Delivery dispatch: getting each order to the right driver
Updated October 20, 2026
Delivery dispatch is the step where a ready order is assigned to a driver and sent out. A good dispatch tells the driver where to go, tells the customer the food is on its way, and records who took it and when. In a restaurant with its own drivers, someone at the counter usually does it; delivery software can do it by hand or automatically.
In short
- Manual dispatch: a person picks the driver for each order. Automatic dispatch: software picks one by rules such as distance.
- Dispatch triggers three things: the driver gets the job, the customer gets an update, and the order's status changes to "out for delivery."
- Speed matters: food waiting on the pass for a driver is the biggest avoidable delay in own delivery.
- On Menuthere you assign your own driver in one tap (Pro); there is no automatic assignment or route planning.
Manual vs automatic dispatch
| Manual dispatch | Automatic dispatch | |
|---|---|---|
| Who chooses the driver | A person | Software rules (nearest, least busy, round robin) |
| Good for | 1–5 drivers, a small area | Many drivers, high volume |
| Batching two orders on one trip | The person decides | Often built in |
| Risk | Slow when the person is busy cooking | Wrong choices when data is poor |
Most small restaurants with a few drivers dispatch by hand; larger fleets use dispatch software, often with route planning.
What a dispatch should trigger
- The driver is told, with the order number and the address, on their phone.
- The order status changes to "dispatched" or "out for delivery," so the kitchen and front of house see it's gone.
- The customer is told and can follow the delivery.
- A record is kept of who carried it, which settles pay, cash and any later complaint.
A dinner-rush example
Friday, 7:10 p.m. A pizzeria with two drivers has three orders marked food ready. Driver A is at the store; driver B is two minutes out.
| Order | Address | Assigned | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| #41 | 1.2 miles north | Driver A, 7:10 | First ready, driver at the store |
| #42 | 1.5 miles north | Driver A, 7:10 | Same direction, taken together by choice |
| #43 | 2.8 miles south | Driver B, 7:13 | Opposite direction, next driver back |
(Illustrative.) The decision takes seconds if the screen shows who is online and the orders' addresses.
How Menuthere handles dispatch
- Assign in one tap (Pro). On a delivery order, press Assign rider and pick a driver. Online drivers show a green dot and come first; an offline driver can still be picked and is told when they come online. The order moves to Dispatched, and you can change the driver later.
- The driver's phone shows a New Delivery Assignment push with the order number and drop address in the Menuthere Delivery App (iPhone and Android).
- The customer sees On the way on their order page with the driver's name, an arrival estimate, a live map and a Call button, in any phone browser. With WhatsApp switched on, the dispatched message carries a Track Order button to the same map. In the US, WhatsApp can send order updates like this but not promotions; use email for offers.
- Delivered. The driver marks the order delivered in the app; it moves to Completed.
- Other ways to dispatch. Dispatch on the dashboard card and Mark Dispatched on the order open the driver list too. With no active drivers, Dispatch without a rider lets an order move on.
- Driver reports. Each driver's deliveries, order value, delivery charges and distance for today, 7 days or 30 days. A Taking orders switch pauses a driver without deleting them.
- Couriers instead. Outside India you can book Uber Direct couriers on your own account; see white-label delivery.
What it doesn't do: Menuthere doesn't assign drivers automatically, plan routes, batch orders onto one trip or take photo proof of delivery. You choose the driver for each order.
Dispatch your own drivers in one tap and let customers follow them live.
Related terms
- White-label delivery: couriers for orders you took.
- Delivery zone: where you deliver.
- Kitchen order ticket (KOT): what the kitchen cooks before dispatch.
FAQs
What does dispatch mean in food delivery?
Dispatch is assigning a ready delivery order to a driver and sending it out. It tells the driver where to go, marks the order as out for delivery, and lets the customer know it is on the way.
What is the difference between manual and automatic dispatch?
In manual dispatch a person picks the driver for each order. In automatic dispatch software picks a driver using rules such as distance or how busy each driver is. Small restaurants with a few drivers often dispatch by hand.
Does Menuthere assign drivers automatically?
No. On Menuthere you pick the driver for each order in one tap, and the driver's phone is notified straight away. There is no automatic assignment, route planning or batching.
How does a customer track a dispatched order?
On Menuthere, once an order is dispatched with your own driver, the customer's order page shows the driver's name, an arrival estimate, a live map and a call button. It opens in any phone browser, with no app to install.
Do my drivers need an app?
Yes. Drivers use the Menuthere Delivery App on iPhone or Android, signing in with the phone number and password you set. The app gets each assignment and shares the driver's location while delivering.
Sources (5)
- Menuthere help: Assign a rider to an order, updated 6 Oct 2026 (Assign rider / Change rider; active riders, green dot online, offline still pickable; order becomes Dispatched; customer update; Dispatch / Mark Dispatched; Dispatch without a rider; delivery orders with an address only; Pro): https://menuthere.com/docs/orders/assign-a-rider-to-an-order (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: The rider app, updated 10 Oct 2026 (Menuthere Delivery App, App Store and Google Play; New Delivery Assignment push with order number and drop address; location shared while online; marks delivered → completed): https://menuthere.com/docs/delivery/the-rider-app (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Customers track the rider live, updated 6 Oct 2026 (On the way, arrival estimate, live map, Call; position checked about every 3 seconds): https://menuthere.com/docs/delivery/customers-track-the-rider-live (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Your own delivery riders, updated 10 Oct 2026 (driver analytics: riders, orders, order value, delivery charge, distance; Taking orders toggle): https://menuthere.com/docs/delivery/your-own-delivery-riders (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Meta for Developers, Marketing Messages API: Get started (marketing messages to US WhatsApp users not delivered from 1 April 2025): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/marketing-messages/get-started (accessed 20 Oct 2026)