Preparing Your Scrap Metal For Pickup

Do you have a pile of scrap metal that you're going to have picked up by a junk company or scrap metal recycling company? It's tempting to leave the metal in a messy pile somewhere on your property, but it's better to prepare the metal so that the people picking it up can do so quickly. Scrap metal is not automatically easy to move between sites and trucks due to its weight and potential sharp edges, and the easier you can make it, the better.

Location

The company picking up the metal should have instructions on where to leave the material. However, don't wait until the last minute to move everything out. Bring the scrap metal out the morning the pickup is scheduled so that the workers don't have to wait for you to haul it out to them. Chances are they have a lot of other places to go to, and they don't want to keep those customers waiting any longer than they have to. If security and theft are issues, leave the metal as close as possible to the pickup site while still keeping it locked up, and see if the pickup company can call you before their truck heads your way. Many companies now offer services like that, including online trackers that give you an estimated time of arrival. That will give you a heads up when it's time to move the metal out of its secure storage spot.

Sorting

Separate the different types of metal if you can. Not only is that neater, but it will be easier for the pickup crew to verify that what you're giving them is what you said you'd have. Companies that pick up scrap metal for recycling often charge relatively low fees because they're going to sell the metal themselves, and they want to be sure they're getting the metal you said you'd have. If everything is sorted, the crew can tell at a glance whether the deal is good or not.

Protection

Any crew picking up scrap metal knows they could encounter sharp edges and rusty patches, and they wear protective clothing as a result. But you can give them a hand by organizing the pieces of metal -- have long shards all pointing the same way, for example, or bag up smaller bits of metal. Remember to wear heavy-duty (preferably cut-resistant) gloves while doing this.

All the organization and preparation you can do now will make the crew's job a lot easier, and give you a reputation as a good customer. When all goes right, scrap metal pickup makes cleaning up your worksite a snap. For more information, visit sites like http://www.scrapmetalprocessors.com/.

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