Set driver break times
Turn scheduled breaks on or off for a driver in Upper. Uncheck No Break Required in the Shift Schedule section so the optimizer reserves break time on routes.
Every driver in Upper has break settings on their user profile, in the Shift Schedule section. Leave No Break Required checked for flexible scheduling, or uncheck it to reserve a break window so the optimizer plans each route around it.
Upper uses driver and delivery labels by default, but a workspace can be set to show Technician and Service instead. If your account uses those labels, you'll see "Users/Technicians" and "Edit User" with the same Shift Schedule section described below.
Why breaks matter
A break is real time off the road. If the optimizer doesn't know about it, ETAs drift and a time-window stop can be scheduled when the driver is actually on break. Reserving the break window keeps route durations honest and customer notifications accurate.
Before you start
- Where it lives — Break settings are part of the driver's user profile under Manage → Users, in the Shift Schedule section.
- What you'll set — Either No Break Required (flexible), or unchecked so a break window applies.
- Know the break policy — Compliance breaks are usually fixed; flexible breaks are often better left as No Break Required so the optimizer has more room to sequence stops.
Turn a break on or off
Open the Users page
In the left sidebar, go to Manage → Users.
Open the driver's actions
Click the kebab (…) menu in the Action column for that driver.
Choose Edit User
Select Edit User to open the slide-in drawer.
Set the break in Shift Schedule
In the Shift Schedule section:
- Leave No Break Required checked to let the driver break flexibly between stops.
- Uncheck No Break Required to reserve a scheduled break. Break start and end fields appear so you can set the window.
Save
Click Save.
Break options
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| No Break Required (checked) | The driver works without a reserved break. The optimizer doesn't hold a fixed window, though routes still finish within the shift end time. |
| No Break Required (unchecked) | A break window applies. The optimizer reserves the break and factors it into the route's total time. |
How breaks affect routing
When you run optimization, Upper uses each driver's break setting to build a feasible plan:
- A reserved break is factored into the route's total time.
- Stops are sequenced around the break window rather than over it.
- ETAs and route duration include the break time.
For short shifts, No Break Required is often the cleaner setting — the driver can pause between stops without the optimizer holding a fixed window. Reserve a break when you need it documented or scheduled at a specific time.
Troubleshooting
Related
Reset a driver's password as an admin
Reset any driver's password from Upper's Manage → Users list. Set a new password in the row action menu, then share the credentials so the driver can log back in.
Set driver break times and durations
Set a driver's break in Upper from the Shift Schedule section. Uncheck No Break Required, then set Break Start and Break End so the optimizer plans around it.