Dispatcher FAQ
Why did an order suddenly get reassigned to a different driver?
A driver with better priority became available — for example an idle driver at the store, or an internal driver where before only an external one was free. See When an order changes driver for the exact rules.
Why is an order still unassigned after a run?
Under normal conditions every order should end up assigned: to your own fleet, to a carrier, through a fallback pass, or via the Last-Option safety net. An order still unassigned at the end of a cycle usually points to one of these:
- Genuine capacity shortage — no available driver, own or Third-Party, can reach the customer within the accepted delivery window.
- Zone / driver-type mismatch — the order's zone doesn't allow the type of drivers currently available. Note that leaving a zone's allowed own-driver types empty blocks all own drivers from it entirely.
- Incomplete order data — for example missing or invalid delivery coordinates.
- A technical problem during that run — worth flagging if it repeats for the same store.
It will be retried automatically on the very next cycle, but if it happens often it's worth investigating rather than treating as routine.
What is Last-Option, and does it mean my order gets worse service?
Last-Option is a final, same-cycle safety net for orders the normal process couldn't place. It relaxes the usual delivery-time check to avoid leaving an order completely unassigned, so it may accept a slightly later estimated arrival — but only when no better alternative exists, and only after the normal process has had its full attempt. See Last-Option: the final safety net.
Why can't I turn a plan on or off just by editing it?
Editing a plan only updates its stored configuration. It does not start or stop the automatic cycle. Always use the dedicated Activate and Pause actions. See Scheduling plans: how the automatic cycle works.
What does enabling Priority Customers (Platinum) actually change?
It adds an evaluation step that tries to protect Platinum orders from being delivered late — but only if doing so doesn't harm too many regular orders at the same time. If it isn't enabled, Platinum orders are treated exactly like any other order. See Priority Customers (Platinum).
How often does the dispatcher actually run?
Whatever run interval you set on the plan — minimum 60 seconds, maximum 300. If a run fails, the schedule doesn't break; the next run is still scheduled normally.
Can an order already with a Third-Party carrier move back to my own fleet?
Yes, but only before the carrier's driver has left the store with it, and only if two things are true: the order is still inside the carrier's free-cancellation window, and an own driver with capacity is available right then. Even so, the switch only happens if the cancellation with the carrier succeeds first. If any of that isn't met, the order simply stays with the carrier and nothing changes. See Re-checking orders already with a carrier.
A carrier looks like it has plenty of drivers, so why is it "full" for my store?
Carrier capacity is a single shared pool per store, per carrier company — not a per-courier limit. See the capacity note in Scheduling plans: how the automatic cycle works.
Why did a run appear to do nothing for one of my stores?
If nothing has changed for that store since the last run, it is deliberately skipped rather than re-processed. See The assignment cycle, step by step.