Assigning Drivers to Multiple Rounds: What You Need to Know

Overview

Sometimes you need to assign the same driver to multiple rounds, to accomodate both morning and afternoon delivery. Urbantz allows this in certain situations, but it's important to understand when this setup works.
This guide will walk you through the dos and don'ts of multiple round assignments, so you can create efficient schedules without conflicts.

When it makes sense to assign one driver to multiple rounds

✅ These scenarios work well:

Reload rounds
Your driver finishes morning deliveries, returns to the hub, and gets more packages for an afternoon round. The rounds happen one after the other, so there's no conflict.
Morning and afternoon shifts
You plan separate time windows, such as 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM for the first round, then 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM for the second. This gives your driver time for lunch and avoids overlap.

❌ These scenarios will cause issues:

Overlapping time windows
If both rounds are scheduled for 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, your driver can'tperform two rounds at once. This creates impossible schedules.
Back-to-back rounds with no buffer time
Scheduling one round to end at 12:00 PM and another to start at 12:05 PM doesn't account for travel time or delays.
Manual assignment override without verification
Platform managers can manually assign drivers to multiple rounds, but this should only be done after carefully checking time compatibility.

How Urbantz protects you from conflicts

The warning message is your friend

When you try to assign a driver already working on another round, Urbantz shows a warning. This isn't an error; it's the system helping you.
You'll see two options:

• Assign: Puts the driver on both rounds (only choose this if the timing works)
• Switch: Swaps the drivers between the two rounds

When the warning doesn't appear

⚠️ Critical limitations to be aware of:
Creating multiple rounds simultaneously If you create multiple rounds at the same time without saving between them, you won't see the warning message. The system hasn't recorded the first assignment yet, so it doesn't alert you.
System memory limitations The warning message only appears for rounds that have already been saved to the system. For newly created rounds that haven't been saved, the backend server doesn't have the driver assignment in memory, so no warning will appear.
This is why the save-first approach is essential for safety.

Step-by-step: Creating multiple rounds safely

1. Plan your timing first

Before creating rounds, plan your time windows. Make sure there's enough gap between rounds.

2. Create and save your first round

• Set up your first round with all the tasks
• Assign your driver and vehicle
• Save the round - this step is crucial for the warning system to work

3. Create your second round

• Set up the second round
• When you assign the same driver, the warning message will appear
• This is normal and expected

4. Make your decision carefully

• Check that the time windows don't overlap
• Confirm your driver has enough travel time between rounds
• Verify this is a legitimate business case (reload round, sequential shifts)
• If everything looks good, click "Assign"

Avoiding common mistakes

Consider using "Hide drivers of ongoing rounds"

This option in the Round Creator prevents you from accidentally assigning busy drivers to new rounds.
 

Don't ignore the warnings

When Urbantz shows a warning, read it carefully. The system is trying to prevent problems.

Always save before creating additional rounds

This ensures the warning system can properly detect conflicts and alert you to potential issues.

What to do if something goes wrong

If you have conflicting assignments:

1. Go to the Round Editor
2. Manually reassign one of the rounds to a different driver
3. Or adjust the time windows so they don't overlap

If conflicts occur due to manual assignment: Remember that platform managers can manually override warnings. Always verify that:

1. The warning message was properly reviewed before confirming
2. Time windows are truly compatible before forcing assignment
3. The assignment serves a legitimate business purpose (reload rounds, sequential shifts)

If you're not seeing warning messages when you expect them:

1. Make sure you're saving each round before creating the next one
2. Check if you're creating multiple rounds simultaneously - this bypasses the warning system
3. Remember that warnings only appear for already-saved rounds

Understanding the root causes of conflicts

Most driver assignment conflicts occur due to:

1. Manual assignment without verification - Platform managers overriding warnings without checking time compatibility
2. Workflow issues - Creating multiple rounds without saving between them, which bypasses safety warnings

Need help with your specific setup? Our CSM team is here to help you optimize your delivery operations.