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Flange size · loads on edge, two rows

48-inch flange reels

A 48-inch reel is where reels go on edge. Dura-Line's chart puts 26 to 30 empty reels of about this size on a 48 or 53-foot flatbed in two staggered rows; we plan on 26. Okonite's nearby builds weigh 106 to 177 lb empty.

Empties per 53 ft deck (est.)
26 to 30
Empty weight
106 to 177 lb
How it loads
On edge, 2 rows
Form answer
48 to 71 in
Plan view of a 53 ft, 102 in flatbed loaded with 26 empty 48 in reels 53 ft deck (636 in) 102 in Reels on edge, two rows, flanges staggered. Plan view, not to exact scale.
26 reels of 48 in on edge, two rows, flanges staggered, from Dura-Line's 50 in row (26-30 per truck). Estimate, drawn in plan view.

What ships on a 48 inch reel

Medium-voltage cable, large feeders and fibre duct come on reels around this size. Okonite's table has no 48 inch row; the nearest are 45 x 28 x 21 and 50 x 32 x 24, from 106 to 177 lb. Dura-Line's 50 inch duct reel weighs about 151 lb. Utility contractors, fibre builders and industrial contractors empty them.

How 48 inch reels load

From here up, empty reels stand on edge in two rows down the deck, flanges staggered so each reel slides into the space beside its neighbour. Dura-Line's chart, written for its own reel returns, gives 26 to 30 reels of 50 inches per 102 inch wide, 48 or 53 foot truck. We plan on the low end. Every reel is chocked under the flange before straps go on.

Resale or recycling

Bolted 48 inch reels are often returnable to their maker, and we will say so before loading. One-way reels at this size resell to growers, ranches and contractors, and some make large outdoor tables. Damaged ones are recycled.

How we grade a reel is on resale or recycling; what makes one worth more is on what reels are worth.

Staging and lifting 48 inch reels

At 48 inches and up, a reel should be moved with a forklift, a crane or a boom, never by hand. Stage them on edge, on level ground, with a chock on each side so they cannot roll, and leave room for the forks to get under the drum. Do not stack large reels on top of each other; it crushes the lower flanges and makes loading dangerous.

What buyers do with them

Growers and ranches use them for heavier jobs, contractors for cable storage, and some buyers want them for large outdoor tables or as garden features. A stencilled maker’s name usually means the reel should go back to its owner first.

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Where 48 inch reels pile up

These are the area pages where 48 inch reels are among the usual sizes we see:

Pickup maths for 48 inch reels

Locally, reels around 48 inches come from medium-voltage feeders for warehouses and data rooms, from fibre builds such as the state's middle-mile network, and from the larger electrical contractors' yards. The data-centre projects in Vernon and the solar laydown yards in the Antelope Valley produce them by the dozen.

48 in reelsShare of a 53 ft deckWhat it looks likeEmpty weight, lb
312%Ride-along318 to 531
519%Ride-along530 to 885
1350%Part load1,378 to 2,301
26100%Full run2,756 to 4,602
52200%More than one deck5,512 to 9,204

Computed by the load planner from the planning count of 26 per deck. Estimates, not promises.

Mixed stacks: try the planner

Most yards have more than one size. The reel load planner adds 48 inch reels to the rest of your counts and shows how much of a 53 ft deck they take, and whether that is a ride-along, a part load or a full run.

48 inch reel questions

How many 48 inch reels fit on a truck?

About 26 to 30 empties on edge, in two staggered rows, per Dura-Line's chart. We plan on 26.

Do 48 inch reels need a forklift?

Yes, as a rule. They are too heavy and tall to tip safely by hand.

Is a 48 inch reel returnable?

If it is stencilled with a maker's name, it may be. We will check before we load it.

Can 48 inch reels be stacked?

No. Stand them on edge, chocked, side by side. Stacking crushes flanges.

What makes a 48 inch reel resellable?

Sound flanges, intact staves and a round arbor hole, with no maker’s claim on it.

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.
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