Scrapping flatbed trailers

Hey guys,

I'm very new to scrapping so feel free to be long winded in the response here. I'm looking at a 80's flatbed tralier that's currently very cheap. It's weight is ~15,000 lbs and ideally I would like to transport to a scrap yard and be done with it. After doing a little searching, I've seen that some people break down buses/campers/etc and take them in and others will have the scrap yard tow them in for about half of what they would have made.

Has anyone scrapped flatbeds? Could you give me the easiest way to scrap this and the most efficient.

Thanks for any help.

Is it worth anything? You may want to sell it for more than scrap value.

I thought about that but I don't really have a place to store it. It's also located about 4 hours away so I was really hoping I could just transport to the yard and make some quick cash on it. I was curious about the most efficient way in case I see something like this again and I'm in a better spot to tear it down the right way.

I would try to sell, I was talking to a guy who had 20+ flat bed trailers. He was removing the wheels and stacking them to go to the yard when someone came in and asked if they were for sale.Guy pulled out a wad of cash and bought every single flatbed. The owner said he easily doubled his money.
So if you can post it for sale, i would try that.

Otherwise, torches are your friend, but 15K is a lot of weight, Will need a couple dumpsters at least.

Sounds like you could be in over your head, but it is a great way to learn.

This may be an old thread but I'll share what I know for the new comers reading it. The best way I know of to junk a flat bed if you have a semi is to pull off all but two tires (if they're good tires pull all of them off, and find two junky ones, or ask a yard that has junk semi trailers if you can borrow two tires to bring then a trailer.) take it to the yard pull your copper and plates if possible and anything else you may want but needed on for the trip, pull off your two exposed brake drums and weigh out. Take brake drums an wires to where they need to go. If you don't have a semi and all you got is some tools and 1/4 ton truck, start torching the frame into 5' or shorter sections, get the wood off first if there is any. Depending on type of trailer torch cut the whole king pin plate off in one section if you have the means or ability to move/load it whole it saves alot of effort torching it. If the tires are good they can maybe be sold to a recapper if they never had to get patched. Wiring, brake drums and rims are a different price than #1 preparred steel at most yards. And sometimes you can get paid for the tires at a recapping place. Wood is wood, and if you got a outdoors wood burner than feel free to burn it. If not try craigslist or a wood recycler. If your a yard owner getting alot of these a shear can do more than a torch with these. A bit long winded but all im doing at the moment is sitting in a state truck watching the sunset, so im a bit bored and the OP asked for it.

Did one over the summer and just deleted my photos yesterday. I may have posted some on here, can't remember.

The organization getting rid of this was hoping that I could pay them for this, but I told them up front that there wasn't enough in it at the current prices. Good thing I did, because in the end, I didn't make much and spent a lot of time on it.

Before starting this job, I didn't own torches and had never used them. In Massachusetts, we are required to get a "Hot Works" permit from the FD to use any welding or Oxy-fueled cutting device, unless it is in a shop permitted for that. That cost me $25, plus a couple of weeks to get the permit due to the Fire Chief being away. In the mean time, I rented a cutoff saw for a day ($100 plus fuel and blades) and started working. Spent about $150 on my torches set up. Rented tanks for a month(only filled initially) for about $45. Sold some of it 1 hour away as prepared and unprepared plate and structural, sold some locally as #1 prepared (this was over 5', but they don't have a P&S category, so the manager worked with me). From the axles back, minus the C channels that run along the edge of the trailer, I had a friend that has a flatbed for cars, tow this to the local yard, Got unprepared, minus 400 pounds for 8 tires, for this. Paid him about $60 for the tow. In the end, I'd say I probably broke even and came out of it with a set or torches. If you've never used torches before, it is an art and will take you a while to get the hang of. Out of all the cuts I made, I think I only had one really good one and that was because I was able to use something as a guide to hold the torch steady.

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Originally Posted by mthomasdev

Did one over the summer and just deleted my photos yesterday. I may have posted some on here, can't remember.

The organization getting rid of this was hoping that I could pay them for this, but I told them up front that there wasn't enough in it at the current prices. Good thing I did, because in the end, I didn't make much and spent a lot of time on it.

Before starting this job, I didn't own torches and had never used them. In Massachusetts, we are required to get a "Hot Works" permit from the FD to use any welding or Oxy-fueled cutting device, unless it is in a shop permitted for that. That cost me $25, plus a couple of weeks to get the permit due to the Fire Chief being away. In the mean time, I rented a cutoff saw for a day ($100 plus fuel and blades) and started working. Spent about $150 on my torches set up. Rented tanks for a month(only filled initially) for about $45. Sold some of it 1 hour away as prepared and unprepared plate and structural, sold some locally as #1 prepared (this was over 5', but they don't have a P&S category, so the manager worked with me). From the axles back, minus the C channels that run along the edge of the trailer, I had a friend that has a flatbed for cars, tow this to the local yard, Got unprepared, minus 400 pounds for 8 tires, for this. Paid him about $60 for the tow. In the end, I'd say I probably broke even and came out of it with a set or torches. If you've never used torches before, it is an art and will take you a while to get the hang of. Out of all the cuts I made, I think I only had one really good one and that was because I was able to use something as a guide to hold the torch steady.

