How a reel pickup works

Step 1: identify the reels

Start from the catalogue. Each entry gives the build, the flange range and whether the reel sells, recycles or goes back to its maker. If you do not know the type, measure one flange across its widest point and look at the centre: a plain round hole about three inches across is almost always a wood reel from a North American cable maker, and a steel plate bolted over the hole means a heavy reel. Note any writing on the flange face. A maker's name, the word RETURNABLE or a painted serial number changes the outcome.

Step 2: count and group them

Group the reels by size and count each group. "Twelve 30-inch nailed, eight 42-inch nailed, two 72-inch with tie rods" tells us what truck to send and how long loading takes. You do not need exact numbers; within a few reels is fine. Leave out cable offcuts, pallets and other packaging unless you want to ask about them separately.

Step 3: send the request

Use the form beside this page or email the list. Include:

• the ZIP code and the kind of site (yard, job site, house, warehouse dock);
• whether a forklift and someone to drive it will be there;
• any access limits, such as a gate code, a height bar, set delivery windows or a site induction;
• two or three photographs if you have them.

Step 4: we reply with a plan

We read the list against the catalogue and reply by email or phone. The reply says which reels we will collect for payment, which we will take for recycling, which we will not take because they belong to a cable maker, and what the pickup will involve. Nothing is agreed until you have read that reply.

Step 5: loading

On pickup day the driver checks each reel before loading. Reels that turn out to be damaged are moved to the recycling group and we say so on the spot. Large reels are loaded by forklift, flange edge to flange edge, and strapped. Reels up to about 30 inches can be hand-loaded and stacked on their flanges. Rolling a big reel across a yard is quicker than carrying it, but it should be rolled in the direction the cable was wound off, or the outer lagging nails catch.

Step 6: what happens after

Reusable reels are sorted by size and sold to contractors, rewinders, makers and growers, or kept for buyers who have asked for that size. Broken reels are taken apart: the boards are chipped or sent for timber recovery, and the steel parts (tie rods, arbor plates, nails) go for scrap metal. The recycling page follows each part.

Rain dates and reschedules

Wet ground, ice or storms can postpone a collection. If that happens, we email a fresh date rather than cancelling outright. Likewise, if your site's plans shift, say a concrete pour that blocks the yard, reply to the original thread with new dates, and the pickup simply moves.

What the crew brings

Gloves, a hand truck, ratchet straps, wheel chocks, traffic cones and, where needed, a pallet jack or liftgate.

Questions

Do I have to be there for the pickup?

Not always. If the reels are outside, reachable and clearly the ones on the list, an unattended pickup is often fine. Say so in the request and describe exactly where they are.

What if I have only a few reels?

A few reels are welcome. See one or two reels for how small pickups are grouped by area.

How soon can you come?

It depends on the load and where it is. The reply to your request gives a day.

What should I do to get the site ready?

Clear a path from the reels to where a truck can stop, pull any lagging nails that stick out of the rims if you can do it safely, and keep returnable reels apart from the ones you own so nobody loads the wrong ones.

Is there anything you will not load?

We do not load reels that belong to a cable maker, reels with heavy cable still wound on them unless agreed beforehand, or reels sitting in standing water or under other materials that would need a crane to reach.

Timing on a job site

On construction work, the best time to clear reels is just after the last big cable pull, before the next trade needs the floor space. Electricians tend to leave empties near the switchgear room or the loading bay; a single afternoon of loading frees that area. If the general contractor runs a skip or dumpster, keep the reels out of it: whole wooden reels take up a lot of skip volume, cost money to haul as waste and are worth more as reels.

Before the truck arrives

Most pickup problems are about access, not reels. A box truck needs about 12 feet of clear height and room to stop off the traffic lane; a flatbed with a forklift on the back needs firm, level ground to unload it. Tell us about soft ground, tight turns or a loading dock with a fixed height. On job sites with a gate log or safety briefing, give the name of the person who signs drivers in. On residential streets, say whether the reels are in a driveway, a back yard or a garage, and whether there are steps between them and the street.