Dispatch & Scheduling
Build routes, track drivers, and manage your daily operations.
Complete Table of Contents
View all 87 articles organized with quick navigation by goal and user role
Route Building
Create and optimize routes
Introduction to Jobs & Dispatch
Learn what Jobs & Dispatch is, who uses it, and the key capabilities for managing your field operations.
Navigating the Jobs & Dispatch Interface
Master the Jobs & Dispatch interface with this complete guide to views, filters, navigation, and keyboard shortcuts.
Calendar View - Daily Schedule Overview
Master the Calendar View to understand your daily workload split between outgoing and incoming jobs.
Dispatch View - Full Screen Scheduling
Master the drag-and-drop Dispatch View for efficient job assignment and workload balancing.
Map View - Geographic Job Visualization
Visualize jobs on an interactive map with weather radar, multiple viewing modes, and real-time location data.
Advanced Search - Finding Jobs Across Date Ranges
Use Advanced Search to query jobs across multiple dates with powerful filters, presets, and export capabilities.
Drafts Tab - Managing Incomplete Jobs
Learn how to save, resume, and manage job drafts for interrupted or pending job creation workflows.
Pre-Saved Notes Tab - Managing Note Templates
Create, organize, and manage reusable job note templates to save time and ensure consistent communication.
Route Optimization in PortaPro
How PortaPro calculates optimal stop order using three modes Sequential, Distance Optimized, and Constrained with plain-English rationale and mid-day re-optimization.
Live Tracking
Monitor drivers in real-time
Scheduling
Plan ahead and manage schedules
Creating Jobs
Step-by-step guide to creating jobs and quotes
Getting Started with the Job Creation Wizard
Master the 8-step Job Creation Wizard to efficiently create jobs, quotes, or both with guided workflows.
Step 1 - Customer Selection
Select the customer for your job, choose contacts, or add temporary prospects for quotes.
Step 2 - Job Type & Scheduling
Choose the job type, set dates and times, configure rental duration, and schedule associated pickups.
Step 3 - Location Selection
Choose service locations from saved addresses or add GPS reference pins for driver navigation.
Step 4 - Driver & Vehicle Assignment
Assign drivers and vehicles to jobs, or skip this step to assign later from the Dispatch view.
Step 5 - Products, Inventory & Consumables
Select equipment for delivery or pickup, add consumables, and configure lock and security options.
Step 6 - Services & Frequency
Add recurring services to jobs and configure their frequency, pricing, and visit schedules.
Step 7 - Deposit Collection
Configure deposit requirements, generate payment links, or collect payments immediately via Stripe.
Step 8 - Review & Confirmation
Review all job details, check for conflicts, and finalize creation with options to create jobs, quotes, or invoices.
Understanding Quotes vs. Jobs
Learn when to create quotes versus jobs, how they work together, and the conversion process.
Working with Job Drafts
Learn how to save, manage, and resume incomplete job drafts for interrupted workflows.
Special Job Configurations
Master indefinite rentals, multi-pickup jobs, priority flags, night billing, and service-only workflows.
Consumables and Lock Requests
Add disposable items and security features like locks and zip-ties to jobs.
Creating Quotes from the Wizard
Generate professional quotes for prospects and customers with PDF generation and multiple delivery options.
Indefinite rentals and the Rate Card
For ongoing rentals with no scheduled pickup, the Job Wizard creates the delivery and the Rate Card handles all recurring billing. One source of truth.
Creating a quote
Quotes are proposals — what you'd charge a prospect or existing customer for new work. When accepted, convert to a job with one click.
Creating a job
Use the Job Wizard for one-off work — deliveries, pickups, service visits, swaps, event setups. Indefinite rentals hand off to the Rate Card for ongoing billing.
Managing Jobs
View, edit, and manage existing jobs
Understanding the Job Detail Modal
Master the central hub for viewing, editing, and managing individual jobs with the comprehensive Job Detail Modal.
Viewing and Editing Job Details
Learn how to navigate between View Mode and Edit Mode to review and modify job information.
Understanding Job Status Lifecycle
Learn how jobs progress through defined statuses from creation to completion with automatic and manual transitions.
Updating Job Status (Start, Complete, Reverse)
Master the process of progressing, completing, and reversing job statuses with automatic equipment tracking.
Cancelling Jobs
Learn when and how to cancel jobs with proper documentation and reason tracking for record-keeping.
Managing Priority Flags
Use priority flags to highlight urgent jobs across all views and ensure drivers notice critical work first.
Working with Job Notes
Add general notes and special instructions to jobs with pre-saved templates for faster documentation.
Lock Requests and Zip-Tie Options
Configure security options including lock requests with details and zip-tie requirements for event setups.
Managing Delivery Fees
Set and adjust delivery fees on jobs with consideration for distance, quantity, and customer relationships.
Viewing Job Consumables
Track supplies and materials used during job execution with detailed consumable records and cost tracking.
Rental Duration and Job Length
Understand how rental duration works for delivery jobs and manage equipment on-site periods with indefinite options.
Working with Equipment Assignments
Manage equipment and inventory items assigned to jobs with status tracking from delivery through return.
Job Events and Activity History
Understand how PortaPro tracks all job changes and events for auditing and lifecycle management.
Troubleshooting Job Management Issues
Solutions for common job management problems including edit issues, status updates, and notification problems.
Auto-generated service jobs from the Rate Card
Every night PortaPro walks the Rate Card and creates unassigned service jobs for rows due within your lead days. On Call rows are the one exception — they never auto-schedule.
