This guide explains how new InstaDispatch users can assign pickup and delivery drops/jobs to Agents or Drivers from the Route Planner. It covers both normal orders and multi-drop / multi-stop orders. 

What are Drops / Jobs in InstaDispatch? 

In InstaDispatch, when an order is booked, the system creates drops for that order.

For a standard pickup and delivery order, two drops are usually created:

1
Pickup Drop

Denoted as (P) this is a drop from where the driver collects the shipment.

2
Delivery Drop

Denoted as (D) this is a drop where the driver delivers the shipment.

Pickup and Delivery drops for order 18604609684 in the Unassigned panel.

If you only want a delivery drop to be created, you can use the Drop-Off feature.[Note: If drop-off feature is enabled means the parcel does not need to be picked up and only delivery drop is created in the system]. Follow the Booking Validations Guide to know how to enable the Drop-off feature. 

For a multi-stop / multi-drop order, one order can contain multiple pickup and delivery points. This means the same order may have more than two drops, depending on how many collection and delivery locations are added. The uploaded reference notes confirm that a normal order creates pickup and delivery drops, while a multi-stop order can contain multiple pickup and delivery drops under one order. 

Unassigned panel showing a normal order with 3 drops and a multi-drop order with 6 stops, with drop markers visible on the Northampton map.

Where do unassigned drops appear? 

When an order is booked, the drops appear in the Route Planner under the Unassigned tab.

You can view unassigned drops in two ways:

  • List / Grid View
     The drops are shown in the right-side panel under the Unassigned tab.
  • Map View
     The drops are also visible as markers on the map.

Route Planner map view with unassigned Pickup and Delivery drop markers across London and Northampton.

Before you begin


Before assigning drops to an Agent, make sure:

  • The order has already been created.
  • The drops are visible under the Unassigned tab.
  • The Agent/Driver has already been created in the system.
  • The Agent has access to the Driver App if they need to process the route from the mobile app.
  • You know whether you want to assign:
    • A single pickup/delivery order
    • Multiple selected drops
    • A complete multi-drop order
    • Multiple multi-drop orders together

Part A: Assigning Non-Multi-Drop Orders to Agents

This process is used when you want to assign normal pickup and delivery drops to an Agent.

1
Go to Route Planner

Go to Orders from the Side Panel on the dashboard, select Assign Orders, this will open the Route Planner dashboard.

Orders menu with Assign Orders option highlighted.

2
Select the drops you want to assign

You can select drops in either of these ways:

Option 1: Select drops from the Unassigned Tab

In the right-side Unassigned panel, tick the checkbox beside the drop you want to assign.

You can select one drop or multiple drops. Once selected, the chosen drops will be highlighted so you can confirm you have selected the correct jobs.

Two drops selected on the map using the polygon tool, with the Plan Route button ready to assign.

Option 2: Select drops from the map

You can also select drops directly from the map using the map selection tools.

For example, you can use the polygon or drawing tool to draw around a group of drops. This is useful when you want to assign drops from the same area to one Agent.

Rectangle drawing tool used on the map to select multiple drops in an area, with 3 drops auto-selected in the Unassigned panel.

Option 3: Select drops from the map and list both

You can also select drops from the list as well as from the map  

All 6 drops selected via rectangle tool, including a 4-stop multi-drop order and 2 individual drops, ready to Plan Route.

3
Plan Route

After selecting the required drops, click the Plan Route button (from Map or List).

Plan Route button highlighted on both the map toolbar and Unassigned panel after selecting drops.

A pop-up will open showing the selected drops. This screen allows you to review the route before assigning it to an Agent.

Plan Route pop-up showing 2 drops in sequence with Assign/Save Route button.

4
Review the selected drops

In the Plan Route pop-up, check the selected pickup and delivery drops.

