Add drivers during the free trial
Add drivers during your Upper free trial so you can test the full route flow, from dispatch to proof of delivery, before you commit to a paid plan.
You can add drivers while you are on your Upper free trial, so you can test the whole route flow end to end before you pay. The fastest way to see whether Upper fits your operation is to put at least one driver on a phone, dispatch a real route, and watch it run.
A quick note on labels: Upper uses "driver" and "delivery" by default, but your workspace may show "Technician" and "Service" instead. The steps are the same either way.
Why add a driver during the trial
Without a driver on a real device, you only see the dashboard side of Upper. Adding a driver — and ideally completing one test route — lets you see the parts that matter most:
- Routes arriving on the driver's phone after you dispatch
- Turn-by-turn navigation from the app
- Proof of delivery (photos, signatures, and notes) flowing back to the web app
- Live Tracking updating as the driver completes stops
Before you start
- Permissions — You need an Admin role to add users.
- A driver who can install the app — Pick someone with an iOS or Android phone and a few minutes to walk through setup. This can be you.
- Driver license availability — Each plan allows a set number of drivers. If you have reached the limit, the + Add User button shows an upgrade badge and opens an upgrade prompt instead of the add form.
Your plan sets how many drivers you can add. If you hit the limit during the trial, you'll see an upgrade prompt rather than the add form.
Add a driver during the trial
Open the Users page
In the left sidebar, go to Manage → Users.
Start a new user
Click + Add User. A drawer opens on the right.
Set the role and details
Set User Role to Driver, then fill in the required fields — Name and Email at minimum. You can also set the driver's vehicle settings, start and end addresses, and shift schedule.
When a user has the Driver role, Speed Limit is required before you can save.
Save
Click Save. The driver receives an email invitation to download the Upper Route Planner app for Technician and set up their account.
What drivers can do during the trial
A driver you add during the trial can do nearly everything a driver on a paid plan can. The trial includes the Professional feature set, with one exception: customer SMS notifications are not sent during the trial. From the mobile app a trial driver can:
- Receive and complete dispatched routes
- Navigate to stops (the per-driver Navigation Map setting hands off to Google, Apple, Waze, and others; In App Navigation is also available)
- Capture proof of delivery — images, signatures, and service notes
- Clock in and out if shift duration tracking is enabled
Their completed work surfaces back in the web app under Live Tracking, Tasks → Completed, and the Driver Timesheet Report in Analytics.
Add yourself as a stop on the route you dispatch so you can follow the route from the customer's side. Note that customer SMS notifications are not sent during the trial, so test the SMS flow once you're on a paid plan.
Get a test route onto the driver's phone
Adding the driver is only half the test. To actually see a route on their phone:
Build and assign the route
Build a route, then open the Assign Drivers tab and select the driver you added.
Dispatch it
For a single-driver route you can use Quick Share. For multiple drivers, use Optimize Route, then Share to Drivers from the Timeline view.
A route that has only been optimized is still a draft. The driver's app won't show it until you dispatch it with Quick Share or Share to Drivers.
Troubleshooting
Related
Add a new driver
Add a driver in Upper from Manage → Users. Set name, email, vehicle, start and end addresses, and shift, then the driver gets an email to download the app.
Add, edit, or remove drivers
Manage your driver roster in Upper from Manage → Users. Add a driver with vehicle and shift details, edit a profile, or remove a driver while keeping historical data.