The Scrapyard Scale Debacle

Hi guys, it's been a while...I took a load of scrap to the yard last Saturday and noticed something very perculiar. I put some cast aluminum on the scale and watched to see what it read. It read 20 lbs and then went immediately to 18 pounds (minus 10 percent). Then I put some #3 copper on the scale and it read 32 lbs and immediately went to 29 lbs (minus 10 percent again).



So, at this point I'm understanding how the scale works. Everytime something is weighed, it automatically deducts 10 percent of the weight. Is this because they are protecting themselves from dirty metals or waste? Is this just merely a mechanism to cheat scrappers? Is this one scale just consistently, accurately, and continually defected?

After weigh the second load (copper) he noticed I had issues with the scale and asked me to step outside the shed. Well, too late, I already saw it. Has anyone else had this experience or is this just at this particular scrapyard? At the other scrapyard I frequent, they won't even let you see the scale reading, they physically make you walk inside a room behind the scale and look at the guy weighing the stuff through a window as the other guy records what he says for your payout ticket.

This work is kind of labor intensive and being cheated is what should happen. I do this part time, but there are people who scrap to feed their families. If the have a 2,000 lb iron load and the rate if $200.00 per ton and the scale cheats them by 10%, then that payout just went from $200.00 to $180.00 and that can make the difference between paying a mortgage or not paying one.

Sorry for the long message, please advise?

TrailerScrap

this is a good post and good point to raise. you should first have a convo with the manager of yard and if after that this still continues find a different yard and let all of your friends know about your experiance at that yard. once thier business goes down theyll change thier ways

I would sell to gypsies before I would sell to a yard that didn't let me watch the scale while my stuff was being weighed.

I tend to be cynical. That said, I go to a place where the read out is right in front of you. I've been burned too often to go where they won't show the weights. I also weigh my stuff and write it on the items (Alum rims 25 lbs) and then call the place for pricing. If they are cheating you on weight, find another place.

The scrap yard where I go, allows you to watch what is going on.

Any yard that TELLS you to stand outside while it's being weighed is sketchy at best.

Thanks guys, I think all of it is a little shady...might have to forgo some extra scrap metal rates just to be at a yard that's honest. It's ok for me to loose $30.00 and not have to consider whether I'm being cheated.

Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

Any yard that TELLS you to stand outside while it's being weighed is sketchy at best.

I would never deal with a yard that does not let you see the reading on the scale. More than likely they cheat on their customers.
Every yard I have been to so far lets you see the scale reading while they weigh your metals.

I deal with two different yards on a regular basis, at the beginning I always used to weigh all my materials before taking it in. After several times I saw that my weights matched theirs closely, so now I'm pretty sure they are both honest.

I have a pretty good idea what I weigh, so I always check my weight on their scale.

Originally Posted by thortek

They are probably paying 10% more for those items, and then deducting 10% of your weight to make up the difference.....

Not likely

You should bring a small load to them next time. Weigh it yourself before you leave your place and compare the two weights.

Not sure how it works elsewhere, but in Canada it is a serious offence to mess with or use a scale with an out of date calibration. I always check for the sticker when dealing with a new to me yard.

Any yard that won't show their weights is SHADY. I wouldn't do business with them PERIOD!

At our yard we let everyone watch the scales... accurate scales are vital to an operation. Afterall we are weighing our outbound product on those same scales when we go to sell. So it's in everyone's best interest for them to be accurate. Having said that, sometimes it takes a couple of seconds for the scale to settle if you drop a lot of weight on the scales with force. Does that make sense?

My advice would be to do what others are saying, and find another yard to sell to. I know of a competitor around us that advertises a great price and then cheats on weight and/or will over-deduct lbs off your product for dirt or undesirables.

Absolutly!!! Missouri has a Weights and Messures dept. They should keep a copy of their calibration everyday for agents. Law here. I almost sued a yard in Sadalia Mo over the weight of some car batteries in the early 90s. They finally gave me all the money I had coming when W&M dept started checking up on them. Cheap skates.

Originally Posted by RustyDollars

Trailerscrap, I don't know where you're from but every state has a Dept of Weights and Measures...just sayin.

Originally Posted by RustyDollars

Trailerscrap, I don't know where you're from but every state has a Dept of Weights and Measures...just sayin.

I'm in Souther Illinois close to St. Louis, MO...roger on the weights and measures...it's interesting since they never know who may walk in their yard. I happen to work for the Federal Government in an organization that can make life fairly miserable for that scrap yard, but alas, I will just go to another one.