Definately buy it outright. Just a thought, but how well do you know the business? Would it be possible to negotiate a deal where for the first load only where you pay more for the wire than normal? Hear me out!

Negotiate this deal, and offer to pay a little bit more for the first load as a 'thank you' for the contract. For the first load, however, the deal would be to pick up the load on Friday, and pay them on Monday. I'm not sure if you can do that in the US, but in the UK if the contractor is known to be trustworthy they can pick up a load, take it to their yard, weigh it, grade it then pay out the customer. Thar can easily take a day or two.



Could you negotiate the same deal (even if only for the first load)? Get there real early on Friday, haul it away, and work Friday, Saturday and Sunday non-stop until you had enough bare bright to cover their payout. Take it to the yard on Monday, sell it, and use the cash to pay out the business. You've then got the rest of Monday to Friday morning to strip the remaining wire and weigh it in first thing Friday, which would give you enough money (hopefully) to buy the next load at the normal price.

I don't know your quantities and prices, but you get my drift. Do they trust you enough to give you a weekend's grace for a slightly higher return?