Is pay to haul not a model in your area? I fully realize that in farming communities that's not a possible model (I live in a farming state).
I do have some ideas for you bullion. One of which is heavy melt contracts. Might be worth having a word with the rail companies, manufacturers in your broader area...etc. In addition consider that not all scrap you haul is actually scrap. For instance any bar or round stock with a length of 3 or more feet is probably valuable enough to hang onto until you can sell a larger quantity to a welding/machine shop for 10 times scrap price. I know demolition is always a good header for a business when scrap is down. There are ways to get paid for what your already doing and doing it without gouging a customer in the process.
I'll admit shred is way way down but according to yards in our area, heavy melt, short iron (prepared) is still pretty good. If iron isn't in your cards, like has already been said...nothing wrong with getting into non-ferrous or even e waste. What seems like slim pickings in general right now changes just as soon as you change the shingle on your sign that your accepting that kind of stuff.
lastly, there's one thing I believe in, that's survival. If you can figure out a business model for lean times you will snuff out everyone around you and pretty soon be the ONLY game in town, commanding your own prices and jobs.
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