Configure default time windows
Set the delivery hours Upper plans around: a driver's working schedule bounds the route, and per-stop time windows pin individual customers to a slot.
A time window tells Upper Route Planner when a stop can be served. Upper works with two layers: each driver's working Schedule, which bounds when their route can run, and a per-stop time window, which pins an individual customer to an earliest and latest arrival time. Set the schedule once, add per-stop windows only where a customer needs a specific slot, and the optimizer sequences the day to fit.
Why this matters
If your drivers work 8 AM to 5 PM, you don't want a route sequenced to arrive at 6 AM or 7 PM. A driver's working Schedule keeps the whole route inside their shift. Then, for the customers who need a tighter slot — a 9-to-11 receiving dock, an after-noon-only delivery — you add a per-stop window. Everyone else just rides along inside the driver's hours.
Before you start
- Working hours — Have each driver's typical start and end time on hand, plus whether they take a break.
- Tight-window customers — Know which customers actually require a specific slot. Apply per-stop windows only to those; over-using them makes the optimizer work harder for less efficient routes.
Your workspace may show Technician / Service labels instead of Driver / Delivery (for example "Proof of Service" rather than "Proof of Delivery"). Both label sets refer to the same features. This article uses the driver/delivery labels.
The two layers
| Layer | What it does | Where it's set |
|---|---|---|
| Driver Schedule | Bounds when a driver's route can run (their shift) | Settings > General > Schedule Settings |
| Per-stop time window | Pins one stop to an earliest/latest arrival time | On the stop (import or edit) |
A stop with no per-stop window can be served any time within the driver's working hours. A stop with a per-stop window must be reached inside that window. The optimizer treats per-stop windows as constraints — it sequences stops so each one is reached in time, accounting for drive time and service time at preceding stops.
Set a driver's working schedule
The Schedule Settings page defines a driver's shift, break, and start/end locations.
Go to Settings in the left sidebar (under Manage).
Open Schedule Settings under the General group.
Set the Schedule — a start time, To, and an end time (for example, 8 AM to 4 PM).
Set the Break Time if the driver takes one, or check No Break Required.
Enter the Start Location and End Location — the points the route begins and ends at (the driver's depot or home base).
Save.
Set a time window on a specific stop
Per-stop windows live with the stop, not in Settings. There are two ways to set them.
During import
Add time window columns to your spreadsheet — an earliest arrival time and a latest arrival time. A stop can carry up to two windows (for example, a morning slot and an afternoon slot), so you can include a second pair of columns.
Upload the file and map the time window columns during column mapping.
Imported stops use the windows you provided; stops with empty time-window cells stay open to any time within the driver's working hours.
On an existing stop
Open the stop from the route or your contacts.
Edit the time window fields.
Save.
Set service time on each stop alongside the time window. The window says when the driver can arrive; service time says how long the stop takes once they're there. The optimizer uses both, and ETAs only match reality when both are honest.
Tight time windows reduce the optimizer's flexibility. The more stops locked to narrow windows, the harder the optimizer works and the less efficient the route can become. Use tight windows only where the customer genuinely requires one.
Common scenarios
- Most customers are flexible — Set the driver's working Schedule and leave individual stops open. The optimizer fits them all inside the shift.
- A handful of customers need a strict slot — Add per-stop windows to just those stops during import. Leave everyone else open.
- A customer has two acceptable slots — Give that stop two windows (morning and afternoon). The optimizer picks whichever fits the route better.
- Different drivers run different hours — Set each driver's Schedule to their own shift.
Troubleshooting
Related
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Use App Config to control which actions drivers can take in Upper's mobile app — create routes, add or edit stops, reverse a route, and more — for your whole team.