You should review:

  • Pickup location
  • Delivery location
  • Drop type: Pickup or Delivery
  • Order sequence
  • Date and time window, if available
  • Customer or service details, if shown

This is the stage where the dispatcher confirms that the right jobs have been selected before route assignment.

5
Arrange the drop sequence

If required, you can manually change the order of drops.

Drop sequence showing Pickup at stop 1 and Delivery at stop 2, with drag handles to reorder.

Simply hold the drop using the red square box and drag and drop the selected drops up or down to adjust the route sequence.

Note

The sequence you set here is important because the same order of execution will be shown to the Agent on the Driver App after assignment.

6
Optimize route or calculate ETA, if required

From the route planning screen, you may optimize the route or calculate ETA if the feature is available in your account.

The Route Optimization & ETA feature is a paid add-on. However, it can be tested during the trial period based on the account setup. 

The users can still assign the route without calculating ETA if ETA is not required.

Use this feature when you want the system to help calculate a better route order and estimated arrival times. [ You can refer the detailed guide on how Route Optimization & ETA feature works here]

Note

You can still assign drops to the Agent without ETA calculation.

7
Click “Assign / Save Route”

After reviewing the drops and sequence, click Assign / Save Route.

Assign panel open with Route Name and Driver fields, showing Assign and Save Route buttons.

A section will appear asking for route details.

You will usually need to enter:

  1. Route Name
     Add a clear route name so the route can be easily identified later.
     Example:

    • Oxford Morning Route
    • London Same Day Route
    • Route 1 – 24 April
    • Agent Name + Area
  2. Driver / Agent
     Select the Agent or Driver from the dropdown list.
     The dropdown will show the Drivers/Agents already created in the system.
8
Click “Assign”

After selecting the Agent, click Assign.

This assigns the route to the selected Agent.

Once assigned:

  • The Agent receives the route/job notification on the InstaDispatch Driver App.
  • The route moves from Unassigned to the assigned route section.
  • The Agent can start the route from the app.
  • The Agent can process pickups and deliveries.
  • The Agent can capture Proof of Delivery, depending on the order flow.
  • The Admin/Dispatcher can track progress from the Route Planner.
9
Track the assigned route

After assignment, the route will appear in the Route Planner under the assigned route view.

The dispatcher can monitor the route and check real-time updates such as:

  • Route status
  • Drop status
  • Driver location, where available
  • Pickup completion
  • Delivery completion
  • POD status
  • Route execution order

The uploaded reference confirms that after assignment, the selected drop order is maintained and the same execution order appears to the Driver on the app.

Part B: Assigning Multi-Drop / Multi-Stop Orders

Multi-drop orders work slightly differently because one order can include multiple pickup and delivery drops.

There are two common ways to assign multi-drop orders:

  1. Assign one complete multi-drop order to one Agent.
  2. Select multiple drops from one or more orders and plan them as a route.

Method 1: Assign one complete multi-drop order to an Agent

Use this method when you want to assign the entire multi-drop order as one route to a single Agent.

1
Find the multi-drop order

Go to the Route Planner and locate the multi-drop order under the Unassigned section.

A multi-drop order will show multiple stops under the same order. For example, it may show:

  • Pickup stop
  • Delivery stop 1
  • Delivery stop 2
  • Additional pickup or delivery stops

Multi-drop order with 3 stops showing Route Name, date, and Driver fields with Assign button to complete assignment.

2
Click the “Assign” button on the multi-drop order

In the multi-drop order section, click Assign.

This opens the assignment fields for that order.

3
Enter route details

You will need to provide:

  1. Route Name
     Enter a name for the route.
  2. Route Start Time
     Select the start date and time for the route.
  3. Driver / Agent
     Select the Agent who should complete this multi-drop order.
4
Confirm assignment

After entering the route name, start time, and Agent, click the arrow button.

Route Name, date/time, Driver dropdown, and confirm button.

The full multi-drop order will be assigned to the selected Agent as one route.

In this method, only that single multi-drop order becomes part of the route. No other orders are added unless you manually select them separately.

