Just traded in my 4 door sedan, for a truck! need truck scrapping tips!

I have scrapped for a while (mostly looking for resellables and scrapping just if I saw something of value that fit in my trunk). Now that I have a whole truck bed to fill I can start grabbing the numerous grills, metal chairs, cabinets, stoves, dishwashers etc, that I alway had to leave behind as I couldnt squeeze them into a sedan.

Any helpful tips as I venture off on my way scrapping for the first time with a truck? Loading tips, stuff to make sure I have with me in the truck, tips to maximize space/load, anything!

I already have a bunch of rope and tiedowns, and a small set of basic tools (hammer, screwdriver set, wire cutters, channel lock, etc).



Truck is a 2014 Toyota tacoma BTW, 2WD, 2DR, 6ft2inch bed.

Thanks!

Helpful tip: stay at home until prices go back up. Stoves, dishwashers are just going to break your body and damage your truck for very little money.

Originally Posted by APA

Helpful tip: stay at home until prices go back up. Stoves, dishwashers are just going to break your body and damage your truck for very little money.

Yea this is why I ussually didnt grab metal before unless it was something other than shred (and also could fit in my sedan)... but if I am already out looking around, and have room, I'll still probably grab a stove or the like. Current shred prices around me are around $0.02-.03 a lb, so a 100lb stove might get me $2... so, yea not very worth it, but if Im already grabbing stuff, might as well grab it. Plus I could disassemble and micro scrap it to squeeze a little more value out of them too.

Thanks!

The only truck part that really changed the kind of scrapping I did was my liftgate. It was an investment that paid for itself almost immediately. Otherwise it's all the same ideas of being strategic with your outreach and showing up for clients when you say you will.

Originally Posted by JJinLV

The only truck part that really changed the kind of scrapping I did was my liftgate. It was an investment that paid for itself almost immediately. Otherwise it's all the same ideas of being strategic with your outreach and showing up for clients when you say you will.

Since my truck is a small truck a liftgate might be overkill for it! but I could see how that would be very helpful for loading heavy/large loads like pallets or gaylord. Thanks!

Originally Posted by mikeinreco

Just we wise about what you do....for pickups of individual items from home owners I charge a minimal fee.....most people are happy to pay $25-$30 to have that one bulky item picked up....they can't rent a truck at home depot for that plus they don't have to waste the time it would take to rent truck and go to the dump

I havent really ventured into trying to conduct my scrapping like that (looking for residential customers) so I dont really have pickups like that. I mostly look for large lots of old electronics and have some ads listed for old PCs. Plus everywhere around me has 1 day a month that they do large item trash so everyone puts stuff out then, not sure charging to take stuff would be very profitable in my area due to having somewhere once a month they can get rid of stuff free (well not free, but included in their normal trash bill). It is good for me though, cause those 1 day a month large item days gets all the good stuff out for the picking in 1 day.

best tip:
take the time to READ all the older threads.

too many ppl just join and ask stuff thats written for all to read.
they think we have nothing better to do than type out advice to every new scrapper who joins here.

Originally Posted by msmoorad

best tip:
take the time to READ all the older threads.

too many ppl just join and ask stuff thats written for all to read.
they think we have nothing better to do than type out advice to every new scrapper who joins here.

I have been a member since may, and scrapping for a while, just never the type of scrapping that required a truck (mostly electronic scrapping which was mostly lower sized loads). Never owned a truck before either. A lot of "truck basics" that are probably common sense to most truck owners are mostly what I was asking about, I will continue to read the old threads that have been posted of course.

Make sure you know your payload and GVW. Its easy to over load a little truck like that. I got a 2010 tacoma and its rated for 800lbs. Ive done 1000 lbs loads before with it but you dont want to wreck your truck for what little $$$ you get from scrap.

Also dont break your back windows lol. You may want to put up sides and a headache rack for better saftey. Get some red Menards flags and keep them in your truck for those items that stick out the back like garage door openers. I would say fold the flags and punch a hole threw them and use that steel wire that looks like thhn wire to make quick wrap arounds for the flags. Do you have 4 of those sliding D rings for your bed? I would say go buy 4 more, then you can ratchet down more straps for better security in transport.

