What is This Section?

The Bid Zones screen allows you to configure which zones will allow bidding on jobs by drivers. This feature only functions if you have selected Bid Zones as the bidding type for a zone or in the Dispatch Configuration > Bidding Mode settings.

To access this section:

1. Click on Bid Zones from the Dispatch > Zones dropdown menu.

Bid zones helps address the issue of drivers bidding from distant locations, which can result in dead mileage and inefficiency. It allows you to configure zones in such a way that drivers can only bid from nearby, adjourning zones, reducing the chance of them travelling too far for a pickup when a closer driver is available.

How Does It Work?

Bid Zones primarily revolve around a grid. This grid allows you to view and configure the zones that drivers can bid from for each of your specified zones. The zones listed on the left determine the zone you are configuring, and the columns from left to right represent the zones that drivers are allowed to bid from.

You can use bid zones to configure your zones at busy and quiet times. At quieter times, you may not mind drivers bidding from further away, whereas at busy times you could decrease the amount of zones drivers can bid from, as they will likely be receiving work via the dispatch algorithm rather than having to bid for it.

Live Mode & Draft Mode

There are two different modes you can switch to and from.

In Live mode, you can view the live configuration of your bid zones. Any changes you make while in this mode are automatically published to your live system.

In Draft mode, you can view and edit your bid zones configuration as a draft, and then apply this draft to live.

Once in Draft mode, you can create a new draft of your current configuration.

Note: When you create a new draft, the current draft will be overridden and any changes made will apply to all zone areas. (e.g. Zone Maker, Zone List...)

Once you are happy with your current draft, you can select the Apply Draft to Live button, publishing your new bid zones draft to your live system.

How to Add Bid Zones

To add new bid zones:

1. Enter Draft Mode by selecting the corresponding button.
2. Select a Day and Hour by clicking the dropdown menus. 
3. Double-click on an empty zone cell from the table. 
4. Select which zone should be a bidding zone. 
5. Click Confirm to add the zone.
6. Then click Save and then select Apply Draft to Live.

In the above example, a job booked in the UNI zone is allowed to be bid for by drivers in both the UNI and TWN zones.

Cloning Bid Zones

Cloning your zones allows you to set your configuration to all zones and then make specific changes to individual days and times, if necessary.

To easily configure your already created backup zones to be active at multiple times per day and on multiple days, you can clone your zones:

1. Set the Day and Hour of the specific configuration you would like the copy.
2. Select the Clone Zones button located on the right-hand side of the screen. 
3. In the Clone Bid Zones modal, use the dropdown menus for Days and Hours to select one or multiple days of the week and one or multiple hours of the day. 
4. To easily add all the days of the week and/or hours of the day, use the (+) All button located at the bottom of the modal upon opening each dropdown menu. 
5. Select the Confirm button to apply your backup zones to your selected days and hours.

Using Bid Zones

After configuring bid zones in your system, they are not operational until you select Bid Zones as the Bidding mode in Dispatch Configuration > Bidding Mode settings. However, selecting this option sets Bid Zones as the default type for all zones in your system. To avoid this, you can individually set specific zones to be bid zones.

To set certain zones as Bid Zones, edit the zone in the Zone List screen and go to the Configuration tab. Select Custom > Bid Zones for Bid Mode for Zone. This allows you to select specific zones as Bid Zones while keeping the rest of your zones on a different bidding mode.

Depending on your system settings (for example, if using Active Bidding or Prebook Bidding) your drivers are automatically notified if there is a new booking to bid on if they are within a bidding zone. If multiple eligible drivers are bidding for the zone, the booking is given to the longest waiting driver. 

Editing Bid Zones

To edit a bid zone:

1. Double-click on an occupied zone cell.
2. Choose a new zone from the dropdown menu.
3. Select Confirm.

Deleting Bid Zones

You can delete a zone from the table by selecting the Eraser button, and then clicking on a zone.