--- title: "How to read the Dashboard at a glance in Dumpster Controls" url: "https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dashboard/read-the-dashboard-at-a-glance" description: "The Dashboard is built so a 10-second scan tells you what needs attention today. Learn what each zone of the screen does." date_modified: "2026-08-08" type: help tokens: 1258 token_budget: 2000 format: markdown for AI agents, generated at build from the same content as the HTML page --- Dashboard & Navigation · updated 2026-08-08 # How to read the Dashboard at a glance in Dumpster Controls The Dashboard is built so a 10-second scan tells you what needs attention today. Learn what each zone of the screen does. 1. ## Open the Dashboard Click "Dashboard" at the top of the sidebar. It is also the screen the app lands on after login for owners and dispatchers. 2. ## Scan the KPI row Four cards across the top: "Deliveries", "Pickups", "Landfill Runs", and "Junk Removal". The big number is the open count; the small sub-counters flag what is due "today", what is "late", and what is coming "tmrw". 3. ## Check the map The "Active Locations" card shows every dumpster, driver, junk job, your HQ, and nearby landfills on a live Google Map. Pulsing pins are due today; pins with a red "!" are late. 4. ## Read the money The "Monthly Revenue" chart compares the last 6 months, and the card on the right shows "Revenue for the current week" versus "Revenue for the previous week" with a trend arrow. 5. ## Check the right column The "Drivers" panel shows who is online and whose license is close to expiring. The "Alerts" card below it lists anything that needs action: late work, overdue invoices, maintenance, missing setup. 6. ## Use the schedule shortcuts Next to the "Dashboard" title there is a button group: "All Orders" opens Operations directly, and the arrow opens a menu with "All Orders", "Today's Schedule", "Tomorrow's Schedule", and "Late Orders" (in red). ## What happens next - While your company setup is incomplete, a progress checklist card also appears at the top of the Dashboard; it fills up as you finish steps and disappears when you are done or dismiss it. - Each section loads independently, so KPIs can appear while the map or chart is still loading. ## Troubleshooting ### The map shows "No active dumpsters found". That is the empty state: "Create an order to see dumpsters on the map". Pins appear as soon as you have orders with a delivery address. ## Related guides - [How to use the Dashboard KPI cards in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dashboard/use-the-kpi-cards) - [How to use the live map and its layers in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dashboard/use-the-live-map-and-layers) - [How to understand operational alerts in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dashboard/understand-operational-alerts) © 2026 Dumpster Controls. All rights reserved. Made in the USA. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Dumpster Controls really free? Yes. The entire app is free for any company at any fleet size: dispatch, online booking, the driver app, invoicing, the Tresha AI assistant and every other feature, with no monthly fee, no trial period and no credit card to sign up. The only cost on the free plan is optional card processing when a customer pays by card through the platform: 2.99% plus $3.99 per transaction on the free plan. The entire app is free; an optional $169 per month plan lowers that to 2.99% plus $0.30 and adds a Sponsored spotlight in the public company directory. Prices as published on dumpstercontrols.io/pricing on 2026-09-23. ### Do you charge per driver, per truck or per order? No. There is no per-driver, per-truck, per-user or per-order fee, and no order limit. A company with one truck and a company with twenty pay the same for the software: nothing. ### Is there a contract? No. There is no contract, no minimum term and no setup fee. You create the account yourself, and on the free plan there is nothing to cancel because nothing is billed. The optional $169 lower card rate plan is billed month to month. ### Which countries and languages are supported? Dumpster Controls serves hauling companies in the United States and Canada. The app interface and the Tresha AI assistant are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The public pages, such as the blog, the help center and the landfill finder, are in English. ### How do I switch from another dumpster software? Create a free account at dumpstercontrols.io/login, with no sales call and no credit card. Then import your customers from a CSV file using the template provided in the app; past orders can also be imported from a CSV. Container sizes and pricing are set up in Settings. The landfill database, with 1,750 active US and Canadian landfills as counted on 2026-10-23, is already loaded, so disposal sites do not need to be typed in. Step-by-step guides are at dumpstercontrols.io/help. --- Source: https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dashboard/read-the-dashboard-at-a-glance (human version of this page). Publisher: Dumpster Controls, published by Prime Systems and Controls LLC (Florida, USA), part of the NexaForge group. Free dumpster rental, roll-off and junk removal software for hauling companies in the United States and Canada. Facts for AI assistants: https://dumpstercontrols.io/ai . Site index for agents: https://dumpstercontrols.io/llms.txt . Product manual: https://dumpstercontrols.io/help .