how do you charge? - Page 2

Originally Posted by taterjuice

All I'm saying is I buy scrap, anywhere from 3 tons to 75 tons at a clip. If a customer has 50 ton of scrap are you really in ANY position to charge them to pick it up ? Sounds pretty dam greedy to me but I guess if your customers are willing to sit still for it, more power to you.

Believe it or not, there is companies out there that would charge you, even if you had 1 billion lbs of metal. It does not matter to them. The same 4 companies around here that are bigger than mine, that I have mentioned about in the past, will charge clients to pickup any size load. They may not any longer, since they have finally caught on to the fact that they get paid for it at the scrap yards, but I atleast up until a few months ago, they did. To fill their trucks up, you get charged roughly $600 to $700.

Now I am not saying that if a client called me up and had a BIG load of metal to haul in, I most likely would not charge at all for it. Other companies, if they have to process it first, they will charge for their time in doing so.

Bottom line here, that I think we can all agree on and stop having a pissing match over it, is this.

Whether you charge for it or not, is a business decision. Based on your area, the price of metal, what other companies charge and do not charge, and so forth.

There is always going to be multiple factors that take play.


All I know is, unless it is a BIG load (trailer worth) and coming from a company, I will charge for it.

I have also charged companies to remove metal before as well, and have been paid.

how do you guys make money paying workers to pick up shred? thats what i cant figure out

after overhead is figured in i dont think there would be anything left on the table

I have to think after reading all the posts that wether to charge or not depends on where you are. I know where I am the scrap yards will pick up from a residence and pay on the spot for whatever they pick up. Also people here can put out whatever they want on garbage nights and each morning the town has regular garbage pick up and later they send out a truck to pickup bulk, sofas,ovens,mattresses,refrigerators.....so advertising to charge someone to pick up their scrap doesn't work. Now if i had to hump a stove or fridge out of a basement that is another story, but those calls are very rare.

Brass catcher said it right I believe, it all depends on where your at.

Were was the pissing match I must have missed it

Originally Posted by taterjuice

Were was the pissing match I must have missed it

Just what I called it is all

Right before I started scrapping cars, people used to pay guys like me to remove them... I missed that by a few months. People just started buying junk cars when I came on the scene... Now its absurd what guys are offering.... I had a guy laugh and hang up when I offered 150 for an old integra... Really? I thought that was pretty fair considering I'd barely get that at the yard... iv heard of other guys paying 500+ for cars like that...

People don't understand the work, time costs and risks that are involved. Iv gotta drive my truck and trailer around, buy fuel, spend the time loading it up, laying under these old junk heaps that drip oil, snow and muck in your face, spend the time to make sure its secure, then drive it back to the shop. I'm not even gonna get into how long it takes to prepare them (but I won't tell them I have fun doing that kinda work) none the less its still work and tires me out. It's about 3 hours per car.

I wish people other than us understood where I'm coming from...

If your only getting 150 for a car you should Probadly find a different yard

yeah bro at $150 your doing something seriously wrong i did a 2 dr integra friday i got $60 for the rims $135 for the good tires $321.17 in weight $90 for the cats $25 for the radio and $16.50 in change outta the car.

All yards here are paying the same, and there aren't many. And after I consider all my expenses, its not worth paying more than that. I don't want to get too into it, but Consider this, on average I drive between 50 and 100kms round trip to pick up the average car. Iv got a diesel truck that loves fuel (at $1.40 per liter) especially when I tow the trailer, and when its loaded, I can practically watch the gauge drop. I'm paying $80+ per trip in just fuel... Iv had another integra on my lot for months, been on CL since day one... Not one part sold. Same with others, my life revolves around CL, have tons of ads, nothing sells. Even on other cars. And its not my prices, cause Iv got nobody to give prices to! Can't even sell tires. Those who call complain when they cost more than $20 each. For real. "but they're used!" They say...

My area seems to be the worst around, the public expects to be payed big bucks, those who want parts want them pretty much free and the yards buy cheap. I think its 170 a ton at most. An integra probly tops out at just over that on a good day once its prepared. Do the math, its not worth my time.

Iv started buying trucks only, seems to be the only thing working out. People.like to keep them.on the road, so a few, and I mean a very few, parts sell that I list. I stay clear from cars cause I just lose money when I offer more than 150-200 bucks. Just the way she goes in my neck of the woods I guess.

Originally Posted by Libertytow

$321.17 in weight.

For an integra!? That's nuts, unheard of around here. I'd probly have a better return by shipping my cars to the yard you deal with! (Just kidding) any vehicle I bring in would have to be over 3000lbs to get 300.

acura integra 2 dr weighs 2620lbs according to my receipt

I strip some stuff like aluminun, keep cores, and such so it may or may not be less for me. 2600 lbs at .085 cents a pound is right around 220, so 150 plus my 80+ in fuel, my time... See what I'm saying? I'm not saying its not profitable to spend more on cars, but with the prices in my area, for me it isn't.

Originally Posted by jord0690

I strip some stuff like aluminun, keep cores, and such so it may or may not be less for me. 2600 lbs at .085 cents a pound is right around 220, so 150 plus my 80+ in fuel, my time... See what I'm saying? I'm not saying its not profitable to spend more on cars, but with the prices in my area, for me it isn't.

That is why that Gus bought the bigger truck, he was across the border also and dealing with the cheaper prices, so he just hauled 2-3 cars at a time to make the trip worthwhile. His pic's seem to be missing but the truck was setup close to this;



Gus's story on the truck (without pic's);
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/off-t...4000-00-a.html

.085 cents per lb. seems like robbery to me i get 14 cents