LA Wooden SpoolsReel pickup desk · 12 lanes
MenuClose
Request a pickupRequest
Map of Carson in grid square D7, with the Ports and the 710 laneSanta Monica BaySan Pedro BaySanta Ana MountainsPuente HillsVernonCommerceCity of IndustrySanta Fe SpringsLong BeachCarsonRancho DominguezComptonWilmingtonTorranceEl SegundoHuntington ParkPomonaAnaheimSanta AnaIrvineHuntington BeachGarden GroveFullertonOrangeCosta MesaTustinBuena ParkRiversideCoronaJurupa ValleyOntarioChino1ABCDEFGHJ6789Schematic. Grid squares about 9 by 10 miles; lanes drawn stop to stop.
Square D7Our coverage grid
Lane
Ports and the 710
Freeways
Interstate 405405Interstate 110110State Route 9191
ZIP codes
  • 90745
  • 90746
  • 90810
County
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County · grid square D7 · Ports and the 710 lane

Empty cable reels picked up in Carson

We pick up empty reels in Carson on the ports run, between the 405, the 110 and the Dominguez Channel. Carson's warehouses, refinery-adjacent contractors and truck yards make it a regular stop, often paired with Wilmington and Rancho Dominguez.

What gets made in Carson

Carson sits just north of the twin ports, between the Harbor Freeway (the 110) on the west and the 710 to the east, with the 405 cutting across the middle. Large distribution buildings line Wilmington Avenue, Alameda Street and Avalon Boulevard, and the refinery complex at the city's southern edge supports a ring of electrical, instrumentation and industrial maintenance contractors.

It is also a trucking city: chassis yards, container storage and drayage companies that move boxes between the terminals and the warehouses. For a seller, that means a flatbed in the neighbourhood is never unusual, and gates are used to trucks coming and going all day.

Carson is a newer city, incorporated in 1968, built around industrial land that already existed between the ports and Los Angeles. Its distribution buildings are big and modern, its truck yards are paved, and its streets are wide, which makes for fast loading. Southern California Edison serves the city, and its distribution work along the 405 and the 110 adds utility reels to the mix of warehouse, refinery and contractor empties.

Where Carson's empty reels come from

Refinery and process-plant contractors
Instrument and power cable on 36 to 60 inch reels, often bolted, from turnarounds and maintenance.
Warehouse fit-outs
Distribution buildings along Alameda and Wilmington Avenue empty nailed building-wire reels during tenant improvements.
Utility and undergrounding work
Crews replacing distribution cable leave larger reels at staging areas near the freeways.

How the Ports and the 710 run reaches Carson

Carson is the hinge of the ports run: the truck can reach it from Wilmington on the 110 or from the 710 and Del Amo. Most sellers here have a forklift and a paved yard, so we plan for full stacks. Refinery-area contractors often need us inside a gate list; tell us the name the driver should give at the gate and whether a safety orientation is required before loading.

Other stops on the Ports and the 710 lane: Wilmington, Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez. Reels from Carson can share a deck with any of them.

Getting Carson's reels ready for the truck

  1. Count by flange

    Measure across the round end of each reel and group them: 36, 48, 60, 72 inch flanges are the sizes we see most from Carson. A phone photo of the stack helps us size the run. The measuring guide shows where to put the tape.

  2. Stage them where a flatbed fits

    Put the reels where a 53 foot flatbed can pull alongside off Interstate 405, not down a lane it cannot turn in.

  3. Give us a window

    Tell us the hours your gate is open and staffed. Stops on the Ports and the 710 lane get a pickup window by email once the run is planned.

  4. Say how they get lifted

    A forklift on site loads anything up to 96 inches. Without one, reels up to about 42 inches can be tipped and rolled up a ramp; bigger ones need a lift.

  5. Flag the stencilled ones

    A reel painted with a cable maker's name may be returnable. Tell us and we will say whether it should go back to its owner before we take it.

After the run, sound reels from Carson are sorted for resale to contractors, makers and growers who want wooden spools; split flanges, torn arbor holes and rotten staves go to wood recycling. See resale or recycling for how a reel is graded.

Reel sizes that usually come out of Carson

FlangeHow it loadsEmpties per 53 ft deck (est.)Empty weight, lb
36 inFlat, stacked 3 high10264 to 77
48 inOn edge, two rows26 to 30106 to 177
60 inOn edge, two rows24 to 28187 to 347
72 inOn edge, two rows20 to 24204 to 592

Estimates from published reel and loading charts; method on reels per load.

Nearest areas to Carson on the grid

Straight-line miles between town centres, not road miles.

Other Los Angeles County areas, by grid square

Carson pickup questions

What sizes come out of Carson most?

A mix: 30 to 48 inch nailed reels from warehouse jobs, 36 to 60 inch reels from refinery work, and the odd 72 inch utility reel. A mixed deck is normal here.

Do you need a gate pass to collect from a refinery contractor?

If the site needs one, tell us when you book and we will plan the run around it. Reels staged outside the controlled area are quicker to load.

Can Carson and Wilmington reels go on one truck?

Yes. They are often the same morning on the ports run.

Request a pickup or a price

Tell us the count and the flange size; we will tell you if it fills a deck or rides along on the next run. Buying? Tell us the size and how many.

  • Mixed brands, nailed and bolted, part loads: all fine.
  • We answer by email with a pickup window or a price.
  • San Diego County is outside our area.
Pickup and buy requestBill of lading
What do you need? required

Pickup address

Shipper (your details)

An email address or a phone number, at least one.