Yard Today RANT

Went to the yard today with some Cans, Al, boards, power supplies, SS 304, Copper #2, Brass Breakage, low grade wire etc. I get weighed in and my ticket doesn't seem right. They had my Hi Grade boards 3.80lb marked as low 1.00lb seems the guys on the scales no habla englais. Waiting for a new ticket and some street people having a screaming match outside the door. Get done and can't find my 30gal cans I use cause some guy is using them to strip wire on the loading dock next to the sign NO BREAKING DOWN...
Seems like allot of junkies selling stuff there. Here is the best part the City is going to pass a new ordinance for every scrap yard to photograph every piece of scrap they buy thanks to the junkies selling stuff.

"the police department is expanding the use of an online system, LeadsOnline, to help police track transactions at used good dealers and scrap metal recyclers."

Is the new ordinance going to cover commercial scrappers too?

Street Sweeper did you call to get prices and take pictures of the scrap yourself and e-mail them to someone at the company? I hate to say it but its a two way street. I see people arguing all the time over this isn't that grade and was graded wrong. A majority of the time the problem really lies in the fact that they see so many tons in a day its a weight it and get it off the scale as quick as possible mentality and into its designated spot that mistakes happen. Remember if you break down a scrap yard its more like a production factory then you would think. Scrap comes in Raw material. Machines and man handle scrap and sort it to where its designated area is lets call it warehousing. Scrap gets downsized more and put into piles or areas for awaiting shipment. Taken from warehouse where its been put on pallet racks. Then trucks or railcars come in and pick up finished product. The cranes are more like huge fork trucks they just move scrap around the warehouse.

Who knows the retail manager might have not even been there that day and they had to use the next man up. Turns out the next guy up knows nothing and can just grade material as is. He might even grade it the lowest grade so he can't get in trouble at all by not grading something right. Trust me the yard would rather make more money then lose money by him not grading material right. He might have just been following orders.

Its also a very interesting point you make about ordinances being passed in big cities that are more stringent then the last bill passed in another city. I congratulate the cities that are doing this. Yeah its more paperwork for the yard but anything to cut down on crimes being committed and stealing metal for resale has to stop or slow down. Its a billion dollar problem and its not going away anytime soon. All we can do is preventative measures to counteract what the thieves are doing now not in the future. Wait till they steal your pile one time and then you might not feel the same. I have been the victim of theft so many times I can't remember them all.

some times its hard to figure the mood of grading , Take AL some months they want it very clean then for a bit of time they just take all as is .But sure #1 copper is what it is - as is a high grade circuit board
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Some of whats bad about the pictures #1 govt could build a data base of value for what is seen as trash to many people . #2 Yards will have to be come less forgiving on filler items mixed loads #3 yards will have to deal with any items that are metal but might not be ready for sale due to EPA regulations

Every day I read these things and thank God I don't deal with the general public like yards do.

Jim you are lucky but at the same time when the yard is moving small stuff at a 30 percent profit or more it can add up quick at the end of the year. You can still deal with the public just make it 500 lbs or more that would severly cut down on the peddlers with small amounts.

Six packs do wonders...

freonjoe

I think the ordinance will cover pawn shops and metal recyclers and have to cover all transactions since the thieves are getting business licenses.

A group of thieves disguised as construction workers have stripped tens of thousands of dollars worth of metal from a building in the Cascade neighborhood and caused problems for several nearby businesses in recent months.

According to Seattle Police Department West Precinct Burglary Detective Lora Alcantara—who’s investigating the case—since January, thieves have stripped $40,000 worth of copper pipes and aluminum from the old building on Fairview Avenue N. and Thomas St

On several occasions, the thieves have shut down power to the building, as well as several other business on the block, in order to steal valuable fuses and wiring. Det. Alcantara says the thieves are most likely reselling the stolen metal at scrapyards around the city.

While scrapyards don’t typically buy more than $100 of scrap metal at a time from one person, Det. Alcantara says, some clever thieves have obtained business licenses—using fake personal information—and are then able to sell larger quantities of valuable metal to scrappers.

If the new ordinence passes I'll bet scrap prices drop a bunch to cover the additional time and documentation required.

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Originally Posted by street_sweeper

Seems like allot of junkies selling stuff there.

