Waze for Commercial Vehicle Routing Shortcomings

Updated on: August 24, 2025

For a normal user, navigation tools are the means of getting from point A to point B with the required navigation support. Whether running errands, exploring a new restaurant, or simply meeting friends at a new location, we need navigation tools to guide us through the maze of routes and reach the destination without a fuss.

But can professional delivery drivers use Waze to enhance delivery efficiency and better route planning?

Where Waze Works And Where It Falls Short

Waze is one of the most popular navigation tools. Users cherish its simple interface and easy accessibility. Waze is a user-friendly navigation app that provides real-time traffic data, route alerts, navigation support, and updates. It leverages user-submitted data to drive insights and provide information.

But for commercial drivers, delivery teams, and logistics managers, Waze lacks the features that matter most. It doesn’t account for vehicle size, load restrictions, or no-truck zones. You won’t be able to optimize your routes with multiple stops and fail to plan multiple deliveries in the most efficient order. And you definitely can’t customize routes based on delivery time windows.

That’s why Waze isn’t the smart choice if you are looking for effective commercial vehicle routing. It just wasn’t built with commercial routing needs in mind.

What Commercial Drivers Actually Need

Professional delivery drivers face a different set of challenges. If you’re on the road all day, making multiple stops, you need a route planner that works as hard as you do.

Here’s what a commercial driver or fleet manager should look for in a proper commercial vehicle routing solution:

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• Multi-stop route planning
  Planning one or two stops? Any map can help. But if your day includes 10, 20, or even 100 stops, you need more than pins on a map. A proper route planner should let you upload all your addresses in one go and automatically arrange them in the most time-efficient sequence. This helps you cut down on drive time, reduce fuel usage, and handle more deliveries without working longer hours.
• Route optimization
  Taking the shortest path isn’t always the smartest one. Great route planners consider multiple factors like the number of stops, driver availability, delivery priorities, vehicle capacity, delivery timelines, and more to find the optimized route. This ensures you’re not wasting time on backtracking or zigzagging across town, which is especially important when working with tight delivery windows.
• Live route tracking
  When you’re managing a team of drivers or coordinating with customers, knowing where someone is right now is crucial. Live route tracking gives dispatchers and managers a clear view of what’s happening on the ground. It also makes it easier to respond quickly to delays, reroute in case of emergencies, or simply stay in control of the day’s operations.
• Accurate ETAs and automated customer updates
  Your customers expect to know when their package or service is arriving. Instead of calling or guessing, your route planner should send real-time ETA updates to customers automatically. This saves your team from handling update calls and helps build trust with the people you serve.
• Proof of delivery
  Once a delivery is made, you need a way to confirm it. A solid commercial vehicle routing tool lets drivers capture proof right from the app, whether it’s a photo, signature, or a barcode scan. This reduces disputes, keeps records organized, and ensures accountability at every stop.
• Live route adjustment
  Things don’t always go as planned. Customers cancel, stops get added, or priorities shift. Instead of starting the route from scratch, a modern route planner should let you make live changes, whether you’re behind the wheel or managing routes from the office. The route should update instantly and guide drivers without confusion.
• Route analytics
  It’s not enough to finish the day. You need to know how well it went. Route analytics give you visibility into how long deliveries took, how many stops were completed on time, and where you lost time or fuel. This helps you find patterns and make smarter decisions for future routes.
• Mileage tracking and fuel efficiency
  When you drive for a living, every mile affects your bottom line. Your routing tool should automatically track miles driven, monitor fuel usage, and highlight where you can improve. Over time, these small changes can lead to big savings, especially across a larger fleet.

These aren’t extras, they’re essential for anyone involved in commercial vehicle routing. And they’re all things that Waze doesn’t offer.

Final Thoughts

Can you really use Waze for commercial vehicle routing? The answer is NO.

While Waze has its limited benefits for simple use cases, complex and high-priority deliveries need much more than that.

The aforementioned features are essential if you want to enhance your delivery efficiency, plan better routes, and uplift your customer experience. If you are a commercial delivery person, you must consider Zeo as your routing partner. Its growth-centric features are built to help drivers and fleet managers improve delivery accuracy, efficiency, and reliability.

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