Advice Needed

Hello,



Me and my brother (ages 17 & 18) have been running a scrap business for about a year for a part time job. To date we have made about $1000 by doing a few loads from farms and a few loads from people around us. We have a F150, a single axle aluminum trailer, and we just purchased dual 3500 pound axle dump trailer because the yard we take our material too does not have a grapple or magnet.

We bought the trailer with parts of our college funds to make some money instead of sitting around with that $1500. The trailer is currently out of commission because we just broke hinge. We live in a town of 1000 with lots of rural areas around and we are just outside a town of 20,000 and 40 minutes from a huge city. We also have a place to stay and family out in the rural area more where they have pretty large ag lots.

What are your thoughts? Stick with local single trailer loads or head out to the farms?

Any tips or advice would help!

Thanks

You may be better off continuing to do what you're used to. But......now that you have a bigger trailer, you should put it to use. Another "but".....if you go out to farms, you'll find heavy stuff that you can't load or unload. Then you 'll be needing a torch to cut it smaller or you'll need a tractor or skidsteer to do the loading and you'll need to find a yard that can unload it. I'm in rural Nebraska myself and I wouldn't be in business long if I didn't have a torch and a skidsteer to load. Consider your long term plans. If you're going to stay in the scrap business, go for farm cleanup and expect to find the need to purchase more equipment.

Scrapping is a business too and it is wise to consider expansion. I've been doing this for 5 years (farm scrapping) and just recently went to a 20 ft trailer with two 7,000 lb axles. I've always had a 3/4 ton pickup and a skidsteer and I couldn't do it without them. There are guys with one ton pickups and 28 ft gooseneck trailers and bigger skidsteers doing the same thing so I'm just one of the little guys.

You'll find stuff like you see in this picture that you can't possibly do by hand.

I'm 17 also but have much more to my use. I have an f350 and 20ft flatbed and a dump trailer for the big jobs and large loads. I also have a ford ranger a 12ft enclosed trailer and a smaller utility for small city jobs and such. I suggest doing both of what you mentioned you cant be picky take whatever you can get. Farm jobs are fun as there is tons of money involved especially if they give it you without a cut. But I feel farm jobs dry up quick as the people willing to give up the metal will be picked over quick. However the city has thousands of jobs waiting for you. So focus on city but pursue the farms if the opportunities present themselves. Thats how ive gotten to where I am. Just my 2 cents