Weekly Delivery Schedule: Repeat Runs Automatically

If you run the same deliveries on the same days every week, you know the drill: re-typing stops, re-checking the route, hoping you didn't miss a customer. That's not just tedious — it eats time you could spend driving or sorting out real problems. And when you have multiple phones and drivers, manual planning multiplies the chance of mistakes.

StopSorted's weekly planning fixes that. Set your week once, and each enabled day becomes a ready-to-go run automatically. This article walks you through how it works, how to set it up, and what changes for your drivers and your office.

How It Works

Think of it as a standing order for your routes. You tell StopSorted which phone runs on which weekdays, and what stops belong to each day. From then on, the system builds tomorrow's run overnight — no one has to log in and create it manually.

Here's the simple mechanic:

1. You define the plan once. Choose the weekdays, assign a phone to each day, and add the stops for that day.
2. The system does the rest. For each enabled weekday, StopSorted creates the run for that day's timezone. If you have multiple days, each gets its own run with the correct stops.
3. You stay in control. You can still manually apply the plan to today, or create a one-off run whenever you need a change.

Step-by-Step Setup

Getting your weekly plan up and running takes about five minutes. Here's how:

1. Approve phones. Before you start, make sure each driver's phone is approved under Devices in your fleet settings. This links the phone to the driver and lets you assign it to a plan.

1. Set your depot address. Under Settings → Runs, set your depot start address. This gives new runs a starting point, which helps with sorting and arrival times.

1. Open the Planning tab. Go to Fleet Login and click Planning.

1. Name your plan and set timezone. Give it a name you'll recognize (like "Weekly Grocery Deliveries"). The timezone matters — it determines what "tomorrow" means for the nightly auto-create. New plans default to your run settings' timezone.

1. Assign phones to weekdays. For each day (Monday to Sunday), pick the phone that runs that day. If a day has no delivery, leave it on No phone.

1. Add stops. You have two options: tap Copy latest route to pull stops from that phone's newest route, or add stops manually. If you don't have stops yet, you can save the plan and add them later — days with a phone but no stops are kept but simply skipped until you add stops.

1. Save and enable auto-create. Turn on Nightly auto-create to have tomorrow's runs built automatically overnight. This is the core of the feature.

1. Apply for today (optional). If you need today's run right now, hit Apply for today. It will create runs for any weekday that matches today, skipping days with no phone or no stops.

What the Driver Sees vs. What the Office Sees

Driver's view: Each morning, the driver opens the StopSorted app on their assigned phone. The day's run is already there, sorted in the best stop order. They just tap start and follow the numbered list. No waiting for someone to send the route, no confusion about which stops are today's.

Office/controller's view: In the fleet dashboard, you see the plan and which runs were created. You can watch the live map to see where each vehicle is, confirm proof of delivery as it happens, and handle exceptions. If a driver calls in sick, you can reassign the day's phone to another approved device in minutes.

A Real-World Example

Meet Maria, who runs a small beverage distribution company with three delivery vans. Every week, she has a set schedule:

• Monday: Northside route (Van 1)
• Wednesday: Southside route (Van 2)
• Friday: Both routes (Vans 1 and 2)

Before weekly planning, Maria spent 30 minutes each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning manually building routes in a spreadsheet, then copying them into each driver's app. If a driver was out, she'd have to rebuild the route for the substitute. If a customer added an order, she'd have to edit the route on the fly.

Now, Maria set up a weekly plan:

• Monday: Phone 1, stops from last Monday's route (copied).
• Wednesday: Phone 2, stops from last Wednesday's route.
• Friday: Phone 1 and Phone 2, each with their respective routes.

She turned on Nightly auto-create. Now, every Sunday night, Monday's run is created for Phone 1. Tuesday night creates Wednesday's run. Thursday night creates Friday's runs for both phones. Each driver opens the app and sees their day's run ready.

Before: 90 minutes of manual planning per week, plus the risk of human error.

After: Zero planning time. Maria only checks the live map to confirm drivers are on track. When a customer calls to add a stop, she edits that day's run in seconds.

FAQ: What You Might Be Wondering

What if I need to change a stop for just one day?

No problem. You can edit the run directly on the day — add or remove stops, reorder if needed. Your weekly plan stays intact for next week. The plan is a template; each day's run is its own thing.

What happens if a phone isn't assigned to a weekday?

That day simply won't have a run created for it. If you leave a day with No phone, it's skipped. If you assign a phone but have no stops, the plan keeps that day scheduled but skips creating a run until you add stops.

Can I use this for one-off runs too?

Yes. Manual Apply still works when you want a run that doesn't follow the weekly pattern. Just go to Planning and hit Apply for today, or create a separate manual run. Weekly planning automates the repeat work; it doesn't lock you in.

Does this work across time zones?

Yes. Each plan has its own timezone, which the nightly job uses to decide when "tomorrow" starts. This is handy if you operate across state lines or have depots in different zones.

Ready to Stop Re-Planning?

If you're tired of rebuilding the same routes every week, set up your first weekly plan today. It takes minutes, and it pays off every single day. For more detail, check the weekly planning guide.

Want to see how StopSorted can streamline your whole operation — including live map tracking and proof of delivery? Compare plans and pricing to find the right fit for your fleet.

StopSorted is a delivery route planner built for real roads, with coverage growing country by country. Australia is live today, and more regions are on the way. Start with a free account and see the difference automated weekly planning makes.