Choose when drivers can start and finish work
Keep drivers aligned with promised times while allowing the preparation, travel, and waiting your operation needs.
Separate the three decisions
| Decision | Setting | Example |
|---|---|---|
| May the route begin before its schedule? | Route start time | A 9:00 a.m. route should remain unavailable until 9:00, or allow an early start with a reminder. |
| May a stop be completed before its window? | Stop time windows and Stop early buffer | A driver can arrive and wait, but should not complete an early handoff beyond the allowed grace. |
| Should starting the route begin travel too? | Route start behavior | Start a route to prepare at the depot, then begin travel separately. |
These driver policies apply even when automatic dispatch is off. The time a job is assigned is a separate choice described in Automatic dispatch.
Choose the route-start policy
As a site administrator, open Settings → Site Settings. Under Auto Dispatcher → Driver timing, set Route start time:
- Hard: the driver cannot start a pending scheduled route before its scheduled start. Use it when that time is a firm release point.
- Soft: the driver can start early and receives a reminder about the scheduled time. Use it when the driver may reasonably begin earlier.
The route's scheduled start controls this check. It is separate from a job schedule or a stop's Complete After time. A dispatcher can move the route's scheduled start when an earlier departure is approved.
There is no route-start early-buffer setting in this flow. The stop buffer below applies to completing a stop.
Choose how early completion works
In the same Driver timing area, set Stop time windows:
- Soft: allow early completion, flag the stop, and warn the driver.
- Hard: block the driver's completion until the allowed time, including the early buffer.
A stop's Complete After sets its opening time. If there is no Complete After value, the job's scheduled time is used when present. If neither exists, there is no early-completion window to enforce.
Stop early buffer (minutes) sets the grace before that opening time. The default is 15; entering 0 also uses 15. Enter -1 only when you intend to disable early-window checks entirely.
With a 15-minute buffer, completion is allowed from 9:45. Under Hard, an attempt at 9:40 is blocked; under Soft, it is allowed with a warning. An arrival at 9:40 can still be recorded so the driver can wait.
Arrival is never blocked by these early-window rules. Late arrivals and completions can be warned about but are not blocked. Dispatchers can override stop timing; changing the stop's Complete After value is a targeted way to correct an approved exception.
Choose the default start action
In Settings → Site Settings → Driver workflow, choose Route start behavior:
- Start route only: begin the route while leaving the first stop unstarted. Useful when the driver needs to load, review, or prepare before traveling.
- Start route and first stop: begin the route and start travel toward its first eligible stop. Useful when starting the route normally means departing.
Drivers can still choose to start the route only and begin travel later. Starting the first stop does not mark arrival or complete its required proof.
Select Save settings after choosing the policies. Confirm that drivers understand the intended action, especially when changing an existing team's default.
Test a realistic schedule
- In a test site, prepare a route with a future scheduled start and a test driver who has no other started route.
- Open that route in the Driver App before its start time. Under Hard, verify it cannot start; under Soft, verify that an early start shows the reminder.
- Check the selected route-start behavior: starting only the route should leave travel to the first stop for a separate action.
- Use a stop with a known Complete After time. Record an early arrival and verify that arrival is allowed.
- Attempt completion before the buffer-adjusted time, then at or after it. Verify the chosen Hard or Soft behavior.
- Check any required proof of work too. Passing the time check does not satisfy unfinished evidence requirements.
Review the resulting route and stop times in the Dashboard so your team can distinguish preparation, travel, arrival, and completion.
Troubleshooting
The route cannot start even though the first stop is open
Check the route's own scheduled start and Route start time policy. Also check whether the driver already has a started route or an assignment awaiting confirmation.
The driver can arrive but cannot complete
That is expected under Hard stop windows before the allowed completion time. Check Complete After, the job schedule fallback, and the stop early buffer. Required proof can separately prevent completion.
Setting the buffer to 0 still permits early completion
0 means the default 15-minute grace. It does not mean zero grace. Choose a supported positive buffer for the intended allowance; use -1 only to disable early checks.
The driver completed late
Late completion is allowed so the driver can record what actually happened. Review the warning and the operational cause rather than expecting the stop to become impossible to close.
For the driver's everyday steps, see Use the Driver App.