Driver management is the work of getting drivers set up, giving them the right orders, knowing where they are, and learning from every run. When it lives in a group chat and a spreadsheet, dispatchers spend their day chasing updates. With driver management software and a proper driver app, drivers get clear instructions, dispatchers get live status, and customers get accurate ETAs. This guide covers onboarding, assigning and tracking drivers, with a checklist you can use this week.
Signs your driver management has outgrown the group chat
Most delivery teams start with texts and phone calls. It works for a few drivers. These are the signs it's time for something better:
- Dispatchers text drivers "where are you?" several times a shift.
- Drivers call the store to ask for the customer's phone number or a gate code.
- Nobody can say exactly when an order was picked up or dropped off.
- Proof of delivery is a photo in someone's camera roll, if it exists at all.
- A driver calls out and nobody knows which orders were theirs.
- Driver pay takes hours to reconcile at the end of the week.
Each of these costs time. Together, they cap how many deliveries your team can handle before quality drops.
Onboarding drivers
A driver's first day sets the tone. Make it simple and consistent.
Get them on the app
The FULFLLD driver app is available on iOS and Android. The dispatcher creates the driver's account and shares their login. Every plan includes unlimited driver accounts, so you can add seasonal or part-time drivers without worrying about seats.
Set location permissions
Live tracking only works if the app can see the driver's location during deliveries. On iPhone, drivers set location to "Always." On Android, they allow location access for the app. Check this on day one; it's the most common cause of "the driver isn't showing on the map."
Walk through the three delivery events
Every point-to-point delivery in the app moves through three steps: start pickup (in transit to pickup), order picked up (in transit to drop-off), and complete. Drivers press and hold to start each step, which prevents accidental taps. Practice one test order end to end before the first real shift.
Explain your proof of delivery rules
Tell drivers what you need at the door. Orders can require a photo, a signature, notes or an item checklist, and the app won't let the driver complete the order without them. Show examples of a good delivery photo and explain when to mark a delivery as failed and which reason to choose.
Assigning orders and routes
How you assign work depends on the kind of delivery.
- Point-to-point orders: open the order, pick a driver in the assignee field, and save. The order's marker on the map changes color so you can see it's assigned.
- Routed, multi-stop orders: group orders into a route on the map, let route optimization sequence the stops, and assign the route to a driver now or later.
- Automatic assignment: FULFLLD's auto-dispatch assigns orders to drivers, and the Advanced routing plan includes an AI dispatching assistant for larger operations.
- Overflow: when every driver is busy, send point-to-point orders to Uber, DoorDash or Roadie from the order card, or to a partner fleet's connected workspace.
Drivers see their assigned work in the app under "Today" and "All" tabs, in a map view or a list view, and get notifications when something new is assigned. If a driver calls out, reassign their orders or edit the route to change the driver, and the new driver sees the work right away.
Tracking drivers during the shift
Once drivers are on the road, the dispatcher's job shifts from assigning to watching for problems. On the FULFLLD map, each order's status updates as the driver moves through it: in transit to pickup, in transit to drop-off, then green for success or red for failure. The satellite map shows live traffic so you can see delays coming.
Dispatchers and drivers can message each other through dispatch–driver chat, and drivers can call or message the pickup and drop-off contacts directly from the order. That removes most of the "can you text me the number?" calls.
Customers benefit too. Because the app shares the driver's location, SMS rules can send live tracking links and alerts like "your driver is 2 stops away," and time-based rules can warn your team when an order is running late. Slack integration can push the same alerts to your team's channel.
Reviewing performance and pay
Driver management doesn't end when the shift does. Look at the data each week:
- On-time rate per driver. Who consistently hits windows, and who needs help.
- Failed deliveries and reasons. Patterns often point to bad addresses or training gaps, not bad drivers.
- Proof of delivery quality. Spot-check photos and coach drivers whose photos don't show the door or the order.
- Driver utilization. Whether you have too many drivers on slow shifts or too few on busy ones.
FULFLLD's restaurant plan includes driver pay calculation, and the Advanced routing plan adds route summary emails with downloadable reports and advanced analytics for teams that want to dig deeper. Use the numbers in one-on-ones, and recognize the drivers who make the operation work.
Driver management checklist
- Create driver accounts and share logins before day one.
- Confirm each driver's location permission is set correctly.
- Run one test order end to end with every new driver.
- Write a one-page proof of delivery and failed-delivery policy.
- Set default order requirements so proof can't be skipped.
- Decide how orders are assigned: manual, routes, auto-dispatch or overflow.
- Have a call-out plan: who reassigns orders and how fast.
- Turn on customer SMS with tracking links.
- Review on-time rate, failures and photo quality weekly.
To see how drivers, dispatch, tracking and proof fit together, take a look at the FULFLLD platform overview or our page on proof of delivery.
Ready to retire the driver group chat? Book a demo and we'll set up a test driver with you.