Driver classification and priority
Drivers are ranked by three things: their current status, their type, and how close they are to the store.
By status
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Idle | Has zero orders currently assigned — fully available |
| Waiting | Has orders assigned, but none have left the store yet |
| On The Way | Has at least one order already out for delivery |
By type
| Type | Description | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Internal delivery driver | Your dedicated delivery staff | Highest |
| Internal kitchen staff (can deliver) | Kitchen staff who can also deliver when needed | Medium |
| External / own-fleet contractor | Externally contracted own-fleet driver | Lower |
| Third-Party carrier | External delivery platform | Used per zone and configuration rules |
Status and location combined
The "At-Store Zone" is roughly 350 metres from the store.
| Category | Status | Location | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idle | At store | Highest |
| 2 | Idle | Away from store | High |
| 3 | Waiting | At store | Medium |
| 4 | Waiting | Away from store | Lower |
| 5 | On The Way | Out delivering | Lowest |
The reasoning is straightforward: an idle driver already at the store is the fastest possible option, so they are always preferred. A driver already out delivering is the last resort, since assigning them a new order means adding it to an existing route.
Where "at store versus away" actually matters
This distinction is not only used for the ranking above. It changes real decisions in several places:
- Assignment speed. An idle driver at the store is assigned instantly, with no further checks. An idle driver away from the store must first pass a delivery-time check.
- Reassignment priority. It is one of the main factors when deciding whether to move an order to a different driver — see When an order changes driver.
- Arrival tracking. When a driver is confirmed at the store as an order is assigned to them, an arrival timestamp is recorded on that order.
- Pickup Delay alarms. The same determination triggers the alarm warning that a driver has been at the store too long without leaving with a ready order.
- Frozen-driver detection. A driver considered "at the store" is never flagged as stuck — being at the store is a valid, expected state.
- Driver status in operational screens. Labels such as "At Branch", "On The Way" or "Away" come from this same check.
- Whether the dispatcher re-runs at all. If no driver's at-store status has changed since the last run — along with everything else being unchanged — the store may be skipped. See The assignment cycle, step by step.
Upcoming change, currently in internal testing. Today, whether a driver counts as "at the store" uses an estimated driving distance compared against the ~350 m threshold, not a straight-line distance. This is being replaced by a straight-line ("as the crow flies") calculation, because a driving-route estimate can be inaccurate right around a store. The change is not yet active for all accounts; this page will be updated once it ships.