You should be a scrap metal dealer not a scraper

I go to the same yard all the time. Why? Because i get tier 3 pricing on everything. If a yard elsewhere pays higher I tell them to match or else my metal is going, there plus all my future metal. This makes them pay higher to ensure I bring back my metal. I also use my large storage of copper and aluminum as a bargaining token ( If you dont pay this you wont see my copper of 1000 lbs) Plus I go in every day almost.

My question is how do you find what the scrapyards are getting per pound or per ton? Or at least a average of what the commodity is going for. This would be a great bargaining chip if you knew about what they were getting.

Originally Posted by newattitude

Lets say I am at the same yard 5 days a week turning in a ton of steel with 2 or 3 loads, should I be getting a higher price? Thats not counting my non ferrous. I have seen guys pull out of this yard (best prices around) with wheels smoking and all I can figure is they asked for a better price for a trailer load of AC fins and didn't get it. For whatever reason.

Well to answer your question, the profit margins are not as much as many on this forum may think, especially on tin / shred, so if I understand you correctly in a five day week you are bringing in two tons a week, average 700-800 lbs a load, because you are so consist may be you should be able to get $5.00- $10.00 a ton over door price, but there really is not much more than that, that they could do for you. I am being honest, I just want to add this Tibet, if it's possible try to get a bigger truck or trailer cutting down on the trips to the scrap yard will give you more time to pick up more material so that you can get to the level you want to be at.