Create routes for multiple drivers
Add every stop to one route in Upper, select your drivers, and let multi-driver optimization split and sequence the stops across your fleet in a single pass.
Upper Route Planner runs multi-driver routing as a single job. You add all of your stops to one route, select the drivers you want to use, and Upper distributes the stops across them and sequences each driver's route in one optimization pass.
Why this matters
Building a separate route for each driver and hand-assigning stops is slow, and it tends to leave one driver overloaded while another finishes early. Multi-driver optimization treats every stop as one pool and assigns each stop based on the driver's start and end location, shift, and capacity — so the split is balanced and each driver's stop sequence is optimized at the same time.
Multi-driver workload distribution is part of the Optimize and Enterprise plans. On other plans the Workload Distribution option is shown with a Pro badge and prompts you to upgrade. You can still build a route and optimize a single driver on any plan.
Before you start
- At least two drivers in your workspace, each with a start and end location set. Without a start location, the optimizer has no anchor for that driver.
- A workload distribution mode in mind. Your account default lives in Settings > General > User Settings, and you can override it per route in Advanced Settings.
This article uses the default driver and delivery labels (Assign Drivers, Share to Drivers). Your workspace may be configured to show Technician and Service instead (for example, "Assign Technicians"). The steps are the same.
Build and optimize the route
Open Route Plan
Open Route Plan from the left sidebar.
Add every stop
Add all the stops you want to run for the day. Bulk import, manual entry, contacts, and tasks all land in the same stop list, so you do not need a separate route per driver.
Assign your drivers
Open the Assign Drivers tab and select each driver you want to include. You can select more drivers than you expect to need — modes like Min Drivers and Maximize Efficiency may choose to use fewer.
Choose a workload distribution mode
In Advanced Settings, set Workload Distribution:
- Auto Workload Balancing — the default; splits stops evenly across drivers
- Equalize Workload (Equal Stops) — same stop count per driver
- Balance Workload (Equal Time) — same drive time per driver
- Maximize Efficiency — reduces the total time to complete all stops
- Min Drivers — uses the fewest drivers possible
Run optimization
Click Optimize Route. Upper builds one optimized route per selected driver.
Review and dispatch
Review the split on the map and in the stop list. If something needs to move, re-run with Re-optimize Route. When the routes look right, use Share to Drivers to dispatch.
How multi-driver optimization works
Upper considers every stop as one pool, then assigns them based on:
- Each driver's start and end location
- Shift hours and vehicle capacity
- Any stops you have pre-assigned to specific drivers
- The workload distribution mode you chose
Each driver ends up with their own optimized sequence. After the run you can still move stops between drivers manually if a specific stop needs to land somewhere else.
Select more drivers than you think you need. Min Drivers and Maximize Efficiency may close out a driver early if the math says you do not need them, so a wider pool gives the optimizer room to produce a leaner result.
Optimize Route vs Quick Share
Multi-driver plans use Optimize Route, which runs full optimization and distributes stops across your selected drivers.
Quick Share is available for single-driver routes only — it preserves your exact stop sequence instead of re-ordering. When a route has more than one driver, Quick Share is disabled with the message:
Quick Share is only available for single-driver routes. For multiple drivers, please use Optimize Route.
Troubleshooting
Related
What happens when capacity is exceeded
When stops exceed your drivers' vehicle capacity in Upper, the optimizer can't fit everything and leaves the overflow as unscheduled stops for you to review.
Assign specific stops to specific drivers
Lock a stop to one or more chosen drivers in Upper with Pre-Assigned Drivers. The optimizer honors your choice and distributes the rest of the stops automatically.