Two things decide whether a delivery app works: what it does with no signal, and what it does to the battery.
Case studyBuilding PTC Cargo's logistics softwareSoftware matched to how the operation actually runs.What we build
- Driver apps that work offlineJobs, capture, and status, syncing when signal returns.
- Proof of deliverySignature, photo, timestamp, location, permanently attached to the job.
- Customer-facing trackingA link, not an install. The feature that stops the phone ringing.
- Dispatch and allocationAn office view of who has what.
- Periodic vehicle locationAt an interval that survives a ten-hour shift.
The honest limit on real-time
Battery, which nobody asks about until week two
Continuous GPS polling will flatten a driver's phone before lunch. Sensible update intervals plus event-based capture is the difference between an app that gets used and an app that gets turned off.
Any supplier who does not raise this before you do has not built for drivers.
Common questions
How real-time is the tracking?
Position updates at a sensible interval, typically every minute or two, plus events at each stage of the job. That is what almost every operation actually needs, and it is what keeps the driver's phone alive for a full shift.
What happens in a signal dead zone?
Everything is captured on the device and syncs when signal returns. Proof of delivery is never lost because the warehouse had no bars.
Can customers see where their delivery is?
Yes, through a link rather than an app they have to install. This is usually the feature that pays for the build, because it removes the calls asking where the van is.