Schedule routes in advance
Plan routes ahead in Upper by setting a future start date, then use Share to Drivers > Schedule to send each route to drivers automatically before the shift.
Upper Route Planner lets you build routes for an upcoming day and have them reach your drivers automatically, instead of dispatching manually at the start of every shift. You set the route's start date when you plan it, then use Share to Drivers and its Schedule tab to send the route ahead of the shift. The plan lives in Upper now; it lands in the driver app on the timing you choose.
Why this matters
Dispatchers want to plan the next day's routes the night before. Scheduling lets you do exactly that: build and optimize the route now, set when the share should fire, and walk away. Drivers get their route automatically before their shift, with no one having to push it at 5 AM.
Before you start
- Plan requirement — Sharing and scheduling a route is available on every plan, including Starter.
- A built, optimized route — Scheduling sends a route, so you need one ready first. Optimize it and assign your drivers before you schedule.
- The driver mobile app — Drivers receive scheduled routes in the Upper Route Planner driver app (iOS and Android).
Default labels in this article are Assign Drivers and Share to Drivers. Your workspace may show Assign Technicians and Share To Technician instead — the label set is configurable per workspace, so the buttons map one-to-one even if the wording differs.
Step 1 — Build the route for a future date
Set the route's date while you plan it, so the work is dated correctly before you schedule the share.
Create the route
Go to Route Plan in the left sidebar and click + Create Route.
Set the start date
In the route builder, set the Start date using the date picker to the day the work happens.
Add stops and assign drivers
Add your stops on the Add Stops tab, then assign drivers on the Assign Drivers tab.
Optimize the route
Run Optimize Route so the stops are sequenced and the route is ready to dispatch.
The route now exists in Route Plan, dated for the future day, but it hasn't been sent to drivers yet.
Step 2 — Schedule when the route is shared
Scheduling lives inside Share to Drivers. Instead of sending the route immediately, you choose how far ahead of the shift it should be sent.
Open Share to Drivers
Open the route and click Share to Drivers, or use Share To Technician from the route's "…" (Action) menu in My Route Plan.
Switch to the Schedule tab
The share dialog has two tabs: Share Now and Schedule. Select Schedule.
Choose a Schedule Time
Pick a Schedule Time — the route is sent that far before the shift start time. The built-in options are:
| Schedule Time | When the route is sent |
|---|---|
| Before 15 min | 15 minutes before |
| Before 30 min | 30 minutes before |
| Before 1 hour | 1 hour before |
| Before 2 hour | 2 hours before |
| Before 4 hour | 4 hours before |
| Custom | Set your own timing |
Schedule for your drivers
Confirm with Schedule for All to schedule the route for the drivers assigned to it.
For early-morning teams, schedule the share the evening before. Drivers open the app at the start of their shift and the day's route is already there — no calls, no waiting on the dispatcher.
What scheduling does
- The route stays in Route Plan and isn't sent to drivers until the scheduled time.
- At that time, Upper sends the route to the assigned drivers' apps automatically.
- You don't need to be online when the share fires.
- The route remains editable in Route Plan while you wait.
Common scenarios
- Evening pre-planning — Build and optimize tomorrow's routes after hours, then schedule each share ahead of the driver's shift.
- Staggered shift starts — Each route is sent relative to its own shift start, so drivers on different start times each get their route at the right moment.
- Weekend coverage — Plan the weekend's routes on Friday and schedule the shares, so they reach drivers without anyone dispatching on Saturday or Sunday.
- A week of routes at once — Plan several days of routes in advance and schedule each one for its day.
Troubleshooting
Related
Route statuses
Upper's five route statuses — Draft, Ready For Dispatch, Dispatched, In Transit, Completed — show where each route sits in its lifecycle so you can triage at a glance.
Search for a stop within a route
Use the Search field in Upper's route stop list to find a single stop fast — by name, address, or other details — without scrolling a long route.