96-inch flange reels
A 96-inch reel is the largest we collect on a flatbed. Dura-Line's chart puts 16 to 18 empty 96-inch reels on a 102-inch wide truck in two staggered rows; we plan on 16. Empty weights run from about 250 lb for a duct reel to 1,199 lb for Okonite's heaviest build.
- Empties per 53 ft deck (est.)
- 16 to 18
- Empty weight
- 250 to 1,199 lb
- How it loads
- On edge, 2 rows
- Form answer
- 72 to 96 in
What ships on a 96 inch reel
Ninety-six inch reels carry the biggest cable that moves by road here: utility transmission and distribution cable, shore power and crane cable at the ports, and long runs of large duct. Okonite's 96 inch builds weigh 758 to 1,199 lb empty and hold up to 15,000 lb of cable. Dura-Line's 96 inch duct reel weighs about 250 lb.
Eight feet across, with a drum of 48 to 56 inches on Okonite's builds and an overall width of up to about five feet. Steel plates, through-bolts and often a maker's stencil are standard at this size.
How 96 inch reels load
Sixteen to eighteen empty 96 inch reels fill a 102 inch wide flatbed on edge, per Dura-Line's chart, which notes that the same truck might carry only twelve full ones. We plan on 16. On a flatbed with a deck about five feet off the road, a 96 inch reel on edge stands about thirteen feet high, inside the 14 foot California height limit, which is why deck height matters; a step deck gives more room.
Resale or recycling
Almost every 96 inch reel is bolted, and many are returnable to their maker. The rest are sold to ranches and contractors, or broken down so the timber can be reused and the steel 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 96 inch reels
A 96 inch reel is eight feet across. Moving one takes a crane, a boom or a large forklift with long forks, and it needs a clear, level path. Stage them on edge with chocks on both sides and plenty of space around each; never leave one standing unchocked on a slope. Wind can move a reel this big, so tell us if they are on open ground.
What buyers do with them
Whole reels go to ranches and heavy users; others are broken down so the timber can be reused and the steel bolts and plates recycled. A 96 inch reel is too big for most tables, though a few buyers want one as a landmark piece.
Where 96 inch reels pile up
These are the area pages where 96 inch reels are among the usual sizes we see:
- VernonLos Angeles County
- Long BeachLos Angeles County
- WilmingtonLos Angeles County
Pickup maths for 96 inch reels
The 96 inch reels we see come from the heaviest cable work in the region: utility transmission and substation projects, the ports' terminal electrification, and the largest plant and solar jobs in the deserts. A single yard rarely has more than a few at once, and they almost always share a deck with smaller sizes. Before we plan a run around them, we ask who owns them, since many are returnable.
| 96 in reels | Share of a 53 ft deck | What it looks like | Empty weight, lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 13% | Ride-along | 500 to 2,398 |
| 3 | 19% | Ride-along | 750 to 3,597 |
| 8 | 50% | Part load | 2,000 to 9,592 |
| 16 | 100% | Full run | 4,000 to 19,184 |
| 32 | 200% | More than one deck | 8,000 to 38,368 |
Computed by the load planner from the planning count of 16 per deck. Estimates, not promises.
Mixed stacks: try the planner
Most yards have more than one size. The reel load planner adds 96 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.
96 inch reel questions
How many 96 inch reels make a full run?
16 to 18 empties on edge, per Dura-Line's chart. We plan on 16.
Will a 96 inch reel fit under the height limit?
On a flatbed with a five foot deck it stands about thirteen feet, inside California's 14 foot limit. A step deck adds margin.
Can you take reels larger than 96 inches?
Ask. Over 96 inches a reel usually needs a step deck or drop deck, and fewer fit.
Does wind matter for 96 inch reels?
Yes. On open ground a strong gust can start one rolling, so they must be chocked on both sides.
Do you break down large reels?
Damaged ones, yes, so the wood can be reused or recycled and the hardware recycled.
How much of a deck does one 96 inch reel take?
About one sixteenth of a 53 foot flatbed, using our planning count of 16 per deck.
Who usually owns a 96 inch reel?
Often the cable maker. Check the stencil, and tell us what it says.