Would you do this?

thanks to my ads on cl, i have 2 customers so far. But i am unsure on pickup due to the distance away and profit margin. One call is 22 min away for a stove and washer. the other is for an old fridge, stove, old cabinets, few steel doors, copper, few other small items that are 1hr 15min away from be but a salvage yard is close by. Would you do any of these pickups if you were in my shoes?

I would but I drive an hour to my preferred yard. While your out there do some curb co. Whenever I visit my favorite yard, I make sure to take a look around the areas by it. Never know what you'll find. I do the same on the way back, Pick a place I don't normally go an take a peek. That extra distance you go could pay off for ya tho. Guy could pass your name on to his neighbors, friends, co-workers, etc. So might be worth it for at lest 1 shot. Might end up working out for you on future runs. "Sure I'd like to come get that old lawnmower, would you happen to know if any of your neighbors need anything picked up?" etc etc. Turn one pick up into several if you can.


I don't have traffic an all the congestion tho either. So a hour is really a hour's distance. Unlike where I lived in Va..it'd take you an hour to go to the grocery store, but 5 minutes walking. Ha!

Good luck.

Sirscrapalot - Ow my foot! - Some guy in my way while i was mowing the yard.

Hi admin has a special software package the can help with this problem sounds like a great thing to have I read it last night it works of if it is worth picking up for free or not and also heaps of other aids to help, check it out.Happy scrapping

Benny,

You're a young guy and probably looking for an excuse to cruise in the pickup!! So go for it. But do some learning on the way:

Fill it up, mark down your mileage, and fill up again when you get back. And figure out exactly how much it cost you. Get yourself an accurate MPG for your truck so you can predict costs on future expeditions for scrap. Doesn't matter what you actually pick up...but now you've learned a little about your own costs. Don't forget to add in a portion of your other vehicle costs like insurance and maintenance...those costs will depend on how much you drive in a year.

Once you break down and cash in the load, you can start to see what a "fill in the blank" pickup will earn you. Maybe going an hour out for a washer and dryer may be OK for you. Others, with different vehicles and different expectations of an hourly pay rate, may not be interested. Its all about your expectations.

Going curb shopping on the way there or back is just gravy. You can't rely on spotting something to make or break the trip.

The other comments about expanding your horizons are spot on. Make up some quick buz cards and make sure you hand them out. You're just starting out so it'll be a "win some, lose some" type of pickup. But getting your name out there is key. As time goes on, you will find your "zone" that you are willing to drive to get something. That is different for everyone and probably will be different for you, depending on what you are going to pick up.

Good luck! And let us know how you made out.

Jon.

Pick up the stove and washer on your way to the other place. Cash it all in at once. Make sure the loot pays for gas and at least a twelve pack.

Good suggestions so far.

I would go for it. If you lose, you can't lose big. Let's say the truck gets 17 MPG. You're an hour 15 away so 75 miles one way. 150 miles both ways is 8.8 gallons @ $3.29 = $28.92 fuel cost. The fridge load is probably going to be close to that. Who knows what else they will throw in when you get there.

You might even tell them your distance problem and see if they will kick in a few bucks for gas money to get that junk out of their way. It might turn into a normal charge rate for you within 30 miles free 30 to 60 costs x$ and so on.

Another reason I'd do this one is you get a chance to check out the other scrap yard. You can compare prices and see if you need to save up brass or stainless until you get another pickup near this yard. Also, get to know the yard employees and owners.

