication platforms that could seamlessly integrate into their existing app while meeting their specific needs for dispatch-driver communication.
How The Routing Company Uses CometChat
After evaluating various communication solutions, The Routing Company chose CometChat for its comprehensive features and Flutter UI kit, which aligned perfectly with their existing tech stack and future scalability needs.
“After reviewing many chat providers, I found that CometChat had all the essential features we were looking for, including delivery receipts and timestamps. There wasn't anything additional we needed beyond what was already provided.”
Saurabh Mohan
Senior Product Manager, The Routing Company
TRC was able to quickly build a PoC and integrated Cometchat into their app ecosystem, allowing for real-time communication between dispatchers and drivers. The solution was rolled out across two main interfaces: the dispatcher web dashboard (Pingo Dashboard) and the driver mobile app, ensuring smooth operations across the board.
Dispatcher dashboard (Web app based on React)
Map view integration: Dispatchers can see all active drivers on the live map. They can click on any driver to initiate a chat directly from this map view. For example, if a driver needs to avoid a construction zone or pick up a rider with special needs, the dispatcher can send them instructions instantly.
Bulk messaging: Dispatchers often need to relay critical information to all active drivers simultaneously. Using CometChat's broadcast messaging feature, they can instantly send a single message to all active drivers from their dashboard.
This is particularly useful for urgent updates like “There’s roadwork on Main Street, take an alternate route,” or “Break at 12:15 PM.”
Message receipts: Dispatchers can confirm when drivers have received and seen their messages, ensuring that critical information is acknowledged. This feature improves accountability and reduces miscommunication.
Canned messages: Each city or agency can set up its own set of pre-written messages, tailoring the communication to their specific operational requirements and local context. For example, each city can set specific messages like, “Take the left side of the road,” which drivers can easily acknowledge.
Driver status filtering: Dispatchers can filter drivers based on their online status, helping them prioritize messages to active drivers during operational hours.
Driver side (Mobile app based on Flutter)
Discreet notifications: Drivers receive notifications for new messages without being distracted from driving. For example, a dispatcher might send a reminder to a driver, “Assist rider with a wheelchair at the next stop,” which appears as a silent alert.
Reactions for acknowledgments: To simplify responses, drivers can react to messages with a thumbs-up, indicating they have read and acknowledged the dispatcher’s message. This reduces the need for detailed replies while ensuring communication remains effective.
Quick canned responses: Drivers can respond with pre-configured messages such as “Acknowledged” or “On my way,” minimizing distractions while driving.
Text messaging: While much of the communication flows from dispatch to drivers, it's equally important for drivers to have a reliable channel to report issues or ask questions. While canned responses cover most communication needs, drivers also have the option to send custom text messages when necessary. For example, a driver can inform dispatch, “There’s a delay due to a traffic accident on the route.”
As the company often works with agencies that hire temporary drivers, CometChat’s flexibility also allows for the easy creation of driver accounts that may only be active for a few days. This ensures seamless communication even with temporary staff, without burdening the system.
By implementing CometChat, The Routing Company has created a robust, efficient communication system that enhances their unique pooling service for larger vehicles. This system not only improves operational efficiency but also ensures that drivers and dispatchers can communicate effectively, ultimately leading to a better experience for riders using their innovative transportation solution.
TRC strives to deliver the industry’s best customer experience, and remains unmatched in customer satisfaction when stacked up against competitors. In 2024, TRC announced it earned a record customer satisfaction score with an NPS of 92, continuing to illustrate the company’s ability to delight partners and deliver on white glove service expectations. A significant element of TRC’s customer experience is rider communication and response, and TRC continues relying on CometChat to deliver exceptional experiences for its customers.