Full Screen Dispatch Center
Master the immersive drag-and-drop scheduling interface
Introduction to the Full Screen Dispatch Center
Discover the immersive scheduling interface designed for coordinating multiple drivers with drag-and-drop efficiency.
Timeline View and Time Slots
Master the horizontal timeline grid organized by hourly slots with a current time indicator and smart job placement.
Driver Swim Lanes
Understand how driver rows organize jobs by time slot with color-coded workload indicators and sticky columns.
Drag-and-Drop Job Assignment
Master the intuitive drag-and-drop system for assigning, reassigning, and unassigning jobs with real-time visual feedback.
Unassigned Jobs Row
Learn to manage your job queue with the dedicated unassigned row that stays visible while you dispatch work.
Workload Balancing Indicators
Use color-coded job count badges to identify overloaded drivers and balance work distribution effectively.
Reordering the Driver List
Customize driver display order by territory, seniority, or preference with the Driver Order Modal.
View Modes - Timeline vs. List View
Switch between horizontal time-based scheduling and vertical list views depending on your workflow needs.
Navigation Controls
Navigate large schedules efficiently with scroll controls, date information, and synchronized scrolling.
Best Practices for Efficient Dispatching
Master proven strategies for morning planning, workload monitoring, and efficient job assignment workflows.
Filtering & Searching Jobs
Find specific jobs quickly with powerful filters and search
Introduction to Job Filtering and Search
Discover powerful filtering and search capabilities to quickly find specific jobs among thousands of records.
Using the Search Bar
Master instant text-based filtering to find jobs by job number, customer name, or address keywords.
Driver Filter
View jobs assigned to specific team members for reviewing workloads, schedules, and managing assignments.
Job Type Filter
Focus on specific categories of work to organize operations by delivery, pickup, service, or survey type.
Status Filter
View jobs in specific workflow states to track progress, find overdue items, and focus on priority work.
Date Range Selection (Advanced Search)
Search across any time period with quick presets or custom date ranges for historical analysis and reporting.
Combining Multiple Filters
Apply multiple filters simultaneously using AND logic to find highly specific job subsets and track active filters.
Saving and Managing Filter Presets
Save frequently used filter combinations for quick access and share presets with your team.
Exporting Jobs to CSV
Export filtered job data to CSV format for spreadsheets, reports, and external business applications.
Troubleshooting Filtering Issues
Solutions for common filtering and search problems including missing results, disabled exports, and filter glitches.
Notifications & Alerts
Stay informed with overdue indicators and push notifications
Introduction to Notifications & Alerts
Discover the comprehensive notification system keeping teams informed with visual badges, toast messages, and push notifications.
Understanding Overdue Job Indicators
Learn how the system automatically detects and flags overdue jobs with timezone-aware detection and visual badges.
Priority Flags and Indicators
Use manual priority flags to highlight urgent jobs with visual indicators across all views and filtering options.
Was Overdue and Completed Late Indicators
Track job history with persistent overdue flags and completion timing for performance analysis and reporting.
Toast Notifications for Job Actions
Receive instant feedback with brief pop-up messages confirming actions and alerting you to errors.
Admin Notification Bell
Access system notifications and messaging alerts through the header bell icon with unread count badges.
Driver Notification Preferences
Customize driver notification settings by category with toggles for job assignments, schedule changes, and alerts.
Push Notifications and PWA Integration
Enable push notifications through Progressive Web App installation for real-time alerts even when the app is closed.
Managing and Viewing Driver Notifications
Access the notification center to view, mark as read, and delete notifications with real-time polling.
Alert Indicators in Dispatch Views
Understand alert indicators in dispatch interfaces including summary badges, workload indicators, and real-time updates.
System-Level Alert Configuration
Configure organization-wide notification settings including timezone, email triggers, and push notification delivery.
Troubleshooting Notifications & Alerts
Solutions for common notification problems including badge issues, push notification failures, and toast glitches.
Troubleshooting Jobs & Dispatch
Resolve common issues and errors quickly with step-by-step solutions
Introduction to Troubleshooting Jobs & Dispatch
Comprehensive guidance for resolving common issues with job creation, status updates, dispatch views, and data visibility.
Resolving Job Creation Wizard Validation Errors
Fix validation errors preventing you from advancing through the job creation wizard with detailed step-by-step solutions.
Wizard Won't Advance or Gets Stuck
Troubleshoot issues when the wizard freezes, won't proceed to the next step, or clicking Next does nothing.
Job Update and Edit Failures
Resolve 'Failed to update job' errors and issues where changes aren't saving when editing jobs.
Job Status Not Changing
Troubleshoot issues where clicking status buttons doesn't update the job status or status changes revert unexpectedly.
Dispatch View and Map Issues
Fix problems with dispatch view loading, blank maps, and drag-and-drop not working properly.
Jobs Not Appearing or Missing Data
Diagnose why created jobs aren't showing up, the jobs list is empty, or some job data is missing.
Driver and Scheduling Conflicts
Resolve issues where drivers don't appear in dropdowns, can't be assigned, or scheduling conflicts occur.
Inventory and Availability Conflicts
Fix issues where inventory can't be added, units show as unavailable, or allocation errors occur during job creation.
Permission and Access Denied Errors
Understand and resolve permission denied, access denied, and organization context errors.
System Loading and Session Issues
Fix problems with pages not loading, infinite spinning, session timeouts, and repeated login redirects.
Cancellation and Reversal Issues
Troubleshoot problems with cancelling jobs, cancellation failures, and understanding reversal actions.
Notification and Alert Problems
Diagnose issues with missing notifications, overdue alerts not showing, and push notifications not working.
Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
A rapid diagnostic checklist with common quick fixes and essential information to gather before contacting support.