Last but not least, if it's going in the right direction, you can go out, do the fridge job and swing by the stove, washer on the way back. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Hi the adim software package is in tips and advise sounds like a great investment your got nothingto lose by looking .Im not a sales man ,im sure this can take alot of the guess work out and help you make wise decisions Happy scrapping.SCRAP METAL REMOVAL ESTERMATER

I have found in this biz pinching pennies and micro-managing every last detail will only give you grey hair (Like I have and I'm less than 40)..........I try to consolidate my trips to the best of my ability and anymore I don't drive distance for scrap.............However being a young guy getting started anything within an hour away is fair game.......Shop the curb all the way back and you will be surprised at what you may find........Stop and knock on doors and hand out flyers and biz cards.......There are many ways to make a long trip profitable........When I started in this biz I must have knocked on thousands of doors and would ask for even the smallest amount of scrap.......Anything that looks like trash may be and the homeowner/biz owner may either be to busy or to lazy to haul it off........I say go for it

Well just like most of the other guys ahead of me suggested I would tell you go and do the pick up, make sure you have a couple of straps to secure the load, from the appliances alone you should get around $80.00 the steel doors might be a nice surprise and the copper is the Cherry on top, Benny this will be your when I first started load I drove 100 miles for 125.00 load. All you will get from this is knowledge and experience and you cannot put a price tag on that, if you have the room, and the next door neighbor is out see if he might have something he is wanting to get rid of, good luck on the load.

I'm traveling a similar distance tomm for a lot of computer equipment . Just got done map questing directions . Never hurts to plan your route . I learned this when I drived for a living . Taking 5-10 min to plan out your trip will save you a lot of time and traffic . Granted then I had a list of deliveries handed to me and usually a second route upon returning . I swear the 5 min a day I took to map my route prob saved me a ton in gas and time alone . I highly suggest a gps and a smart phone because after your done with the customer you could look and see what's free in your new area . I really like the gps with traffic updates the one on my phone is great with this.

So go for it . Just drive safe

I would. The first stop, ask if they have anything more and give them a business card and a list of what you accept. Plant the seed. The second stop is farther, but sounds like they are giving you a lot of material. Its always amazing when you chat with people from a pick up and the vehicle is loaded when you are about to leave and they are like "oh you recycle those, let me get that from my garage". I drove out to get an electric push mower once and came home with 2 stainless trash cans, VCR, laptop, and christmas lights.

You are also located in a great area of Pennsylvania. If you dabble in E-waste there is a great buyer only an hour or so west of you. Buffalo, NY, Pittsburg, PA and Cleveland Ohio are all under 2 hours away. I use to live in Ashtabula County in Ohio and went to Mercyhurst many moons ago. Please don't limit yourself because of the distance. I know the area and in my opinion you are in a great location to grow a good thriving company and there is a lot of opportunity. Best of luck!!!

One more thing... If the appliances have any life in them, you may be able to CL them. If the stove works, someone will pay $25? $30? for it... Maybe more. A working garage beer fridge is $50all day long as long as it is cleaned up inside.

Like Rolly said, make sure to bring a business card. It never hurts to start a network. Ask if the know of anything else in the area or have anything else.

Make sure the yard you are bringing stuff to will take the fridge. Mine won't take it without a receipt saying the freon was removed professionally.

As many have stated in different ways if you think it could get you potential business in the future than go for it. You never know what you could find on the way also, like some people said to look around, maybe do some research and hit some local trash service times on the way, checkout craigslist maybe there is some free stuff on the way if you are lucky. Also whenever I pick metal up they end up throwing more metal than initially talked about. People value good service and if they see you coming that far to help them they will most likely recommend you to others, on the other hand if you never go they will probably not tell others about you. Personally I would do it. Good luck, keep us informed on how it goes :D

Sure try it out. You only learn from doing. Sounds like a road trip for your new truck. Like the lottery "you cant win if you don't play"

I would for sure do the pick up thats 22 mins away. Could become a repeat caller. Ive gone farther for a steel desk and office chair. They called again a few months later for a frige, laptop, 2 keyboards and a tv. didnt want the tv, but took it anyway and made the client happy. It was from an accounting dept. for a trucking co.

Benny, where are you?

J.

My opinion is that if you are just learning about scrap metal, go and take a possible loss on the value of your time and fuel expended. You will learn something useful and there is always more stuff if you ask the person nicely to dig deeper for junk.

I think Benny got lost on the way to the pickup.

Someone put out an APB!

We must find out how all this ended!

Sirscrapalot - Coming soon to a theater near you: Dude, where's my Pickerbenny?