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How to use the Travel Shift feature?

This article explains what travel shifts are, the settings required to enable auto travel shifts, and how to create a travel entry manually. Travel shifts record the time a worker spends traveling between job sites during their workday.

Things to Consider:

  • Settings are enabled per project: Travel settings are configured per project based on allowed distance and time. (Project Settings → Punch Flow)

  • Separate travel shifts: Travel time is logged separately as a Travel Shift, providing clear records of when a worker leaves one location and arrives at another.

When to Use Travel Shifts

  • Workers drive from one project to another
  • Travel to pick up materials or equipment


How Travel Shifts Work

  • Workers can clock in/out for travel using the SmartBarrel mobile app or the SmartBarrel Device.
  • Users with edit permissions can create, edit, or reject travel entries from the dashboard.
  • If a worker travels across multiple projects or sites during the day, the system will create a travel shift for each depending on each project settings. 
  • Project-specific rounding rules may impact auto calculations for both the travel time entries and auto punches. 

Steps to Enable Auto Travel Shift Settings

Step 1. From the project settings, scroll down to the "Punch Settings" section.

  • Toggle Auto Travel ON
  • Customize Distance and Travel Time
     


⚠️ If travel distance and time fall outside the selected range, a travel shift will not be recorded. 

Step 2. Travel shift is now set.

Once enabled, the next time a worker checks in, the system will automatically record travel shifts when leaving a site and arriving at the next location.

Workers should be instructed on whether to punch in only as they travel throughout their day, or to punch in and out at each project, depending on how travel time should be calculated.

Punch In Only:

A driver starts their shift by punching in at Project A.

The worker then travels to Project B and punches in. The system calculates the travel time using Google Maps' driving mode with current traffic.

A punch out for Project A (robot icon) is automatically created based on the Project B punch-in time minus the calculated driving time. 

  

Punch In and Out: 

A driver starts their shift by punching in at Project A and out at Project A before starting their travel. 

Once the worker punches into Project B an auto travel shift is created for the exact the time between between Project A punch out and Project B's punch in.

Screenshot 2025-12-18 at 9.29.44 AM

How to Manually Create a Travel Shift

This option is helpful when a worker travels to multiple sites and the travel time was not recorded. Users with the proper permissions can manually add the travel time.


Step 1. Go to the Project Timesheet section and click (+) icon to add a travel entry 


Step 2. Select worker, shift date, time, edit reason and click "Create"

 

💡Tip: The Reason field is mandatory and needs to be added before creating a travel shift

 

Step 3.  Review and approve travel shift

 

Edit, delete and restore a travel shift

This feature allows users to edit or adjust travel time entries, as well as delete or restore previously deleted travel shifts.

  • Click on the travel shift entry to edit entries and add a reason for the edit.




  • Click the 3-dots menu at the end of the shift to delete or restore a travel shift. Once deleted, the shift will change to red.

 

Videos

Steps to Enable Travel Shift Settings

 

 

How to Create a Travel Shift

 

Edit, delete and restore a travel shift