4 tons of scrap metal being removed from my yard.

[scrapbabe97]

About two weeks ago my partner and I had to remove 4 tons of scrap metal out of the yard. Due to the fact that we didn't have a truck or equipment then we couldn't bring it into the scrapyard our self so we made no profit off of this pile. But the pile had everything in it from Lawnmowers to cabinets and appliances. It took three truck loads with in two days. Keep in mind the truck was 21 feet by 8 feet and basically each pile was 4 feet high. This metal pile was started around last November and was ended around this August. I would of helped out but I was not allowed to work due to a recent injury to my wrist (yes if you have read my intro thread I was injured not to long before that keep in mind I tend to be accident prone). There will be a video uploaded once I get around to putting it all together and edit it some.

Before the pile was taken away.




This is when the guys started to take the pile.


​






When they were pretty much done

[JohnC4X4]

If you don't have a way to bring the items to the yard WHY collect them?
Instead of bringing the items home, wouldn't it make more sense to just bring them directly to the yard instead of having to double handle everything and then not get any money for it?

[scrapbabe97]

Well the Trailer died just a few weeks before this happened... We couldn't come up with money in the time the pile had to be removed... Someone put dirt in our radiator just a week before also when we were on a scrap run for an old lady who husband had died and wanted to pay his funeral bills.. If everything didn't die we would of taken it to the scrap yard...Also with things around here you take what you can get.. They also wanted to charge 600 dollars for a 18 wheeler to come out and get it... when prices were 30 a ton...so before you go assuming things you should consider there are other factors to the side of the story that is none of your business...

[JohnC4X4]

Nice photos
The roll back looks like an old UHaul truck with box removed

Was not trying to tick you off and if there are other factors to the side of the story that is none of your business...
Lets not post said story on an open forum

[scrapbabe97]

It is off an old uhaul...
and Thank you...
And that's why I did not mention any names....

[SteelMill]

I don't believe John was trying to offend you. We tend to post things that we think may help, just in case you haven't considered it. In John's case, that's exactly what he was doing, trying to save you the time and effort of offloading it in the yard to be taken for no profit later.

If you post it on the forum, you're going to get questions like that. I sure have, and I've learned a lot from it.

[ScrappinRed]

I would've definitely checked to see if any yard in the area would deliver a roll-off for that amount so you could at least make something. That may not be available where you are. It is here...

[SteelMill]

I believe that's what she was talking about when she said 18-wheeler.

[ScrappinRed]

I believe that's what she was talking about when she said 18-wheeler.

Ahhh... okay, I read that to be the people removing for free tried to charge to bring in an 18-wheeler. Apologies for misreading.

[scrapbabe97]

Well we never got a roll off where we are its to expensive.... would of not made money at all.. kinda sucks being in the middle of no where and not having the equipment...

[Mechanic688]

Well we never got a roll off where we are its to expensive.... would of not made money at all.. kinda sucks being in the middle of no where and not having the equipment...

You could have rented a U-Haul box truck and made the loads if everything fell together right. Sometimes it just doesn't tho.

[scrapbabe97]

With uhaul one day would of been 500 just to get to the scrap yard alone haha.. we are out in the boonies LOL!

[Mechanic688]

With uhaul one day would of been 500 just to get to the scrap yard alone haha.. we are out in the boonies LOL!

ok, down here it was 49.95 a day for a 26 footer,,,

[Thecamokid]

its always a bummer to have to give away something you have been saving for a long time, especially metal. And where you pointed out what it would cost you for the uhaul to remove it to sell it is great, im glad you took cost into account. That shows great entrepreneurial knowledge. I know people around my area (in Florida) that only see the money that they get paid and don't think of overhead costs. so basically you said a uhaul was 500 bucks and down here 4 tons of shred sells for 240 bucks...... that's a huge loss. you also mentioned you are way out of town and that means lots of time in driving. time is worth money.

