Getting Started

1. Create Your Account

Start by signing up at BinRouter.com. You can use your email address or sign in with Google. If you're joining an existing organization, your admin will send you an invitation link. Once you sign up, you'll create or join an organization — this is your workspace where all routes, drivers, and jobs are managed.

Organizations keep your data isolated from other companies. If you run a franchise or multi-location operation, each location can have its own organization with separate billing and settings. All users in your organization will see the same jobs, routes, and analytics.

2. Setup Wizard

After creating your organization, you'll go through a brief setup wizard to configure your core settings. This takes about 10 minutes and ensures BinRouter has the information it needs to optimize routes accurately.

Add Facilities (Yards)

Facilities are where your trucks start and end their day, and where empty dumpsters are stored. Enter the name and full address for each yard. BinRouter will geocode the address automatically. You'll also set the number of dumpsters available at each facility — the route optimizer uses this to ensure you have enough inventory for deliveries.

For example, if you have a main yard in St. Louis with 120 dumpsters and a satellite yard in Chesterfield with 40 dumpsters, add both. Drivers can be assigned to different facilities, and the route optimizer will plan accordingly.

Add Landfills

Landfills are where full dumpsters are emptied during pickup and switch jobs. Enter the name and address for each landfill you use. If you work with multiple landfills (say, one for construction debris and one for household waste), add them all. The route optimizer will route drivers to the closest landfill based on job type and location.

You can also set disposal fees per landfill if you want to track landfill costs in your analytics. This is optional but helps with cost reporting.

Add Drivers

Add your drivers by name, home address (or facility they start from), and default service zone. The home address is used as the starting point for route optimization — BinRouter plans routes from the driver's home to their first stop, then back to the facility at the end of the day.

Zones are geographic areas (usually defined by zip codes) where drivers operate. For example, if Mike covers North County (zip codes 63033, 63044, 63074), assign him to the "North County" zone. The route optimizer will only assign jobs in Mike's zone to Mike's route, unless you override it manually.

You can also set truck numbers, capacity, and driver availability (active, on vacation, etc.). This helps the route optimizer avoid assigning jobs to unavailable drivers.

Configure Cost Settings

BinRouter calculates cost-weighted routes based on your real operating costs. Enter your average diesel price (BinRouter can also fetch this automatically from FRED API), truck MPG, driver hourly rate, and overhead cost per mile. These numbers are used to calculate the true cost of each route, so you can see exactly how much you're saving.

For example, if diesel is $4.20/gallon, your trucks get 7 MPG, drivers earn $25/hour, and you estimate $0.15/mile in overhead (maintenance, insurance, etc.), BinRouter uses these to prioritize shorter, cheaper routes. You can update these settings anytime in the Cost Config page.

3. Import Your First Jobs

Once your facilities, landfills, and drivers are configured, you're ready to import jobs. BinRouter supports CSV and Excel files in any format — you don't need to reformat your existing dispatch sheets. Just drag and drop your file into the Import page.

BinRouter's AI will scan your spreadsheet and fuzzy-match column headers to the required fields (job type, customer address, scheduled date, etc.). It can recognize columns like "Service Type," "Job Type," or "Work Order Type" as the job type field. If a column doesn't match automatically, you can select the correct mapping manually.

Required fields are: job type (delivery, pickup, or switch), customer address (street, city, state, zip), and scheduled date. Optional fields include order number, customer name, zone, dumpster size, and waste type. After mapping, BinRouter will geocode all addresses and validate the data. You'll see a preview of the imported jobs before confirming.

4. Optimize Routes

With jobs imported, head to the Routes page. Select a date (usually today or tomorrow), and click the "Optimize Routes" button. BinRouter's VRP solver will calculate the optimal routes for all jobs scheduled that day, assigning each job to the best driver based on zone, capacity, and cost.

Optimization usually takes 10-30 seconds depending on the number of jobs. When it's done, you'll see a map with color-coded routes for each driver, and a list of stops in order. Each route shows estimated miles, drive time, and total cost. You can review the routes, make manual adjustments if needed (drag jobs between drivers), and then send the routes to your drivers via SMS or email.

Drivers receive a link to a mobile-friendly route page showing their stops in order, with turn-by-turn navigation links to Google Maps or Waze. They can mark stops complete as they go, and you can track progress in real-time from the dashboard.

5. Track Savings

After running a few routes, head to the Analytics page to see your savings. BinRouter compares optimized routes to your historical manual routes (if you uploaded them) or estimates savings based on typical inefficiencies (backtracking, suboptimal sequencing, etc.).

The dashboard shows daily summaries (total miles saved, fuel cost saved, time saved) and monthly aggregates. You'll also see cost per route, cost per job, and driver efficiency metrics. Most customers see 20-30% reductions in miles driven and fuel costs within the first month.

You can export reports for management or accounting, and set up email alerts for key metrics (e.g., alert me if churn rate exceeds 5%).