Reels from cement plants, quarries and wire rope users
Cement plants, quarries and gravel pits run kilns, mills, crushers and conveyors on heavy power cable, and cranes, draglines and hoists on wire rope, both delivered on big reels. The Oro Grande cement plant in the high desert and the gravel pits of Sun Valley and the Santa Ana River are the main sources on our map.
- Usual flanges
- 60 to 96 in
- Areas it fills
- 5
- Lanes
- 3
Cement, aggregates and wire rope around Los Angeles
The cement plant at Oro Grande, on the Mojave River north of Victorville, is the largest single industrial site on our High Desert lane; CalPortland bought it from Martin Marietta Materials in mid-2015. Limestone is quarried nearby and burned in the kiln, and the whole process, from crushers to mills to conveyors, runs on heavy electrical cable.
Closer to the coast, sand and gravel operations work the old riverbeds: in Sun Valley near the Tujunga Wash, along the San Gabriel River in Irwindale, and in the Santa Ana River wash near Redlands. Their plants use heavy cable too, and their cranes, draglines and hoists use wire rope, which ships on large wooden reels of its own.
Mining and quarrying cable takes a beating: trailing cable is dragged, run over and replaced on a schedule, so the empties keep coming even when the plant is not expanding. A standing pickup on the High Desert run suits a plant that replaces cable every few months.
Where the reels pile up
At the plants and quarries themselves, usually in a laydown yard near the gate, and at the contractors' and wire rope suppliers' yards that serve them. On our map: Oro Grande and Victorville, Sun Valley and Pacoima, Fontana's steel and metal businesses, and the Santa Ana River wash near Redlands. Ready-mix concrete and asphalt plants near the freeways add a few more.
What kind of reels
Large bolted reels from 60 to 96 inches for power cable, heavy reels for wire rope, and some medium reels for control cable. Wire rope reels are heavy and often greasy; we take them empty.
How a pickup fits the work
Heavy plants have strict safety rules and large equipment, which makes loading straightforward once the driver is through check-in. Reels this size fill a deck quickly, so a plant clean-out is usually one or more full runs.
Where the reels go next
Heavy-industry reels are big and sturdy, and the sound ones go to ranches, contractors and anyone needing a strong reel for rope, hose or cable. Wire rope reels are usually broken down because grease and rope damage the wood; the timber is recycled and the steel goes for scrap.
When the reels come off the job
Timing follows the plant's maintenance calendar. Kilns are shut down for planned outages, usually once or twice a year, and that is when cable and conveyors are replaced and reels pile up fastest. Quarries replace trailing cable as it wears. Telling us when an outage ends lets us bring a flatbed while the laydown yard is still open and the plant's loaders are free to lift.
The usual mistake at heavy plants is leaving empty reels where loaders work. A big reel nudged by a bucket rolls, and a split flange or a bent bolt follows. Move empties to a corner of the laydown yard, stand them on edge with chocks both sides, and keep a lane open for the forklift or loader that will lift them.
A pickup, stop by stop
Follow the site's check-in
Send the safety rules and check-in procedure before the run.
Stage near the gate
A laydown yard near the gate saves an escort through the plant.
Count by flange
Most will be 60 to 96 inches; note any wire rope reels.
Load with plant equipment
A loader or large forklift lifts them; the driver chocks and straps.
Reel sizes from cement, aggregates and wire rope
Lanes that serve cement, aggregates and wire rope
Other industries that empty reels here
Questions from cement, aggregates and wire rope
Do you take wire rope reels?
Empty ones, yes. Strip the remaining rope first; we do not take rope.
Are cement plant reels usually large?
Yes, mostly 60 inches and up, often bolted.
Do you need the plant's equipment to load?
For reels this size, yes: a loader or a forklift rated for the weight.
Is the Oro Grande plant a customer?
We do not name plants as customers. It is named as a place where reels come from.
Do gravel pits in the San Fernando Valley produce reels?
Yes. Plants and conveyors in Sun Valley use heavy cable, and their empties go out on the valley run.
Is wire rope on wooden reels?
Often, especially for cranes, draglines and hoists. The empty reels are heavy and usually greasy.
Can a plant set up a standing pickup?
Yes, on the High Desert or valley run, when cable replacement is regular.
Do you collect from Irwindale gravel operations?
Irwindale is close to the San Gabriel Valley run on the 605 and the 210. Send the address and the counts.
What about steel mills and foundries?
Yes. Fontana's steel and metal businesses use heavy cable and their reels go out on the Inland Empire run.