> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tread.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Shift Jobs (Hourly Cycling)

> Trucks that cycle between plant and lay-down crew on the clock — slurry, paving, plant-feed work.

## When to use this

Use shift jobs when trucks cycle on the clock instead of running discrete loads — slurry plants feeding a paving crew, asphalt plants feeding a lay-down operation, concrete feeding a pour. The work is time-driven, not tonnage-driven. A truck might run twelve cycles in eight hours and the customer pays for the hours, not the loads.

## How it works

A shift job is billed differently from a load-based job. Instead of one ticket per load, the truck logs hours on the shift. Tickets still record at each plant pickup so you can prove what was delivered, but pay and billing run on hours.

Tread auto-starts the dispatch from telematics. When the assigned truck enters the plant [geofence](/concepts/sites-geofences) (a virtual fence around a site), Tread starts the clock. The truck cycles between plant and job site under relaxed ticket matching — Tread doesn't reject a ticket that's missing the usual fields, because the job is hourly anyway.

At the end of the shift, the driver confirms total hours. Billing pulls hours; settlements pay the driver or vendor on hours. Material totals roll up from the cycle tickets for record-keeping.

## When to use shift jobs vs load-based dispatching

| Pattern         | Use shift jobs                            | Use load-based dispatch                   |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Pricing         | Hourly                                    | Per load or per ton                       |
| Truck behavior  | Cycles continuously                       | Discrete trips with downtime              |
| Ticket matching | Relaxed — cycle tickets are informational | Strict — every ticket must match an order |
| Common use      | Slurry, paving, plant-feed                | Aggregate delivery, dirt haul, RAP        |

## Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set the order to shift mode">
    On the [order](/workflows/create-a-project), pick **Shift** as the dispatch mode. Enter the shift start time and the rate per hour.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm telematics is connected">
    Auto-start needs live GPS. See [Telematics](/integrations/telematics) and confirm the assigned truck's asset is matched.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set plant geofence">
    The plant [site](/onboarding/master-data/sites) needs an active geofence so Tread can detect entry and start the shift. A circle geofence is fine for most plants.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Dispatch the trucks">
    Assign drivers to the shift. The shift starts when each truck enters the plant geofence.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Common pitfalls

<Warning>
  **Using shift mode without a plant geofence.** Without it, auto-start can't fire and the dispatcher has to start every truck manually. Build the geofence before the first shift, not after.
</Warning>

<Warning>
  **Expecting strict ticket matching on shift jobs.** Cycle tickets are intentionally relaxed. A slurry plant feeding a paver might generate twenty tickets per shift — chasing OCR mismatches on each one wastes the dispatcher's day.
</Warning>

## Related

* [Dispatching to Drivers and Vendors](/concepts/dispatching-drivers-vendors) — the three ways to assign a job
* [Telematics](/integrations/telematics) — required for auto-start
* [Sites & Geofences](/concepts/sites-geofences) — the plant geofence triggers the shift
* [Paving & Moving Geofences](/specialized/paving-geofences) — for the lay-down side