per net ton question on steel

What exactly does the phrase "per net ton" mean. I have a couple of scrap yards give me steel prices as x$ per net ton. I know what a ton is, know what a pound is but not sure what the exact meaning is there.

Originally Posted by KZBell

Net Ton=2000 pounds
Gross Ton=2240 pounds

Makes a big difference when figuring cents per pound.

Ah Ha! Thanks. Just to clairfy, for every 2240 lbs you scale, they will pay you for 2000 lbs?

It's all about Metric -v- Imperial. In the UK we used to use Imperial weights and measures for everything, so:

Length = inches, feet, yards, furlongs, miles
Area = square feet, acres
Volume = liquid ounce, pint, gallon
Mass = ounce, pound, stone, hundredweight, ton

The thing is Imperial measurements are not base 10 (based on the decimal system), so... we have 16 ounces to a pound, 14 pounds to a stone, 112 pounds to a hundredweight, 20 hundredweight to a ton, which is 20 lots of 112 pounds, or 2240 pounds to an Imperial ton.

This worked for us, but it was hard work in terms of international trade, which is why we now use the Metric system more often than not, with 1000 kilos to the ton. Beer is still sold in pint glasses though, even if technically it is 568 millilitres!

It all goes back to British money. In 1066, 945 years ago William the Conqueror divided our currency (the pound) into 20 shillings. The shilling was then divided into 12 pennies. Henry II changed it a bit a hundred years later, and based it on the troy system of weighing precious metals. A pound sterling thus weighed a pound of sterling silver, or 240 pennyweights. One penny weighed 1/240th of a pound of silver.

Nearly a thousand years later and it still causes confusion wordwide

usually Heavy iron is bought at 2240 GT
Light iron and cars bought at 2000 NT

Hundredweight, net ton, long ton, short ton, jewish ton, gross ton. I only know one tonnage weight and that's 2240 is a ton. 20 tons to me is 44800 lbs. Its all I know and its the only way I will request a price when I have scrap to sell. Just make sure you know what you are getting as far as what price you are getting and what kinda ton they are buying it. Its pretty cut and dry. Always request a written or emailed price quote so you know exactly what you are getting so there can't be any discrepancy when you get the check. Know one wants to lose 20 bucks or more because they surprise you with the old well we only buy scrap by the gross ton and you think you are getting the short ton price. Every yard is different and they all do things there way.