--- title: "How to find your way around Messages in Dumpster Controls" url: "https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/messages/find-your-way-around-messages" description: "Messages is the inbox of your operation. It is split in three sections so you read orders first, then your team, then customers." date_modified: "2026-09-30" type: help tokens: 1084 token_budget: 2000 format: markdown for AI agents, generated at build from the same content as the HTML page --- Messages · updated 2026-09-30 # How to find your way around Messages in Dumpster Controls Messages is the inbox of your operation. It is split in three sections so you read orders first, then your team, then customers. 1. ## Open "Messages" Click "Messages" in the sidebar. A red dot on the menu item means someone else wrote something you have not read yet. Your own messages never light the dot. 2. ## Read the "Orders" section At the top, "Orders" lists the order threads where a person wrote: a driver update, an office message, or a customer SMS. Each row shows the order number, the customer name, a colored badge when the driver reported a problem, and the unread count. 3. ## Read the "Team" section "Team" holds the "Company Channel", your direct conversations with drivers and colleagues, and your groups. People who do not have a conversation yet are listed below with their role: one click opens the conversation. 4. ## Read the "Customers" section "Customers" holds the chats started by visitors on your booking page and the equipment store inquiries. 5. ## Search Type in "Search by name..." to filter every section by order number, customer, driver or group name. ## What happens next - Order threads with only automatic milestones do not appear in the list, so the inbox never fills with orders nobody talked about. You still see those threads inside the order itself. ## Troubleshooting ### I do not see an order in the "Orders" section. The list only shows threads where a person wrote. Open the order in "Dispatch" or "Order History" and write the first message there: the thread then appears in Messages. ## Related guides - [How to message about an order in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/messages/message-about-an-order) - [How to send an announcement and see who got it in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/messages/use-the-company-channel-with-got-it) © 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/messages/find-your-way-around-messages (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 .