Probably there aren't many bigger trucks being totally scrapped from the get-go because there is such a good market for used parts. There's always an axle, transmission or the like that is worth salvaging before the scrapping happens.

I had the opportunity to watch a guy who got a contract to scrap out about 40 "B-train" aluminum chip vans. He told me he salvaged everything he could--he sold tires in about 3 grades from the decent ones right down to the "skins". The axles and suspensions, (tandems and tridems) which were mostly air-ride, went to guys who wanted to retrofit a trailer or build a trailer. Any salvageable air brake equipment on the trailers went somewhere else.

He and two young guys ran a torch and a couple of gas powered abrasive cutters for two or three months, working dawn to dusk on those trailers. They shipped aluminum scrap out by the truckload. He ran out of time on the last 8 or so and had to get the local scrapper who had a shear to come in and finish them off. He told me he ran through three scrap outfits before the local guy finally came into line with pricing.

And who bought tons of his worst tires? The guys who ran on pavement in the city (mostly Vancouver)- dump trucks, delivery trucks, etc. Gads! I guess life is cheap there!

Jon.