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Yeah I did a few of em at the Yard I worked at. If you get good with a torch you can do one in a day or two. But they require a lot of labor. which is why you see so many of them stockpiled at most of the yards that take them. Mthomasdev What pressures did you have your regulators set at, and what gas were you using? junk yard torch cutting is easy once you get the setup right. you're taking it all to be either shred up or melted down anyway so the best advice I can give there is Propane is cheaper than Acetylene, and once you start cutting you should be more worried about getting a complete cut than a straight line when cutting scrap. Also If you don't own your own cylinders yet you can run a torch off of a gas grill tank of propane if you have the right fittings.

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Originally Posted by ScrapmanIndustries

Yeah I did a few of em at the Yard I worked at. If you get good with a torch you can do one in a day or two. But they require a lot of labor. which is why you see so many of them stockpiled at most of the yards that take them. Mthomasdev What pressures did you have your regulators set at, and what gas were you using? junk yard torch cutting is easy once you get the setup right. you're taking it all to be either shred up or melted down anyway so the best advice I can give there is Propane is cheaper than Acetylene, and once you start cutting you should be more worried about getting a complete cut than a straight line when cutting scrap. Also If you don't own your own cylinders yet you can run a torch off of a gas grill tank of propane if you have the right fittings.

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If I remember right, I was running 40 to 45 / 10 with a 0 tip. It was acetylene. I wasn't worried about straight cuts. It just seemed to work better when I had a guide. Probably just got lucky on that one and had everything dialed in perfectly.

Old thread and OP is long gone, but I will add to the thread for those that can benefit. I cut up trailers, tractors, semi's, combines etc. First, a trailer can be reconditioned or rebuilt. Resell is profitable. I have built many in the past and use four of them regularly to haul scrap as of this winter. To see some great work building trailers on this site, visit Taterjuice's thread. He is an artist in this craft.

Next I have posted two threads in the last four years that may help with using a cutting torch (Watertanks and Scrapper's Dream, cutting torches.) Just for those interested.

Another member here has repeatedly said, you are either a learner or burner. This is in reference to using a cutting torch. No brag, just fact (quote from an old western show that I cannot remember the name of.) A flatbed semi trailer with a skilled torch person, proper equipment, and settings could be reduced to prepared and hauled 60 miles to the yard in less than one day. It takes even less time if you can tow the trailer to the yard and cut it there. FYI the cutting has to be outside the scale because of the yards insurance policy. Now if you have a flatbed to sell, PM me. Just kidding, I have four that have to finished by spring.

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Originally Posted by Patriot76

Old thread and OP is long gone, but I will add to the thread for those that can benefit. I cut up trailers, tractors, semi's, combines etc. First, a trailer can be reconditioned or rebuilt. Resell is profitable. I have built many in the past and use four of them regularly to haul scrap as of this winter. To see some great work building trailers on this site, visit Taterjuice's thread. He is an artist in this craft.

Next I have posted two threads in the last four years that may help with using a cutting torch (Watertanks and Scrapper's Dream, cutting torches.) Just for those interested.

Another member here has repeatedly said, you are either a learner or burner. This is in reference to using a cutting torch. No brag, just fact (quote from an old western show that I cannot remember the name of.) A flatbed semi trailer with a skilled torch person, proper equipment, and settings could be reduced to prepared and hauled 60 miles to the yard in less than one day. It takes even less time if you can tow the trailer to the yard and cut it there. FYI the cutting has to be outside the scale because of the yards insurance policy. Now if you have a flatbed to sell, PM me. Just kidding, I have four that have to finished by spring.

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I would agree with the "learner or burner" tag. Not sure which I am. Only had 5 minutes of teaching on a torch that wasn't working properly. Had to return it for a new one and then was on my own.

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Originally Posted by mthomasdev

I would agree with the "learner or burner" tag. Not sure which I am. Only had 5 minutes of teaching on a torch that wasn't working properly. Had to return it for a new one and then was on my own.

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I have cut with acetylene, propane, gasoline, diesel, oxygen from tankers, liquid oxygen, and standard tanks. Teachers from the master at Smith Torches (subsidiary of Miller Welding) and Petrogen Inc. (sp?) taught a lot. The privilege to teach 25 labors how to use a torch and remove 10,000 tons of steel in less than 9 months was an honor. Spending years cutting up farm machinery has been a huge learning curve.

Long story short, I am still a learner.