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Map of Van Nuys in grid square B5, with the San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118 laneSanta Monica MountainsSan Gabriel MountainsPuente HillsCajon PassVernonCommerceCity of IndustryHuntington ParkNortheast Los AngelesSun ValleyPacoimaChatsworthCanoga ParkVan NuysSanta ClaritaPomonaOntarioRancho CucamongaChino4ABCDEFGH456Schematic. Grid squares about 9 by 10 miles; lanes drawn stop to stop.
Square B5Our coverage grid
Lane
San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118
Freeways
Interstate 405405US Route 101101State Route 170170
ZIP codes
  • 91401
  • 91405
  • 91406
  • 91411
County
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County · grid square B5 · San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118 lane

Empty cable reels picked up in Van Nuys

We collect empty cable reels in Van Nuys on the San Fernando Valley run, with stops around Van Nuys Airport, along the railroad and in the industrial blocks between the 405 and the 170. It is the middle of the valley and the middle of the run.

What gets made in Van Nuys

Van Nuys is the valley's civic and industrial centre. The Van Nuys Civic Center holds city and county offices; Van Nuys Airport, a large general aviation field, fills much of the north-west of the neighbourhood with hangars, aviation services and businesses that support them. The General Motors assembly plant that once anchored the area closed in 1992, and its site became a shopping centre, but industrial streets still run along the railroad and Raymer Street and around the airport.

Between the 405 to the west and the 170 to the east, those streets hold body shops, fabricators, building suppliers, film and production rental houses, and electrical contractors.

Production rental houses deserve a word. Film and television work uses a lot of heavy-duty power cable, and the rental companies that supply it buy cable on reels, cut and terminate it, and are left with the empties. Add aviation work at the airport and LADWP cable replacement on valley streets, and Van Nuys produces a broader mix of reels than most of the valley.

Where Van Nuys's empty reels come from

Aviation businesses at Van Nuys Airport
Hangar and service work empties control and power cable reels.
Production equipment rental
Power cable bought on reels and cut to length leaves 30 to 48 inch empties.
LADWP and contractors
Utility cable work and contractor yards add 48 to 72 inch reels.

How the San Fernando Valley, 5 and 118 run reaches Van Nuys

Van Nuys sits between the east and west legs of the valley run, reached from the 405 at Sherman Way or Roscoe Boulevard or from the 170. That makes it easy to add: whichever direction the truck is working, it passes nearby. Airport-side businesses have their own access rules; tell us which gate the driver should use.

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

Getting Van Nuys's reels ready for the truck

  1. Count by flange

    Measure across the round end of each reel and group them: 30, 36, 48, 72 inch flanges are the sizes we see most from Van Nuys. 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 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 Van Nuys 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 Van Nuys

FlangeHow it loadsEmpties per 53 ft deck (est.)Empty weight, lb
30 inFlat, stacked 3 high18939
36 inFlat, stacked 3 high10264 to 77
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 Van Nuys on the grid

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

Other Los Angeles County areas, by grid square

Van Nuys pickup questions

Do you pick up at Van Nuys Airport?

From businesses on the airport's landside, yes. Airside access depends on the airport's rules and the tenant's escort.

Can production rental houses get reels taken regularly?

Yes. A standing pickup on the valley run suits a business that empties reels every month.

Is Van Nuys on the way to Chatsworth?

Yes. The run often stops in Van Nuys on its way west along the 118 or Roscoe Boulevard.

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.