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Hell, I'd love to see some pics, we don't have obvious junkies here, just people hard up for a $ or $$.

A insight into another world.

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Originally Posted by PistoneScrapProcessing

Street Sweeper did you call to get prices and take pictures of the scrap yourself and e-mail them to someone at the company?

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No pictures what I do is get prices, weigh everything I take down and do my math before I go to the yard. I'm a weekend warrior but I been to the rodeo more than once. It's a really busy place and mistakes happen just interesting didn't happen with the .40 lb stuff. So when I'm having a difference of opinion with the guy behind the 3/4" lexan and all the walls are covered in 1/4" steel plate he didn't argue. He could see all my boards on the closed circuit TV set and rewrote the ticket. The new ordinance is going to have a no buy list and if you have priors for theft yards in town won't be able to buy from you. Got no problem with that will probably shorten the waiting in lines.

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Originally Posted by street_sweeper

freonjoe
While scrapyards don't typically buy more than $100 of scrap metal at a time from one person, Det. Alcantara says, some clever thieves have obtained business licenses &;using fake personal information & ;and are then able to sell larger quantities of valuable metal to scrappers.

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Where i live i see the yards pay less then other parts of the country & there are really at best 4 places to sell in a 40 mile radius, wile i am sure there is metal theft it is very small scale and they will get you fast up here,I've seen guys show up with 300 lbs bright copper in a rice burner with a strung out look . They get turned away & reported . Also in a smaller town the courts have time to deal with them.
The yard men do watch what is tossed If they see (new) metal things being tossed by unknown scrapers they use walkie talkies to inform the main clerks I've seen people get arrested at the yard.

But 100 bucks come on a balanced load of copper AL and steel clears 100 fast

I do not tolerate a non-English speaking person evaluating my material..I get a manager to come look at. Yards generally want the goods and that is not asking too much (especially if you have a decent load).

My yard has been taking pictures of material for years. This also helps me when a customer calls and complains that their load wasn't graded right. I can go back and reference the pictures and often times resolve it without leaving my office.

I've never had a problem with my yard that I deal with, but my barrells never leave the scale until I'm satisfied that the grade and weight is correct.

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Originally Posted by eesakiwi

Hell, I'd love to see some pics, we don't have obvious junkies here, just people hard up for a $ or $$.

A insight into another world.

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$10,000 worth of tattoos and no teeth is one good sign!

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Originally Posted by freonjoe

If the new ordinence passes I'll bet scrap prices drop a bunch to cover the additional time and documentation required.

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Local laws have changed here but having an account setup with the yard has not caused even a minute of extra time at the yard for me.

If anything my percentage has gone up!

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Originally Posted by Area67

I do not tolerate a non-English speaking person evaluating my material..I get a manager to come look at. Yards generally want the goods and that is not asking too much (especially if you have a decent load).

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If they speak english or not it is up to you to make sure you are getting paid for what you bring in. If you don't like the quote load it back up.

With all the bad press and negative attention toward scrappers sometimes wish the prices would tank for a year or two and get all these junkies and thieves back to robbing liquor stores

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Originally Posted by taterjuice

With all the bad press and negative attention toward scrappers sometimes wish the prices would tank for a year or two and get all these junkies and thieves back to robbing liquor stores

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Instead of ripping off crap from outside your house they will just start coming inside for the good stuff!


I agree with Hobo if you don't like the deal toss it back on the truck. I have a few times. I talk with the scale guy as I put my goods on the scale as to what grade we have here. No harm done.

Sleep with a semi auto 12 gauge by my side, extended magazine holds 7 rounds, wish they would kick in my door. Bet ya they wouldn't come back to my house twice

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Originally Posted by taterjuice

Sleep with a semi auto 12 gauge by my side, extended magazine holds 7 rounds, wish they would kick in my door. Bet ya they wouldn't come back to my house twice

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Would they be able to leave your house once? Under their own power that is.

I would defend myself and my family to the fullest extent of the law

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Originally Posted by taterjuice

I would defend myself and my family to the fullest extent of the law

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Just keep in mind it's not "standing your ground" if you get out of your car and chase them down then defend yourself.

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Originally Posted by injunjoe

Just keep in mind it's not "standing your ground" if you get out of your car and chase them down then defend yourself.

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Joe that counts if he stole your skittles and arizona ice tea. :)