Originally Posted by greytruck

Make sure you know your payload and GVW. Its easy to over load a little truck like that. I got a 2010 tacoma and its rated for 800lbs. Ive done 1000 lbs loads before with it but you dont want to wreck your truck for what little $$$ you get from scrap.

Also dont break your back windows lol. You may want to put up sides and a headache rack for better saftey. Get some red Menards flags and keep them in your truck for those items that stick out the back like garage door openers. I would say fold the flags and punch a hole threw them and use that steel wire that looks like thhn wire to make quick wrap arounds for the flags. Do you have 4 of those sliding D rings for your bed? I would say go buy 4 more, then you can ratchet down more straps for better security in transport.

As far as GVW, the manual say I can have 1150 payload. which for the size of the truck, seems reasonable. I know technically that includes my weight+all gear, but if I have 1200lb in the bed, I would assume it would most likly be OK. But I will be sure not to push it too much too often.

"headache rack" I have been looking for this term to figure out what to google to find these lol... thanks for that! I was considering making my own also out of some metal stuff I have around.

I have a few red flags on my list of things to get. My bed does have 2 D rings in the back corners and 2 in the front PLUS 2 cleats on each side at the top of the bed that are adjustable, and I got some more for the front rails. So I should have at least.... 10 anchor points, 6 of which are adjustable!

Thanks so much for your input!

Originally Posted by kss

As far as GVW, the manual say I can have 1150 payload. which for the size of the truck, seems reasonable. I know technically that includes my weight+all gear, but if I have 1200lb in the bed, I would assume it would most likly be OK. But I will be sure not to push it too much too often.

"headache rack" I have been looking for this term to figure out what to google to find these lol... thanks for that! I was considering making my own also out of some metal stuff I have around.

I have a few red flags on my list of things to get. My bed does have 2 D rings in the back corners and 2 in the front PLUS 2 cleats on each side at the top of the bed that are adjustable, and I got some more for the front rails. So I should have at least.... 10 anchor points, 6 of which are adjustable!

Thanks so much for your input!

I too scrap in a tacoma at times. I've had a 98 that rusted out and caught fire when i was cutting it up and a 2017. both 4x4 with 6' beds and 2.7L engines. the new trucks are heavier and more beastly when it comes to hauling but the old one was killer in the snow. not so much in the new one. As far as the tacoma goes, don't over tighten or put too much pressure on those adjustable anchor points you mentioned. I use the D rings whenever i can. headache racks or back racks or what have you need to be specifically made to fit the newer tacoma bed. when ever they made the second gen truck they have been using that composite bed which is way different mounting wise for add on's like that. but you can just google headache rack 2014 tacoma and turn up results. and if your looking for more tips you got alot but I'll tell you what i do. go to the home depot and get a husky splitting maul to tear apart washers and dryers and stoves and what not. that way they can be smashed up and stacked better and all motors removed. you can take the legs off tables and other things real quick with the maul vs. fiddling with screw drivers and what not. but since the maul can't do everything take patriots advice. get you a battery powered impact driver to take srcews out quick. and toss em in an old water jug or something. when the jug gets full toss it as deep into the light iron as you can. I like to stuff all my non ferrous into a corner of the truck and try to keep it all in that corner as much as i can to speed up unloading at the yard. I don't hoarde anything. if its on the truck when i roll in it comes off and i get paid for what i got when i get it. also tacoma specific if your hauling alot, the two little storage things in the bed get blocked off real quick. so i stopped putting anything in them after the first week. I also like to pre hook straps on the front d-rings when i anticipate using them before they get buried on my runs. then just throw ratchets on them and hook em up in an x configuration when needed. occasionally i'll have to use the adjustable runners but i try to avoid them. and another thing I like to have but isn't needed is a trailer made from the back half of a S-10. That almost triples my hauling capacity. I also like to paint or add lettering on the tailgate that says metal recycling or something of that nature. I get some hits off that every now and then. The Tacoma is also one of the most profitable urban area scrap trucks i've had. the f250's are good for out in rural areas and once you start getting massive volumes of stuff but the little trucks were turning profits for me where i was at.

