Send routes to Garmin devices
Send an Upper route to a Garmin device by exporting it as a GPX file. Choose Export to GPX in the route's Export window, then load the file onto your Garmin.
You can send an Upper route to a Garmin device by exporting it as a GPX file. GPX is the standard format Garmin units read, so once you export the route you load the file onto the device and navigate from there.
This is a file export rather than a live connection — Upper builds the route, you download the .gpx, and the Garmin takes over for navigation.
Export to Garmin (GPX export) is available on the Professional, Optimize, and Enterprise plans, not Starter.
This article uses Upper's default labels (Driver, Share to Drivers). Your workspace may show Technician and Service instead — the wording is configurable, so the steps are the same either way.
Export the route as a GPX file
GPX export lives in the route's Export window, which you open from the route view after planning or optimizing the route.
Open the route and its Export window
Open the route you want to send, then open the Export window from the route view.
Choose Export to GPX
In the Export window, select Export to GPX instead of Export Route.
Select the driver
In the per-driver table, tick the driver whose route you want to export. Each row shows the driver, shift start and end, duration, and number of stops, so you can confirm you have the right route before exporting.
Click Export
Click Export. Upper generates the .gpx file and downloads it to your computer.
Load the file onto your Garmin
Transfer the downloaded .gpx file onto your Garmin device, then open it on the device to navigate the route's stops.
Each driver's route exports as its own GPX file. If you have several drivers on a plan, export and load each one separately so every Garmin gets the right route.
Garmin vs. the Upper driver app
Exporting to GPX is the right move when a driver navigates with a Garmin unit. If your drivers use a smartphone instead, the Upper Route Planner driver app is usually the better fit — it gives turn-by-turn navigation plus stop status updates, proof of delivery, and customer notifications, none of which a Garmin can do.
| Need | Best option |
|---|---|
| Driver navigates on a dedicated Garmin device | Export to GPX (this article) |
| Driver navigates on a phone and captures proof of delivery | Share the route to the driver app |
Troubleshooting
Related
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.
Share a route with a driver
Send a route to a driver in Upper. Push it to the driver app with Share to Drivers, or send a view-only share link by text or email as a backup.