- Lane
- Ports and the 710
- Freeways
- ZIP codes
- 90744
- County
- Los Angeles County
Empty cable reels picked up in Wilmington
Yes, we collect empty cable reels in Wilmington, the Los Angeles harbour district beside the Port of Los Angeles. It is the first stop on most ports runs, and the place in our area where the biggest reels turn up.
What gets made in Wilmington
Wilmington is part of the City of Los Angeles, wrapped around the north side of the Port of Los Angeles, which handled 10.2 million TEUs in 2025, its third-best year, and has been the busiest seaport in the country for 26 years running. Terminals, container and chassis yards, marine contractors, oil and fuel facilities and the warehouses behind them make up much of the district, reached by the Harbor Freeway (the 110), Alameda Street and Anaheim Street.
Because it is inside the City of Los Angeles, utility work here is LADWP's, and the department's cable replacement program reaches the harbour as it does the rest of the city. Port electrification and terminal work add more large reels on top.
Behind the port, Wilmington has its own industrial blocks along Alameda Street, Anaheim Street and the rail lines that lead to the Alameda Corridor, plus the refinery and tank farms that line its northern edge. Marine and fuel work uses specialised cable, often on heavy bolted reels, and much of it is returnable. Where it is not, or where the reel belongs to nobody who wants it back, that is a stop for the ports run.
Where Wilmington's empty reels come from
- Port and terminal electrical work
- Shore power, crane and yard lighting cable on 72 to 96 inch bolted reels.
- LADWP cable replacement
- Underground distribution cable work leaves large reels at staging yards near the work.
- Marine and fuel-facility contractors
- Control and instrument cable on 36 to 48 inch reels.
How the Ports and the 710 run reaches Wilmington
The ports run starts here and works north. Harbour traffic sets the timing: we try to load Wilmington stops before the afternoon terminal rush on Anaheim Street and the 110. Big reels (84 and 96 inch) take most of a deck quickly, so a yard with ten of them may be a full run of its own; the load planner will show you.
Other stops on the Ports and the 710 lane: Long Beach, Carson, Rancho Dominguez. Reels from Wilmington can share a deck with any of them.
Getting Wilmington's reels ready for the truck
Count by flange
Measure across the round end of each reel and group them: 48, 72, 84, 96 inch flanges are the sizes we see most from Wilmington. A phone photo of the stack helps us size the run. The measuring guide shows where to put the tape.
Stage them where a flatbed fits
Put the reels where a 53 foot flatbed can pull alongside off Interstate 110, not down a lane it cannot turn in.
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.
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.
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 Wilmington 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 Wilmington
| Flange | How it loads | Empties per 53 ft deck (est.) | Empty weight, lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 in | On edge, two rows | 26 to 30 | 106 to 177 |
| 72 in | On edge, two rows | 20 to 24 | 204 to 592 |
| 84 in | On edge, two rows | 18 to 22 | 223 to 920 |
| 96 in | On edge, two rows | 16 to 18 | 250 to 1,199 |
Estimates from published reel and loading charts; method on reels per load.
Nearest areas to Wilmington on the grid
Straight-line miles between town centres, not road miles.
Other Los Angeles County areas, by grid square
- Vernon 90058D6
- Commerce 90040D6
- City of Industry 91744F6
- Santa Fe Springs 90670E7
- Long Beach 90802D8
- Carson 90745D7
- Rancho Dominguez 90220D7
- Compton 90220D7
- Torrance 90501C7
- El Segundo 90245C7
- Huntington Park 90255D6
- Northeast Los Angeles 90031D6
- Sun Valley 91352C5
- Pacoima 91331C4
- Chatsworth 91311B4
- Canoga Park 91303B5
- Van Nuys 91401B5
- Santa Clarita 91350B3
- Palmdale 93550E2
- Lancaster 93534E1
- Pomona 91766G6
Wilmington pickup questions
Do you take reels from refinery contractors in Wilmington?
Yes, from their yards or staged outside controlled areas. Tell us if a site orientation or a gate list is needed, and whether the reels have been near product lines.
Is Wilmington part of the City of Los Angeles?
Yes. It is an LA neighbourhood at the harbour, which is why its utility reels come from LADWP's work rather than SCE's.
How many 96-inch reels fill a truck from Wilmington?
About 16 to 18 empty 96 inch reels fill a 53-foot flatbed when they are loaded on edge in two staggered rows.