Got a response on the running of the LAST Saturday routes by the stations using D-ROADS. I also got hard copies of documentation to go along with this.
It looks like D-ROADS performed up to expectations/hopes. The software generated stop ordering was very close to the stop ordering that most Couriers would've used themselves (the software did a pattern analysis of past runs of the route).
The manifest generates an ordering of the stops (has shipper reported address, recipient, # docs, # packages, close times and special instructions). The program plots out all stops on a map and numbers them - so even a complete idiot can get the volume off without aid.
They are even talking about having Couriers switch routes (run a route they aren't familiar with) just to see how reliable the software is in generating stop ordering.
From what I've seen and been told, D-ROADS will completely replace the need for Courier experience.
Since Express stops are a lot more spread out than Ground (and a lot more spread out than UPS stops) the program doesn't do any consideration for minimizing left hand turns, etc.
There does seem to be an issue with the program not breaking out non-priority shipments from the priority shipments (they are all being lumped together in generating a stop ordering). I've been told that they haven't implemented the ability to separate this out on Saturdays. They are still working on how to "logically" get P2 tagalongs correctly fit into the P1 ordering - then have the rest of the P2 placed into a separate stop ordering. Couriers are being instructed to keep on eye on their time if they have P2 within their stop ordering and to break pattern to make sure they get off all P1 before commit time.
Since Ground doesn't worry about this (hard commit times), this ability is an addition to the Express side of the software. In essence, there will be a stop ordering for P1, then the program needs to recognize the P2 as being separate and generate a stop ordering for that - with the added proviso that the Courier is going to be running their P2 in "reverse" from the P1 (the Courier won't drive back to their initial point and start getting off P2, but rather start from where they delivered their last P1 and start to work their way back to the station getting off P2).
The software also has an entry for "planned leave building time" (anticipate lots of problems there with managers putting in one time and the trucks leaving after that overly optimistic time), then the software calculates a stem time, total on-road time, return stem time and RTB time. If there were robots driving the trucks, they'd be delighted.