Dashboard & Navigation · updated 2026-08-08

How to understand operational alerts in Dumpster Controls

The "Alerts" card is your automated inspector. It checks your operation every minute and lists exactly what needs fixing, with a click-through to the right screen.

1. ## Read the severity colors
   Red entries are urgent (late work, overdue invoices, expired or missing licenses, missing core setup). Amber entries are warnings (licenses expiring soon, maintenance, incomplete profiles). Blue entries are informational (drivers on leave, accepted estimates).
2. ## Know the operational alerts
   Late work raises entries like "3 late deliveries", "2 late pickups", and "1 late landfill run"; clicking them opens Dispatch. Fleet issues raise "1 truck in maintenance", "1 truck maintenance due" (scheduled maintenance past its date or odometer target), and "2 dumpsters under maintenance".
3. ## Know the compliance alerts
   Driver checks raise "1 driver without license", "1 expired driver license", "2 licenses expiring soon" (within 90 days), and "1 driver on leave", each listing the driver names and linking to the Drivers page.
4. ## Know the setup alerts
   Missing foundations raise "No dumpster sizes configured", "No dumpster units registered", "No drivers registered", "No trucks registered", "Incomplete personal profile", and "Incomplete company profile", each linking to the screen where you fix it.
5. ## Act on overdue invoices
   Overdue invoices get special treatment: a red summary row shows the count and total amount, and each invoice is listed individually with its number, customer, "Due" date, and amount. Clicking a row deep-links to that order in Order History.
6. ## Catch accepted estimates
   When a customer accepts an estimate, a blue entry like "Estimate #1024 accepted" appears for 48 hours (until acknowledged), linking to the estimates list in Customers.

What happens next

• Alerts refresh automatically every 60 seconds.
• The same list powers the bell icon in the header, so you see these alerts from any page.

Troubleshooting

An alert points at an invoice I already handled.

Overdue alerts count invoices in "sent" status past their due date; invoices on canceled or declined orders are excluded. Mark the invoice as paid (or cancel it) and the alert clears on the next refresh.

Related guides

• How to mark an invoice as paid in Dumpster Controls
• How to track unpaid money from the Finances dashboard
• How to check alerts from the bell in Dumpster Controls

© 2026 Dumpster Controls. All rights reserved. Made in the USA.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dumpster Controls really free?

Yes. The software is free: 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. An optional Unlimited plan at $169 per month lowers that to 2.99% plus $0.30. 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 Unlimited 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 2026-10-01, is already loaded, so disposal sites do not need to be typed in. Step-by-step guides are at dumpstercontrols.io/help.