The uploaded reference confirms this process for assigning one single multi-drop order using the Assign button under the multi-drop section.

Method 2: Assign multiple drops or multiple multi-drop orders together

Use this method when you want to combine drops from different orders into one Agent route.

This is useful when:

  • Multiple jobs are in the same area.
  • One Agent is covering a specific route zone.
  • You want to group several pickups and deliveries together.
  • You want to optimize the route before assignment.
  • You want to assign several multi-drop orders to one Agent.

6-stop multi-drop order selected in the Unassigned panel with drop markers visible on the Northampton map.

1
Select the required drops

From the Unassigned tab or map view, select the drops you want to assign.

You can select:

  • Individual pickup drops
  • Individual delivery drops
  • Multiple drops from the same order
  • Drops from different orders
  • Multiple multi-drop orders

Use the checkbox in the Unassigned list or select drops from the map.

2
Click “Plan Route”

After selecting all required drops, click Plan Route.

The system opens the selected drops in the route planning pop-up.

3
Review and arrange the drops

Check that all selected drops are correct.

Then arrange the sequence manually if needed. You can drag and drop items to change the order.

If you have the Route Optimization & ETA add-on, you can use it to optimize the sequence and calculate ETA. If you do not need ETA, you can still assign the route without ETA/

4
Click “Assign / Save Route”

Once the route is ready, click Assign / Save Route.

Enter:

  • Route Name
  • Driver / Agent

Then click Assign.

The selected drops will be assigned to the chosen Agent as one route.

Assign vs Save Route

During route planning, you may see both Assign and Save Route options.

Assign

Use Assign when the route is ready and you want to send it to the Agent immediately

After assignment, the Agent will receive the route/job on the Driver App.

Save Route

Use Save Route when you want to prepare the route but not assign it to an Agent yet.

This is useful when:

  • You are planning routes in advance.
  • You are waiting to confirm driver availability.
  • You want to review the route later before assigning.
  • You want to keep a route ready for future dispatch.

What happens after assigning drops to an Agent?

Once the route is assigned:

  1. The Agent receives the job/route on the Driver App.
  2. The Agent can start the route.
  3. The Agent follows the drop sequence.
  4. The Agent completes pickup and delivery actions.
  5. The Agent captures POD where required.
  6. The Admin/Dispatcher can monitor the route from the Admin Portal.
  7. The route status updates as the Agent progresses.

The selected drop sequence in the Admin Portal is reflected to the Agent in the Driver App.

Best practices for assigning drops

  • Use clear route names so your team can easily identify assigned routes later.
  • Before clicking Assign, always review the pickup and delivery sequence carefully, especially for multi-drop orders.
  • Use the map view when assigning multiple nearby drops, as it helps dispatchers group jobs by location.
  • Use Route Optimization & ETA when you need accurate sequencing and estimated arrival times.
  • Save routes in advance if the jobs are confirmed but the Agent assignment is not yet final.
  • For multi-drop orders, use the direct Assign button when the full order should go to one Agent without adding other jobs to the route.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Do not assign drops before creating the Agent/Driver in the system.
  • Do not forget to check whether the selected drop is a pickup or delivery drop.
  • Do not assign only one part of an order by mistake if both pickup and delivery need to be completed by the same Agent.
  • Do not change the route sequence without reviewing the operational impact.
  • Do not assume ETA is automatically calculated unless the Route Optimization & ETA feature is enabled.

Quick summary

To assign drops/jobs to an Agent in InstaDispatch:

  1. Go to Route Planner.
  2. Open the Unassigned tab.
  3. Select drops from the list or map.
  4. Click Plan Route.
  5. Review and arrange the drop sequence.
  6. Optimize route or calculate ETA if required.
  7. Click Assign / Save Route.
  8. Enter route name and select Driver/Agent.
  9. Click Assign.
  10. The Agent receives the route on the Driver App.