And disclaimer: Don't do this if you don't feel safe doing so! but My trucks GVWR is 5700lbs on the new Tacoma. I've already weighed in with out the trailer at 6500 lbs. it was actually pretty common to see 59-6100 on the scale. The truck doesn't seem to mind it. but i also take roads no one else does and drive like 25mph or less when hauling that heavy. again i'm not condoning that or telling anyone that its ok to haul overweight, just trying to let you know the truck can handle it no problem. no need to stress out about blowing shackles at 5701lbs. the truck don't care.

Originally Posted by ScrapmanIndustries

And disclaimer: Don't do this if you don't feel safe doing so! but My trucks GVWR is 5700lbs on the new Tacoma. I've already weighed in with out the trailer at 6500 lbs. it was actually pretty common to see 59-6100 on the scale. The truck doesn't seem to mind it. but i also take roads no one else does and drive like 25mph or less when hauling that heavy. again i'm not condoning that or telling anyone that its ok to haul overweight, just trying to let you know the truck can handle it no problem. no need to stress out about blowing shackles at 5701lbs. the truck don't care.

What were you carrying to put you 800lbs over?

Originally Posted by EDC76

What were you carrying to put you 800lbs over?

on that one a bunch of old cast iron radiators. and some cast poop pipes and about 2/3 of an oil tank and what ever else i could cram into the oil tank. I've also hauled about 1300lbs of sealed units in it. that put me about 500lbs over roughly. nothing compared to the dakota i bought from the yard. the first load i ran with it was 2,500lbs. but the shackles exploded and ripped the muffler off when it tagged the ground. I didn't realize that them old gravely tractors were as heavy as they were otherwise i never woulda done quite that much. but it only cost me 30 minutes and 50 cents or so in scrap metal and welding wire to fix that one.

and to the op i see your struggles having to wait till Saturday to go to the yard. thats how it was when i was in ft. hood. luckily i had two full size trucks and a full size truck bed trailer at the time so i would load up all week accumulate things and take everything in one shot on the weekends. it was just a hobby then though. the toyota is way more profitable for what i was doing curb shopping and picking up when people call. the only other advice i can think of that i left out about the truck is to maybe spray diesel or like that fluid film on your frame at least once a year to keep it from rotting out. my 98 rotted pretty bad because of the salt. and thats literally the only reason i had to get rid of it. the body was good. the engine was still amazing. just the frame rotted. there were holes i was gonna try and fish plate over but decided to just cut it up. as i was cutting it up i noticed the whole rail sections were like paper thin and delaminating. so now i keep my frames oiled. sounds funny but thats how they ship new metal. and some steel sales places down in texas keep it outside and theres no rust at all when you buy most of it.

Originally Posted by hobo finds

As prices are down appliances sit for awhile lately. I leave them fill up my truck with shred and then add the appliance to the load. Prices are too bad to pick up item unload it at my house reload it later when going to the scrap yard and then unload it again.

Yea I planned on doing this kind-of.... If I find washer/dryer/stove, get it, and fill it as I go along. Problem is, the only yard by me is only open 7am-3pm. I go out around 6am to beat the trash trucks, and get to work around 7, and am not off work until 3 or 4pm. So I only go to the scrap yards on weekends, so regardless it still gotta be coming back to my house (in addition to coming to work with me lol)

One more thing..... I keep a 2ft 4x4 in the cab. Every once and awhile you my come across something thats to heavy and short or just even with the tailgate that wont flip in the truck.

Example that central a/c thats on the curb very very rarely, they are usually just level with the tailgate and you would have to pick it up to get it in. Just slide that 4x4 under it and leverage works on your side,

On those once a month large item days, you might consider taking a helper with you for the heavy/bulky items. It's also a good time to get the wife or girlfriend involved. You'll be surprised how many 'treasures' they'll find. Also, don't forget a couple pairs of good work gloves. Good Luck...

Originally Posted by DiamondN

On those once a month large item days, you might consider taking a helper with you for the heavy/bulky items. It's also a good time to get the wife or girlfriend involved. You'll be surprised how many 'treasures' they'll find. Also, don't forget a couple pairs of good work gloves. Good Luck...

I do have gloves in the truck... bringing a friend is a grat idea.... doubt id ever get the wife on board lol... thanks!