How Pickups Are Generated for Custom Service Types
Discovery can automatically create pickup records for custom service types based on how the service is set up. Two key settings control this behavior:
- Waste Generation — whether the service uses estimated or measured waste
- Schedule Type — whether pickups happen on set days (scheduled) or on-demand (unscheduled)
Note: If a service type is configured as Does Not Generate Waste, Discovery will not automatically create pickup records for that service, regardless of what charges appear on the vendor invoice.
Waste Generation Settings
Estimated Waste
Discovery calculates pickup weights based on the bin size, material type, and an estimated fill percentage. This is typical for front-load dumpsters and other services where actual weights are not provided on the invoice.
Measured Waste
Discovery pulls the actual weight directly from the vendor invoice. This is typical for roll-off and compactor services where tonnage is weighed at disposal.
How Charge Types Affect Pickup Creation
| Charge Type | Estimated Waste — Scheduled | Estimated Waste — Unscheduled | Measured Waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Charge | Cost is spread across the existing scheduled pickups for that period. No new pickup is created. | A new pickup is created and the charge is applied to it. | No pickup is created. Base charges do not generate pickups for measured waste services. |
| Per Unit | Existing scheduled pickups for that period are removed and replaced with a new pickup tied to the invoice charge. | A new pickup is created and the charge is applied to it. | A new pickup is created using the actual weight from the invoice. |
| Per Occurrence | Existing scheduled pickups for that period are removed and replaced with a new pickup tied to the invoice charge. | A new pickup is created and the charge is applied to it. | The charge is attached to an existing pickup for the same day if one exists; otherwise a new pickup is created. |
| Extraneous Charge (e.g., overage, contamination) | The charge is applied to the nearest existing pickup. | The charge is applied to the nearest existing pickup. | The charge is applied to the nearest existing pickup. |
How do Different Types of Extraneous Charges Affect Pickups?
The following extraneous charges modify existing pickups, rather than creating new ones.
| Fee Type | Effect |
|---|---|
CONTAMINATION |
Modifies weight on the nearest pickup within 7 days |
ROLLOFF_OR_COMPACTOR_SERVICE_OVERAGE |
Adds overage weight (measured) |
COMMERCIAL_SERVICE_OVERAGE |
Subtracts estimated weight, adds pickup weight + overage weight (estimated) |
How Per Unit and Per Occurrence Charges Work Together
For services that use Measured Waste, per unit and per occurrence charges are designed to work as a pair on the same day. The per unit charge carries the actual weight — for example, tonnage from a disposal receipt — and creates the pickup record. The per occurrence charge represents the haul fee for that same trip, and Discovery will attach it to the pickup already created by the per unit charge.
The result is a single pickup record that reflects both the weight of the material and the cost of the haul. If a per occurrence charge appears without a matching per unit charge for the same day, Discovery will still create a pickup, but the weight will be estimated rather than pulled directly from the invoice.
If a service type only has per unit enabled, Discovery will create pickups with accurate weights but without a haul fee attached. If a service type only has per occurrence enabled, Discovery will create pickups each time a haul charge appears on the invoice, but since there is no tonnage data to work with, all pickup weights will be estimated. For services that use Estimated Waste, this distinction does not apply — per unit and per occurrence charges are treated the same way, and each one creates its own pickup regardless of whether the other is present.
A Note on Pickup Weights
Estimated Waste services: Pickup weight is calculated using the bin size, the material's waste generation density, and an estimated fill percentage. If the invoice line item includes a quantity, that quantity may also be used in the calculation.
Measured Waste services: Pickup weight comes directly from the vendor invoice line item quantity. If the waste generation is measured in gallons, Discovery converts the volume to weight using the material's density.
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