---
title: "How to start a chat with a colleague or a driver in Dumpster Controls"
url: "https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/messages/start-a-chat-with-a-colleague"
description: "Talk one to one with anyone on your team, office or driver. Step-by-step guide from the official Dumpster Controls manual."
date_modified: "2026-09-30"
type: help
tokens: 919
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 start a chat with a colleague or a driver in Dumpster Controls

Talk one to one with anyone on your team, office or driver.

1. ## Pick the person in the "Team" section
  People without a conversation yet are listed under your conversations with their role and a presence dot. Click a name to open the conversation.
2. ## Or use the buttons at the top
  The person icon ("New chat with a colleague") searches office members. The plus icon ("New message to a driver") searches drivers.
3. ## Send text and attachments
  Type and press Enter. Click the paperclip to attach an image or a PDF.

## What happens next

- A green dot means the person is online now. A faded dot means they were seen in the last hour. The line under the name says "Seen 12 min ago" when they are away.

## Related guides

- [How to set your status and see who is available in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/messages/set-your-status-and-see-who-is-available)
- [How to create a group conversation in Dumpster Controls](https://dumpstercontrols.io/help/messages/create-a-group)

© 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/start-a-chat-with-a-colleague (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 .