Assign a vehicle to a driver
Set a driver's vehicle type, dimensions, and driving preferences on their Upper profile so route optimization respects road access, clearances, and capacity.
Vehicle and routing settings live on each driver's profile in Upper. The optimizer reads them to decide which roads a driver can use, how stops are sequenced, and how the day's routes are built.
Upper uses driver and delivery labels by default, but a workspace can be set to show Technician and Service instead. If your account reads "Technician," it's the same screens and steps described here.
Why the vehicle setting matters
The same stop list produces very different routes for a van and a box truck. When the vehicle is set correctly, the optimizer respects road access, height and width restrictions, and any capacity limits automatically. Leave it unset and you can get routes that look fine on the map but don't work for that vehicle on the road.
Before you start
- You'll need access to edit driver profiles (an Admin or Dispatch Manager role).
- Have the vehicle details ready: type, and — if you're using clearance-aware routing — height and width in meters.
- A driver with the Driver role must have a Speed Limit set, so have that value on hand too.
Configure a driver's vehicle
Open the driver list
In the left sidebar, go to Manage → Users.
Open the profile
To set up a new driver, click + Add User. For an existing driver, click the kebab menu (…) on their row and choose Edit User. The profile opens as a slide-in panel.
Set the vehicle and routing fields
In the vehicle / routing section, set:
- Vehicle Type — for example Car or Truck. This is the most important field for road access.
- Vehicle Height and Vehicle Width — in meters, used to avoid roads with clearance or width restrictions.
- Max Stops — an optional cap on stops per route (defaults to No limit).
- Speed Limit — a numeric value used in route timing. This is required when the driver has the Driver role.
- Avoid — choose None, Highways, or Highways and Tolls (None by default).
- Navigation Map — the app used for turn-by-turn handoff (Google by default).
- Curbside Service — the road side preference for approaching stops.
Save
Click Save to apply the settings to the driver's profile.
Vehicle Type is the single most valuable field to get right. Even without dimensions, choosing Truck tells the optimizer to keep that driver off roads where trucks aren't allowed. Add height and width on top for clearance-aware routing.
How each setting affects routing
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Type | Road access — for example, keeping trucks off restricted streets |
| Vehicle Height / Width | Avoids roads with clearance or width restrictions |
| Max Stops | Optional cap on the number of stops per route |
| Speed Limit | Used in route timing and ETAs |
| Avoid | Whether routes use highways and tolls |
| Curbside Service | Preferred road side when approaching stops |
ETAs in Upper are based on historical traffic data, not a live traffic feed.
Troubleshooting
If you can't confirm a routing result for a specialized use case (for example, side-of-road sequencing for residential waste collection), test it on a sample route before relying on it, or contact support@upperinc.com.
Related
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.
Assign vehicles to drivers
Set each driver's vehicle type, dimensions, and driving preferences in Upper so the optimizer routes your whole multi-driver fleet correctly in one pass.