like I said, it is always a bummer to give away material, but in this situation, you did the best thing you could. keep up the good brains and think about how you can better excel your business. good luck and remember this forum is full of knowledgeable people who are willing to help

[scrapbabe97]

we are 150 miles away from a scrap yard.. 36 miles away from a uhaul... For uhaul we have to have a deposit 26-100 bucks alone and then we get charged for the gass that is not put in.. and then we get charged for every mile and then 300 mile round trip to the scrap yard not yet alone counting the trip back to the yard and then getting the uhaul and giving it back which puts on another 72 miles on top of that....
thecamokid, Thank you and we tried to even ask other Family members but they were not to nice about it kinda rude actually... so we just figured that if someone wanted it bad enough they could come and get it.. But also don't forget by giving the metal away for free we also got a customer that will help us out now and it actually helped us out with everything in the end now we have the help if we need it....

[Thecamokid]

"They" say don't work with family or friends, because when something goes a way they don't like it in your business, you won't have family or friends...

It's sad to think like that, but I completely agree. I've seen it happen to too many of my friends and people I work for/with. Now my wife will drive my semi from time to time in town for me, but that's kind of different because she is a stay at home mom (and I have a car seat in the sleeper) and there are times I need her to help. If you have the work load, hire employees. When an employee messes up and you have to fire them, it sucks, but there is no hated between the ones you love.

And scrap babe, you have no doubt made a great connection with whomever came and got the material. One thing to think about with the company that came and got the material is that that truck cost a minimum of 50 cents per mile to operate. That's the minimum so they didn't get rich on that material, hopefully they made a little profit, because that's business, but like I said earlier.... Just remember costs. If you don't think of that, you could go down fast..

[farrarrecycling]

I was even telling her when the scrap pile was here that I wished I was still a UHaul dealer like I was back in 2012 and 2013 since I could have put my discount, and did a round trip to cut the cost down but I gave up my contract due to so many problems our area was having at the end. Getting a new AFM (area field manager) at the same time didnt help any of us in the area. Average was 60 miles to travel just to pickup a truck for our lot since we barely ever got drop offs, etc... and that was if the truck wasnt transferred to another dealer before it rented. Now were down to just two dealers in the area and the scrap yards are moving further and further apart with each year.

The total for the truck rental would have been about the same as the tractor trailer from AIM Recycling would have cost from Bangor Maine. They use to come out when it was OneSteel Recycling for $300 under my dealer pricing contract. They usually come out with either the crusher or the self loader (old pulp trailer with prentiss loader changed to a scrap metal hauler) I have picture here I will have her post once I find it.

[Thecamokid]

when I ran a towing company, I was a uhaul vendor. I hung with it for almost a year. I will never never never rent a uhaul, I don't care if I could get one for free, ill pay 5 times the price to get a Penske or a budget because they are such an unorganized company with poor dealer support. money isn't everything but it is something when they took up 20 percent of my lot space and for a 400 dollar truck I would make 25 bucks... that's not how I keep my doors open and beer in the fridge lol

[scrapbabe97]

Heres the crane truck the self loader... it was here a few years ago..

[farrarrecycling]

when I ran a towing company, I was a uhaul vendor. I hung with it for almost a year. I will never never never rent a uhaul, I don't care if I could get one for free, ill pay 5 times the price to get a Penske or a budget because they are such an unorganized company with poor dealer support. money isn't everything but it is something when they took up 20 percent of my lot space and for a 400 dollar truck I would make 25 bucks... that's not how I keep my doors open and beer in the fridge lol

Thats the one problem I had either I had to much equipment or not enough and even with the $2000 rentals I was doing it never was enough to cover the bills. I still owe them a phone bill from when I quit and closed the shop. I wish we had a penske dealer near by but there 100 miles one way alone so that was out of the question.

For the picture that was back in August 2013 when I shipped out a split load half from Topsfield and half from Waite. The truck was 3/4 full when it left for Bangor. That was before she started working for me.