Scrap Metal · updated 2026-09-19

How to create a scrap metal order

A scrap order takes about a minute from the "Create New Order" page: pick the customer, say how the job works, leave "No charge" checked and confirm. No invoice is created and nothing is sent to the customer.

Before you start

Scrap Metal turned on for your company (Settings, Company, "Business lines").
The customer in your customer list, or created on the spot from the customer search.

## Open Create New Order and pick "Scrap Metal"
In the sidebar click "Create New Order". Next to "Delivery Order", "Invoice Only" and "Estimate Only" there is a "Scrap Metal" card with a "Beta" pill: "Pick up scrap or place a container. Usually no charge." Click it. The card only exists while the line is on for your company.
## Choose the customer
Search and pick the customer, or create a new one from the customer search.
## Say how the job works
Under "How does this job work?" pick "Pickup only" ("One visit. We pick up the scrap, no container stays on site.") or "Drop off" ("A container stays on site until it is full.").
## Decide about charging
"No charge for this order" starts checked: "Scrap jobs usually are not billed. Uncheck to invoice the customer." Leave it checked for a normal scrap job. Uncheck it and the price fields, the "Due Date" and the payment method come back, and the order follows the regular invoice flow. A charged scrap order needs an amount above zero.
## Fill in the "1. Scrap Job" section
Pickup only: the "Size" is optional and the only date is the "Pickup Date", shown right beside it. Drop off: pick a "Size", a "Delivery Date" and, if you already know it, a "Pickup Date". The pickup date may stay empty until you know when the container will be full. Drop off also keeps the "Qty" control for more than one container.
## Add the address and instructions
Type the "Pickup Address" and pick it from the autocomplete (city, state and ZIP fill in), set the placement pin if it helps the driver, and add "Driver Instructions" and an instruction photo.
## Confirm
The right column shows a "Job Summary": "This order has no charge. No invoice is created and nothing is sent to the customer." Click "Create Scrap Order". A short dialog asks "Create scrap pickup for {customer} on {date}?" and repeats "No invoice is created and nothing is sent to the customer." Confirm. The toast reads "Scrap order #{number} created. No invoice was sent." and you land on the Dashboard.

What happens next

The order's timeline starts with "Scrap metal order created (no charge)".
Pickup only orders start as waiting for pickup, with a pickup task on the pickup date. Drop off orders start as waiting for delivery, with a delivery task on the delivery date.
The order appears on the "Scrap Metal" card, on the Scrap Metal tab of Operations, in Dispatch and in the driver app.

Troubleshooting

There is no "Scrap Metal" card on the Create New Order page.

The line is off for your company. Turn it on in Settings, Company, "Business lines" and the card shows up right away.

I get a missing fields error on a pickup only job.

Pickup only needs a customer, a "Pickup Date" and a "Pickup Address". Without a date the order would never reach a driver's queue, so the date is required. Size is optional.

I unchecked "No charge" and cannot submit.

A charged scrap order needs an amount above zero, a "Due Date" and, for drop off, a "Delivery Date". Fill them in, or check "No charge for this order" again.

Related guides

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.