What is a dry run?
A dry run is a truck sent out that comes back without doing the job — the driveway was blocked, the gate was locked, a car was parked in the drop zone, or the can was overloaded past the fill line.
What it costs
Operators commonly charge a dry-run or trip fee for it, and the fee rarely covers the real cost once fuel and the lost slot are counted. The fix is upstream: ask about clearance, ground conditions and access at booking rather than at the curb.
When it comes up
Most often on first-time residential jobs and tight urban drops. It is one of the most preventable losses in a roll-off operation and the reason a booking form should ask about clearance and access before it asks for a card.
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