Courier and delivery
Two-way radios for courier and delivery fleets
Your dispatcher should be routing jobs, not waiting on hold with a driver. Zello puts every driver one button away on a multi-carrier SIM, with a live map and photo messages, so fewer questions need a phone call.
Short answer
Will this cut down on calls to dispatch?
The problem
What gets in the way
Delivery margins depend on how many stops a driver can make, and every phone call eats into that. Dispatchers juggle calls while new jobs come in, and a driver with a wrong address waits for someone to pick up. Finding out who is closest to a same-day pickup takes a round of calls. Conventional radios do not cover a metro area or a long route, so many companies rely on personal phones they then have to reimburse, with no record and no easy way to reach everyone.
How we set it up
How the channels are set up
We set up a channel per route, zone or depot, with a dispatcher on a Zello Dispatch Hub seat.
A new pickup goes out on the channel and the closest driver takes it, with the live map confirming who that is. Drivers press one button instead of dialing, and can send a photo of a delivered package, a damaged box or a blocked dock. A multi-carrier SIM carries it across the region. Every device is enrolled in device management, with app controls that keep it to work use, which removes the personal phone question. On Managed Zello Plus, breadcrumb history and traffic help when a customer queries a delivery, and Translations help mixed-language driver teams. Zello handles the voice and messaging, and runs alongside your routing software.
Example channels and calls
What each channel sounds like
Sample traffic, written to show how each channel gets used. Your channel names and groups are set up to match your crew.
North zoneDispatch and drivers in that zone
“New pickup at the office park on Main. Two boxes, same day. Who’s closest?”
South zoneDispatch and drivers in that zone
“Dock’s blocked at my last stop. I sent a photo. I’m doing the next one and coming back.”
Route 8Dispatch and drivers on that route
“Wrong suite on this address. Can someone call the customer and check?”
DepotDepot staff and returning drivers
“Van 5 is back with three returns. Which door do you want me at?”
Typical use cases
Where it gets used day to day
Same-day pickups offered to the nearest driver
Wrong address and access questions
Photo proof of delivery and damage reports
Reaching a whole route when plans change
Depot and loading bay coordination
Answering customers on driver location
Shift starts and end-of-day returns
Food delivery and time-sensitive runs
The radios
A typical delivery setup
Drivers usually carry a rugged phone such as the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Pro or the Sonim XP5plus, or the handheld Inrico T640A, and vans can take the Telox M3. A Zello Dispatch Hub seat keeps each dispatcher on a PC or Mac with a live map, and Managed Zello Core includes live location for every driver.
Drivers who also need a phone line can add unlimited talk, text and data on a rugged phone. See business two-way radios for every option.
Rugged Android smartphone
Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Pro
A full-screen Samsung smartphone, toughened up, with a programmable PTT key.
$599.00
Rugged PTT device
Sonim XP5plus
Feels like a radio, runs the Zello app. Physical buttons, no hunting on a screen.
$499.00
Handheld radio
Inrico T640A
A slim everyday radio with a screen. Our lowest-priced handheld.
$199.00
Vehicle and mobile
Telox M3
A compact dash or console radio with a 5 W speaker and wired network option.
$399.00
Special order · request a quote
Recommended solution
What we would recommend
Managed Zello Core on rugged phones or handhelds, with a Dispatch Hub seat for each dispatcher, is the usual fit. Fleets wanting breadcrumb history, traffic and a searchable archive choose Plus.
Questions
Questions delivery operators ask us
What owners and dispatch managers want to know before changing how they talk to drivers.
Can drivers send proof of delivery?
Drivers can send photos and text on a channel or directly to dispatch. It works well for proof of delivery and damage reports, though it does not replace a dedicated proof-of-delivery system if your customers require one.
Do drivers need a separate device?
Not necessarily. Zello Work runs on iOS and Android, and on our rugged phones and radios. We can also run work apps on a managed rugged phone, so one device handles routing and push-to-talk.
Does it replace our routing software?
No. Zello handles the conversation between dispatch and drivers, and sits alongside your routing and tracking systems.
Can dispatch see where drivers are?
Yes. Every device appears on a live map, which helps pick the closest driver and answer customers. On Plus, breadcrumb history shows where a driver has been.
Can we start with a few vehicles?
Yes. Service is month to month, with no minimum, so you can try it on one route and add drivers as it proves itself.
Related
Related industries
Transportation and logistics
Drivers leave the yard and a conventional radio stops working. Zello on a multi-carrier SIM keeps dispatch connected to the whole fleet for the length of the route.
Read more
Taxi, limo and car service
Dispatch reaches one driver or the whole fleet with one press, the way Nextel used to work, with a live map of where every car is.
Read more
Retail
Floor, stockroom, curbside and managers on separate Zello channels, so a customer gets an answer without a walk to the back or a page over the PA.
Read more
Get started
Tell us how your team works today
Send us your driver count, your service area and how dispatch works today. We will come back with coverage, hardware and pricing in one document.