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Map of Sun Valley in grid square C5, with the San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118 laneSanta Monica MountainsSan Gabriel MountainsPuente HillsCajon PassVernonCommerceCity of IndustryNortheast Los AngelesSun ValleyPacoimaChatsworthCanoga ParkVan NuysSanta ClaritaPomonaOntarioRancho CucamongaChino4ABCDEFGH3456Schematic. Grid squares about 9 by 10 miles; lanes drawn stop to stop.
Square C5Our coverage grid
Lane
San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118
Freeways
Interstate 55State Route 170170State Route 118118
ZIP codes
  • 91352
County
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County · grid square C5 · San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118 lane

Empty cable reels picked up in Sun Valley

We collect empty cable reels in Sun Valley, the industrial east end of the San Fernando Valley, on the valley run that comes off the 5. Contractor yards, recyclers and gravel and concrete operations along San Fernando Road are the usual stops.

What gets made in Sun Valley

Sun Valley is where the valley keeps its heavy work. San Fernando Road and the railroad run diagonally through it, lined with recyclers, salvage yards, concrete and asphalt plants, truck repair and contractors' yards. The old gravel pits that supplied the valley's building boom are here too, some still worked and some filled. Hollywood Burbank Airport sits on its south-eastern edge.

An electrical contractor in Sun Valley clearing a yard of empties is the kind of seller the site was built for. Contractors here store reels between jobs, return what the distributor wants back, and let the rest pile up against the fence until somebody needs the space.

Sun Valley is inside the City of Los Angeles, so street cable work is LADWP's, and the department's reliability program, which replaced 61.5 miles of underground cable in fiscal 2025-26, has crews and contractors staging throughout the valley. Utility reels tend to be bolted, 60 inches and up, and some are stencilled for return. Contractor yards add the nailed 30 to 48 inch reels of building wire and feeder.

Where Sun Valley's empty reels come from

Contractor yards
Electrical and general contractors stack mixed nailed reels between jobs, 30 to 48 inches.
LADWP cable replacement
Underground distribution cable work leaves 60 to 96 inch bolted reels at staging yards.
Recycling and aggregate operations
Conveyors, crushers and plant power use heavier cable; empties are often bolted.

How the San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118 run reaches Sun Valley

Sun Valley is the first stop when the valley run comes off the 5 at Sheldon Street or Penrose Street, or off the 170. Most yards here are gravel or compacted base, which is fine for a flatbed in dry weather; after rain, tell us if the yard is soft and we will load from the street. With a forklift, a yard of thirty reels is a quick stop.

Other stops on the San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118 lane: Pacoima, Van Nuys, Canoga Park, Chatsworth. Reels from Sun Valley can share a deck with any of them.

Getting Sun Valley's reels ready for the truck

  1. Count by flange

    Measure across the round end of each reel and group them: 30, 42, 48, 72 inch flanges are the sizes we see most from Sun Valley. 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 5, 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 San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118 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 Sun Valley 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 Sun Valley

FlangeHow it loadsEmpties per 53 ft deck (est.)Empty weight, lb
30 inFlat, stacked 3 high18939
42 inFlat, stacked 2 high6090 to 100
48 inOn edge, two rows26 to 30106 to 177
72 inOn edge, two rows20 to 24204 to 592

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

Nearest areas to Sun Valley on the grid

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

Other Los Angeles County areas, by grid square

Sun Valley pickup questions

Do you buy reels from contractor yards in Sun Valley?

Sound reels with resale value, yes; the rest we take for recycling. Tell us the count by flange size and how they were stored.

Can you load from a gravel yard?

Yes, when it is firm. After rain we may load from the street or wait a day.

How often does the valley run come through Sun Valley?

Every time it runs this lane, because Sun Valley is where it comes in off the 5.

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
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Pickup address

Shipper (your details)

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