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.
Each driver's break lives on their profile in Upper, inside the Shift Schedule section. Uncheck No Break Required and set when the break starts and ends, and Upper plans the route around that window.
The break duration is simply the span between the Break Start and Break End times you enter — set those two times and the length follows.
Upper uses "driver" and "delivery" by default, but these labels are configurable per workspace. Your account may show "Technician" and "Service" instead. The steps are the same either way.
Why this matters
A mid-shift break is real time off the road. If Upper doesn't know about it, ETAs drift and stops can get scheduled when the driver is unavailable. Setting the break start and end keeps route duration honest and customer notifications accurate.
Before you start
- Where to find it — Open the driver's profile from Manage → Users.
- Permissions — You need an admin-level account to edit a driver's profile.
- Know the break policy — Compliance breaks (labor rules) are usually a fixed window; flexible breaks may be better left to No Break Required so the optimizer has more freedom.
Set break start and end
Open Users
Go to Manage → Users in the left sidebar.
Open the driver's profile
Click the kebab (…) action menu on the driver's row, then select Edit User.
Find the Shift Schedule section
Scroll to Shift Schedule. You'll see the shift Start time and End time alongside the No Break Required checkbox.
Turn the break on
Uncheck No Break Required. The Break Start and Break End time fields appear.
Set the break window
Enter the Break Start and Break End times. The time between them is the break duration.
Save
Save the profile. The break now applies the next time you plan routes for this driver.
How breaks affect routing
- Upper reserves the break window when sequencing stops.
- Total route duration and ETAs account for the break time.
- The break is placed between the start and end times you set.
For drivers who break opportunistically between stops, leave No Break Required checked. The optimizer then has more room to sequence stops while total route duration still respects the shift end time.
Common scenarios
- Fixed lunch from 12:00 to 12:30 — Uncheck No Break Required, set Break Start to 12:00 and Break End to 12:30.
- Break taken opportunistically between stops — Leave No Break Required checked.
- Compliance break on a long shift — Set the break explicitly so the window is documented and the optimizer honors it.
Troubleshooting
Related
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.
Set driver capacity limits
Set each driver's vehicle capacity in Upper from the driver profile, so routing respects how much each vehicle can carry. Here's where to enter it and what to know.