New to this

First of all hello to everyone.I just started recycling two weeks ago I had done some reading and have been going out everyday for two to four hours I have checked neighborhoods construction sites and anywhere I could think of I guess I need to read some more I have only found about 20 dollars worth of scrap.f that much.
I see other people with their trucks loaded they must know special spots what am I doing wrong.Iam off to a bad start the at moment iam frustrated.

Read and then read some more. However I find that reading here has a tendency to become addictive. Need to go break some stuff down now

Those with full trucks probably have established routes that they have tried and proven or maybe they've cleaned out a warehouse from an old provider. Scrapping is alot like fishing..............the more you fish, the better your chances of catching something. Don't give up yet; you've just started.

Don't worry, it takes a while to get started. Curb shopping is really just extra money the way you really make your money with scrapping is by networking and making contacts, start spreading the word that you haul away metal and electronics and you'll start getting calls and people giving you their #s. I'm well enough known in my neighborhood by now that I could just be walking down the street and I get someone coming up to me, asking if I'm one of the guys who hauls away metal and asking me to pick up stuff from them. It'll take a little while but once you start getting customers the money will start rolling in, don't give up!

Thanks guys I thought it was just me being stupid and not knowing where to look.One thing I have to remind myself in anything I do be patient.And then it will pay off.

Dito, dito. Scrapping is like anything worth doing, you need to input effort to get a decent return. Effort is not just working hard, hard work is needed. It requires time to gain the needed knowledge, time to develop what works for you (the "Plan"), and time to work your plan. The fact that you found SMF (welcome), means you are on the right course, hang in there!

It is a lot like fishing, there is "Sport Fishing" and those that make a living fishing on a regular basis (the professional). In fishing, the "big ones" get away sometimes, that happens and you keep fishing to catch even a "Bigger One". You also learn to "set the hook" and not let them get away. Yes scrapping is in a lot of ways like fishing, if you want to eat good, you learn to be a smarter fisherman.

I have found a bunch of appliances sitting in garages when I drive to and from work or when I have to drive around town for work. I make a note of the address and return after work to knock on the door and ask if I can haul the appliance away for free and recycle it. I don't feel like I'm snooping around and nobody has been weird about it. I just knock and see if someone is home. If the door is answered I politely introduce myself(first name), mention that I recycle appliances and say I noticed the dryer in the garage. If no answer at the door. I will leave a card with a short note listing the appliance I see in the garage. I try to leave my card where people will be sure to see it. If there is a wireless keypad on the garage, I leave a card half ways slipped into it. A lot of people don't go through their front entrances so they may not see the card for a while. If the person doesn't want to give away their appliance they won't call, if they do, you will get a call in a day or two. Welcome! Good luck!

I will also add that those fully loaded trucks and trailers often are not loaded in two hours. I do not make my living from scrap but add maybe $1-2 thousand a year to my wallet. It may take a month or more to work up a big trailer load, but when I go, there is more on the trailer than shred. There will be some copper and brass and aluminum and motors that are dollar dense, but the trailer is heaped with the remains of the items that the dollar dense items were removed from.... Micro and AC chassis', anything that had a wiring harness removed, odd items I picked up, faucet and sink remnants. Do whatever it is you do, and then add scrapping. If you want to make a living off scrap, you will have to invest the same time it would take you to become a good plumber or farmer or auto mechanic.

welcome from iowa

Iam on a fixed income iam only trying to make extra money.I don't think I could make a living off of this.My truck would be burning up a lot of gas with me trying to find scrap.I have to limit the amount of time I spend looking right now.But as time goes by I hope the finds will get better.

I had put an ad on craigslist two days ago and this morning a lady called and said her boss wanted her to get rid of 4 fax machines and a non working mini fridge and
I could pick them up Monday I hope that stuff is worth a few bucks.