--- title: "How to add your first truck in Dumpster Controls" url: "https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/getting-started/add-your-first-truck" description: "Trucks power dispatch and the fleet reports. The first one checks the \"Add a truck\" step on your setup checklist." date_modified: "2026-08-08" type: help tokens: 1123 token_budget: 2000 format: markdown for AI agents, generated at build from the same content as the HTML page --- Getting Started · updated 2026-08-08 # How to add your first truck in Dumpster Controls Trucks power dispatch and the fleet reports. The first one checks the "Add a truck" step on your setup checklist. 1. ## Open Trucks Go to the "Trucks" page ("Manage your fleet, documents, and usage history"). If it is empty you will see "No trucks found" with "Add your first truck to get started." Click "Add Truck". 2. ## Fill "Basic Info" The "Add New Truck" wizard shows "Step {step} of {total}" across "Basic Info", "Additional Info", "Documents", and "Photos". Start with "Truck Name / Number" and "License Plate" (both required), plus "Model". 3. ## Fill "Additional Info" Optional details: "Color", "Manufacturer", "Year of Manufacture", "VIN Number" ("Vehicle Identification Number, typically 17 characters"), and "Current Mileage". 4. ## Upload "Documents" and "Photos" Add "Registration", "Insurance", and "Odometer" files ("PDF, JPG, PNG up to 10MB") and photos for "Front", "Right Side", "Left Side", and "Rear". You can skip these and upload later; the trucks list flags what is missing. 5. ## Save Click "Add Truck". A toast confirms "Truck added". ## What happens next - The checklist step "Add a truck" turns green. - The Trucks page tracks "Missing Documents" and "Missing Photos" counters so incomplete records are easy to spot. ## Troubleshooting ### Saving complains about required fields. "Truck Name / Number" and "License Plate" are mandatory. Fill both and save again. ## Related guides - [How to use the setup checklist in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/getting-started/use-the-setup-checklist) - [How to open and read the Dispatch board in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/dispatch/open-the-dispatch-board) © 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/getting-started/add-your-first-truck (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 .