Create your first route
Plan, optimize, and dispatch your first route in Upper: add your stops, assign a driver, optimize the sequence, and share it to the mobile app.
This is the core Upper workflow, end to end: take a set of stops, assign a driver, let Upper find the most efficient order, and send the finished route to the driver's phone. Most teams run their first route within a few minutes.
Before you start
- You have at least one driver added under Manage → Users, with a start location set.
- You have your stops ready — addresses to type in, a spreadsheet to import, or saved Contacts.
Step-by-step
Open Route Plan and create a route
In the left sidebar, go to Plan → Route Plan, then click Create Route. Upper opens the route builder and gives the route a default name (like "Route Plan - 12") that you can rename.
Name the route and set the date
Click the route name to rename it, and set the Start date for the day the route should run.
Add your stops
On the Add Stops tab, choose how to bring stops in:
- Add Stop Manually — type an address one at a time (with autocomplete).
- Import with Preview — upload a
.csv,.xls, or.xlsxfile, map your columns, and review before importing. (Use Download the Sample for a template.) - From Contacts — pull saved customers from your address book.
- On the map — drop or select pins to add a location.
Imported addresses are checked automatically; a red validation icon appears if any need a fix (not found, needs review, or duplicate).
Only the address is required to create a stop. Names, phone numbers, time windows, and notes are optional — but adding a phone or email lets Upper send that customer delivery notifications.
Assign your driver
Open the Assign Drivers tab and select the driver (or drivers) for this route. Each driver's vehicle type and shift hours feed the optimizer.
If your workspace uses field-service terms, this tab is labelled Assign Technicians — same thing.
Optimize the route
Click Optimize Route. Upper sequences every stop for the fastest run, respecting time windows, shift hours, and your settings. With more than one driver selected, it also splits the stops across the team.
You need at least one driver assigned and two or more stops to optimize.
Review the result
Check the optimized route on the map and the Timeline view (stops on a time axis with ETAs). Drag a stop to reorder it if local knowledge beats the optimizer, then re-optimize if you make bigger changes.
Share it to your driver
Click Share to Drivers. Choose Share Now to dispatch immediately, or Schedule to send it at a set time. The route appears in the driver's mobile app, and the route status moves from Ready for Dispatch to Dispatched.
(For a single driver, Quick Share sends the route as-is without optimizing.)
What happens next
- Your driver opens the route in the mobile app, taps a stop to navigate (Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, and other apps are supported, plus Upper's in-app navigation), and marks each stop complete with proof of delivery — a photo, signature, and notes.
- As the driver works, the route status moves to In Transit, then Completed.
- If you've set up customer notifications, Upper automatically texts or emails each customer an ETA and a live tracking link.
Route statuses
A route moves through these states:
Draft → Ready for Dispatch → Dispatched → In Transit → Completed
Troubleshooting
- The Optimize button doesn't do anything — confirm at least one driver is selected and every stop has a valid address (no red validation flags).
- A stop won't optimize — open the red validation icon to see flagged addresses; fix or remove them, then optimize again.
- The driver doesn't see the route — make sure they're logged into the mobile app, and that you used Share to Drivers (not just saved the route).
Related
Bring your stops into Upper
All the ways to get stops into Upper: type them in, import a spreadsheet, pull from contacts or tasks, drop pins on the map, or connect your store or system.
Set up customer notifications
Turn on automatic SMS and email updates so your customers get an ETA and a live tracking link as their delivery moves through the day.