Driver location update frequency
How often driver locations refresh on the Live Tracking map in Upper, what affects update timing, and how to keep position data flowing reliably.
Driver positions appear on the Live Tracking map while a driver is actively working a route in the Upper Route Planner driver app. The driver's phone sends its location to your dispatch dashboard, and the map updates as those reports come in. How quickly the map refreshes depends on the driver's device and its connection.
Your workspace may show Technician and Service labels instead of Driver and Delivery. Both label sets refer to the same features — this article uses the default driver/delivery wording.
Why this matters
The map is only as useful as the data behind it is fresh. When positions refresh promptly, you can answer customer "where is my delivery" calls in seconds and rebalance work on what's actually happening. When reports slow down, a stationary marker can look like a problem when the driver is simply in a low-coverage spot. Knowing what drives the timing lets you set drivers up for the strongest, most consistent signal — and stay calm when a gap is normal.
How updates reach the map
A driver starts the route
The driver opens the Upper Route Planner driver app and begins their assigned route. Location reporting is tied to an active route — there's no separate switch to flip on the dashboard.
The phone sends its position
While the route is in progress, the driver's device reports its location to your dispatch dashboard over the phone's internet connection.
Live Tracking shows the latest position
Open Track → Live Tracking and select the route plan. Each active driver appears on the map with their current position, route line, and stop pins, plus a per-driver card showing stops done, ETA, and average speed.
ETA and average speed on each driver card are derived from the route and historical traffic data, not live traffic. Average speed shows N/A until the route is in progress.
What affects how often the map refreshes
The exact refresh timing isn't fixed — it depends on conditions on the driver's side. The biggest factor is the phone's connection: when a device loses signal, its position can't reach the dashboard until it reconnects. In strong-coverage areas the map keeps up closely; in weak-coverage areas you'll see longer gaps between updates.
Before assuming a slow or frozen marker is a problem, check the basics: the driver has actually started the route in the app, the app has location permission on their phone, and the phone has a data or Wi-Fi connection. Those three things cover most "the map isn't updating" cases.
What you'll see during a coverage gap
- The driver's marker stays at their last reported position until the next update arrives.
- Stop statuses and ETA stop refreshing while the device is out of contact.
- When the phone reconnects, the map catches up — the marker jumps to the current position and any completed-stop updates come through.
This pause-and-resume behavior is expected on routes that pass through rural areas, parking garages, basements, or dense city blocks. For the full picture of what keeps working on the driver's phone during these gaps — including proof of delivery — see What happens when a driver goes offline.
Troubleshooting
Related
Dispatch routes to drivers
Dispatch routes in Upper with Share to Drivers — push to drivers' phones now, schedule ahead of the shift, or reassign a route to another driver.
What happens when a driver goes offline
When a driver loses internet in Upper, live tracking pauses but the driver keeps working the route, and completed-stop data syncs once the phone reconnects.