Free tool
How many cans do you actually need?
Too few cans and you're turning away booked revenue. Too many and steel sits in the yard depreciating. The math is simple: jobs per month, rental length, turnaround time, and a buffer for reality.
Rule of thumb: jobs per month × cycle days ÷ 30 = cans occupied on an average day. The buffer covers demand spikes, repairs, and the can that always comes back late.
Reading the result
If your expected utilization comes out above ~85%, you'll feel it: no slack for spikes, repairs, or the customer who keeps the can an extra week.
Live availability math is built into DumpsterOS booking — it counts your real fleet minus every reservation, so you can run tighter without overselling.
Want these numbers computed from your real jobs, automatically?
DumpsterOS tracks tonnage, margin per haul, and fleet utilization from live operations. Free for 7 days.