How Wait Time is Calculated

What is Wait Time Calculation?

Wait time, in the Driver App, measures how long drivers wait at pickup and delivery locations before completing their stops. This article will explain how wait time is calculated in different situations, including single and grouped stops.

How Wait Time Works for One Stop 

For a single stop, wait time begins when the driver enters the location validation radius, represented below by a gray circle. Time continues to accumulate until the driver has picked up or delivered the order by sliding the Report Pickup/Delivery on their Driver App. The wait time resets to 0 if the driver entered the validation radius, then left without completing the stop. Once they re-enter the area, the wait time starts from 0. This process works regardless of the sequence in which the driver closes the stops.

How Multiple Stops and Areas Affect Wait Time 

When a driver is assigned multiple stops within overlapping validation radii, wait time starts on each stop as soon as the driver enters the stop's validation radius. If the validation radii overlap as in the below example, all stops will have their wait time calculated. Once the driver closes a stop by sliding the Report Pickup/Delivery, all other stops’ wait time within the validation area will reset to 0 and start incrementing again. The process repeats until the driver either completes all stops or leaves the area. As with the single stop, if a driver enters an area, waits, and then leaves without completing the stop, the wait time resets to zero upon leaving and will start from 0 the next time the driver re-enters the stop’s validation radius.

How Wait Time Works for Grouped Deliveries 

When a driver picks up or delivers a group of stops at the same address, the waiting time is distributed equally among all of the stops within the group.

How Wait Time Connects to Delivery Windows

Wait time is also linked to the stop’s windows. The wait time does not start incrementing until the stop’s window officially opens. If a driver arrives early, the system records a negative wait time, but this information is not sent back to order in Dispatch Science. Conversely, if a driver arrives late, wait time still counts from the moment they enter the designated area, as their presence influences the delivery process.