Reels from wire and cable distributors
Wire and cable distributors cut cable to length for their customers, and every master reel they empty is one more reel in the yard. Some run deposit programs for their own returnable reels; the one-way reels and other makers' reels are left over. We collect them by the stack or by the deck.
- Usual flanges
- 24 to 72 in
- Areas it fills
- 6
- Lanes
- 3
Wire and cable distributors around Los Angeles
Cable makers ship reels in enormous numbers. Okonite, for one, bought more than 100,000 wooden reels in 2015 alone to supply its customers. Much of that cable goes through distributors, who keep master reels in stock and cut lengths for contractors, then sell or return the empties.
Reel and packaging sizes are standardised, in NEMA WC 26 / EEMAC 201, and named flange by traverse by drum. That makes a distributor's empties predictable: rows of the same few builds, in sizes from 24 to 72 inches, many in good condition because they lived indoors.
Distributors often know exactly which reels their makers want back, and which they do not. That makes sorting quick: returnables to the maker, one-way reels to us, and nothing left by the fence.
Where the reels pile up
In distributors' branches and warehouses: along the 5 and the 60 in Commerce, City of Industry and Santa Fe Springs, in Orange County business parks, and in the Inland Empire's warehouse districts around Ontario. Cut-to-length counters empty reels steadily, week after week.
What kind of reels
Mostly nailed one-way reels from 24 to 48 inches, plus returnable reels that go back to their maker, and some plywood spools.
How a pickup fits the work
A distributor's reels are regular and predictable, which suits a standing pickup: every two weeks, every month, on the lane the branch is on. Returnable reels go back through the maker's program; we take the rest.
Where the reels go next
Because distributor reels are usually uniform and dry, they are the best stock we get for buyers who want matched sets. A row of identical 36 inch reels from one branch can become a restaurant’s tables or an event’s seating. Damaged ones go to recycling like any other.
When the reels come off the job
Timing is steady rather than seasonal. Cut-to-length counters empty master reels every week, and branches near big projects empty them faster. A standing pickup every two weeks or every month suits most branches, and a busy one near the ports or the Inland Empire warehouses may want one weekly.
The usual mistake at branches is stacking one-way reels flat, three or four high, to save floor space. The bottom flanges crack under the weight. Stand them on edge in rows, by size, and the next pickup loads in minutes.
A pickup, stop by stop
Pull the maker's returnables
Return them through the maker's own program.
Stack one-way reels by build
Same-size reels stack and sell better.
Pick a frequency
Weekly, every two weeks or monthly, on the branch's lane.
Load at the dock
A forklift and a dock window make each pickup quick.
Reel sizes from wire and cable distributors
Lanes that serve wire and cable distributors
Other industries that empty reels here
Questions from wire and cable distributors
Do you replace a maker's return program?
No. If a maker takes its reels back, use that. We take what is left.
Can a branch set up a standing pickup?
Yes, weekly, every two weeks or monthly, depending on how fast reels pile up.
Do you buy distributors' reels?
Sound ones with resale value, yes; we say which when we see the counts.
Are distributor reels in better shape?
Often, because they were stored indoors. That makes them easier to resell.
Which areas have the most distributor branches?
The Gateway Cities along the 5 and the 60, the San Gabriel Valley, Orange County business parks and the Inland Empire around Ontario.
Do you take partial reels with cable left on?
Tell us first. Cable left on a reel has value of its own, and we price it separately or leave it.
Can you take steel or plastic reels?
Those are almost always returnable to their maker. We will say so before loading.
Can a branch mix sizes on one pickup?
Yes. Most do. The planner shows how a mixed stack fills the deck.