Job dispatch and assignment software that suggests the right driver

Smart Strix scores every available driver against every open job — proximity, experience, backhaul potential, vehicle capacity — so assignment stops being guesswork.

In short: Smart Strix gives UK fleets of 2–50 vehicles a job assignment engine, not just a job list. An optimizer ranks drivers for each job using configurable weights for proximity, experience and backhaul, checks vehicle capacity fit, and respects service areas and no-go zones. Assignments build into driver-day runs with ordered stops and a utilization figure. Free to start; Starter and Advanced plans, cancel anytime.

What is job assignment software, and how is it different from a job board?

Job assignment software answers the question a job board leaves open: which driver should take this work? A board shows you the jobs; an assignment engine ranks your drivers for each one. In Smart Strix the two work together — you still dispatch visually, but behind each decision sits a scored recommendation instead of a hunch about who is nearest.

This matters most at the 2–50 vehicle scale, where the dispatcher usually has no planning department. The optimizer does the comparison arithmetic a transport planner would do; you keep the final say.

How does the assignment optimizer score drivers?

Each candidate driver is scored on weighted factors, and the weights are yours to configure — a removals firm might weight experience heavily, while a same-day courier pushes proximity up.

Factor	What it measures	Configurable?
Proximity	How close the driver is to the collection point	Weighted
Experience	The driver's track record with this kind of work	Weighted
Backhaul	Whether the job pairs well with existing runs to cut empty miles	Weighted
Capacity fit	Whether the vehicle's pallets/kg/m³ ratings suit the load	Checked per vehicle
Service areas & no-go zones	Geographic rules a driver or vehicle must respect	Defined by you

Driver skills and capability tags feed in too — mark who has a tail lift or an ADR certificate and jobs needing them go to the right people. Note this is assignment optimization: matching jobs to drivers and vehicles. It is not multi-drop route optimization software.

What are driver-day runs with ordered stops?

A driver-day is one driver's whole shift assembled as a run: every assigned job laid out as ordered stops, in sequence. Instead of firing individual jobs at a driver through the day, you build their day, and the driver app presents the stops in order. Each driver-day shows a utilization figure, so you can see at a glance whose day is packed and who has room for one more collection — useful when a late booking arrives and you need somewhere to put it.

Why do no-go zones and capacity fit matter for small fleets?

Because the wrong assignment is expensive twice: once when the 3.5-tonne van turns up for a load that needed a tail lift, and again when a customer waits while you re-dispatch. Capacity checking against each vehicle's registered pallets, kilograms and cubic metres stops the first mistake before it leaves the yard. No-go zones stop the second kind — a driver who cannot enter a low-emission zone in that vehicle, or a patch you have decided is not worth serving, simply is not suggested for work there.

How does backhaul scoring reduce empty running?

The backhaul weight favours pairings where a new job sends a driver back towards home, or towards their next stop, rather than stranding them further out. Combine that with the job marketplace — where you can browse and quote on consumer jobs by radius — and the return leg becomes something you actively fill rather than write off. Auto-bid rules can even quote for you within margin and price limits you define.

What does the dispatcher still control?

Everything. The optimizer suggests; a person assigns. Scores are there to be overridden when you know something the data does not — a driver who wants an early finish, a customer who asks for a familiar face. Once assigned, jobs move through the same lifecycle described on the courier dispatch page: status updates, photos, then proof of delivery with a customer signature. Live positions come from app-based GPS on the Advanced plan — see driver tracking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between assignment optimization and route optimization?

Assignment optimization decides which driver and vehicle should take each job, using scored factors like proximity, experience, backhaul, and capacity. Route optimization re-sequences many drops for shortest distance. Smart Strix does the former — you order the stops in each driver-day run yourself.

Can I change how the optimizer weighs proximity versus experience?

Yes. Proximity, experience and backhaul each have configurable weights, so you can tune the scoring to your operation — a fragile-goods specialist can prioritise experience, a same-day courier can prioritise nearness.

How does Smart Strix know a vehicle can carry a load?

Every vehicle in the registry carries capacity ratings — pallets, kilograms and cubic metres. The optimizer checks the job against those figures so oversized loads are not suggested for undersized vans.

What are no-go zones used for in practice?

Anything geographic you want to exclude: emission zones a particular vehicle should avoid, areas outside your service territory, or postcodes you have chosen not to cover. Drivers and vehicles are not recommended for jobs inside their no-go zones.

What does the utilization figure on a driver-day tell me?

How full that driver's shift is. It gives a quick read across the fleet of who is at capacity and who can absorb a late booking, without opening each run to count stops.

Can I dispatch jobs that need specific qualifications, like ADR?

Yes. Driver skills and capability tags — tail lift, ADR certificate and similar — are recorded on each profile, so jobs requiring them are matched to drivers who hold them.

Does the optimizer assign jobs automatically without me?

No. It ranks and recommends; the dispatcher confirms every assignment. You keep judgement calls the scoring cannot see, like a driver's preferences or a customer relationship.