--- title: "How to read the route colors and truck states in Dumpster Controls" url: "https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dispatch/read-the-route-colors-and-truck-states" description: "The route map encodes two things at once: where each leg is heading (color) and whether the truck is carrying a dumpster (line style)." date_modified: "2026-08-20" type: help tokens: 1185 token_budget: 2000 format: markdown for AI agents, generated at build from the same content as the HTML page --- Dispatch · updated 2026-08-20 # How to read the route colors and truck states in Dumpster Controls The route map encodes two things at once: where each leg is heading (color) and whether the truck is carrying a dumpster (line style). Legs are drawn as curved arrows in the default Simple view; the legend in the map’s bottom corner always describes exactly what is on screen. 1. ## Read the leg colors Green is "Delivery", orange is "Pickup", brown is "Landfill", and the thin line labeled "Back to yard" closes the day. Special stops draw in blue. Arrows along each curve show the driving order. 2. ## Read the line style A solid line means the truck is carrying a dumpster (full or empty can). The legend states "Dashed: truck driving empty", also called bobtail. During an AI Routes preview the legend switches: purple is the suggested new order, and a dashed purple line with a "?" circle marks an estimated landfill that has not been chosen yet. 3. ## Read the per-stop state chip Each stop in the route list shows the truck's transition, for example "bobtail → full can" or "empty can → bobtail", so you can verify the sequence is physically possible. 4. ## Act on warnings Impossible sequences get warning notes: "Truck arrives with no can. Stop at HQ for an empty one?", "Truck still carries a can. Landfill or HQ first?", and "Size differs from the can on the truck". Fix them by reordering stops or adding a stop. 5. ## Spot storage points Stored full dumpsters add an "ST" point to the route ("Pick up stored dumpster") before the landfill leg, and the stop shows a "via storage" chip. ## What happens next - The same solid and dashed language appears as small connector lines between cards in each driver lane, so the board and the map always tell the same story. ## Troubleshooting ### A leg is drawn faded. Faded legs lead to stops that are already completed. Bright legs are the remaining work. ## Related guides - [How to view a driver's route on the map in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dispatch/view-a-drivers-route-on-the-map) - [How to store a full dumpster for later in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dispatch/store-a-full-dumpster-for-later) © 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. --- Source: https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dispatch/read-the-route-colors-and-truck-states (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 .