Scrap yards are just like individuals, a few will take advantage of others, but most are honest.
Very seldom do I deal with postal, bathroom, pedestal, or digital scales. Most of my loads are several tons so it is hard to challenge a yard scale. When I believe a yard has gone rouge, I will weigh at the port of entry before and after delivering a load. This got very interesting one time, during an inspection by the state it was found ice had built up under the scale. They were not trying to cheat anyone, just lazy about cleaning the scale. One thing that I learned is that even a certified scale can vary at different weights. At 60 lbs. it could be a pound light and at 150 lbs it could be a pound heavy even with the digital scales.
To verify this I weighed: Myself at 160 lbs., a bucket of copper at fifteen lbs., and then held the bucket while weighing myself at 177 lbs. I have repeated this experiment many times and seldom does my weight + the weight of an object = the weight of myself holding the object. Another eye opening experience is experimenting with two different scales at the same time. I have found I might weigh more on one scale, but the other scale is heavier with the combined weight. This may not happen with smaller commodities as much as with larger packages. With the loads I haul it is assumed the weight could be more than a hundred lbs. off either way, but it is assumed they equal out over time.
I loved Hobo Finds response because the yard is only buying the commodity, not the container. If you want to be sure you are not being ripped off, try the experiment above with the container weight, commodity, container and commodity, and then your weight. Then compare these numbers to the combined weight of you holding the product. You might be surprised.
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