Guides · handling
Getting reels ready for pickup
Checked 9 November 2026 — To get reels ready for pickup, sort them into rows by owner and build, stand them on their flanges with similar sizes together, set steel and tagged returnables aside, clear a lane to the truck and send the desk a count by size. A yard prepared that way loads in a fraction of the time and nothing is taken by mistake.
From the reel desk · Checked 9 November 2026
Readying a pickup, step by step
One. Pull out what is not yours
Set aside steel reels and any reel with a return tag, serial plate or deposit line on the invoice, with their numbers logged.
Two. Sort the rest by build
Nailed wood, plywood and plastic in separate rows. Broken reels and loose lagging in their own pile.
Three. Group by size
Within each row, put reels within a few inches of each other together, so they nest on the truck.
Four. Clear a lane
Leave room for a flatbed to reach the rows and a forklift to work along them.
Five. Count and photograph
Count each group, measure the largest flange, take a photo of each row and send it with the request.
Why the sort comes first
A driver can load a sorted yard quickly and correctly. An unsorted one means checking every reel at the truck, with the risk that a returnable steel reel, which belongs to the maker, goes on the wrong load. Under Southwire's policy, for one, the reel charge is lost if the reel does not go back to Southwire within 12 months.
How reels go on the truck
Reels ride standing on their flanges. On a van or flatbed they are loaded in rows, nested where the drums allow: one reel's flange overlapping the next one's drum. Sonoco says it loads EcoReel trucks with overlapping flanges to fill the trailer, and AFL's van table shows how much nesting adds: 38 reels of 58 inches nested against 28 standing apart.
That is why grouping by size matters. A row of mixed sizes does not nest, and the truck carries fewer reels.
Little things that help
- Pull loose nails and staples from lagging boards and stack the boards flat.
- Tip water out of drums that hold it.
- Mark broken reels with paint or tape so the driver can load them separately.
- Note the arrow. Reels roll best in the direction painted on the flange.
- Leave tags on. They tell the desk the reel and its weight.
The request
With the yard sorted, the request almost writes itself: "Nailed: 12 at 36 to 42, 8 at 48, 3 at 60. Plywood: 15 small. Broken: 4. Steel: 2, set aside for return. Forklift on site, gate 7 to 3." Send that and the photos, and choose how often the yard refills.
Handling, in short
- Roll only on firm, level ground, pushing from behind the reel, and in the direction of any arrow painted on the flange.
- Chock both flanges every time a reel stands on its rims, front and back.
- Stay uphill. Nobody stands in the path a reel would take if it got away.
- Lift with forks long enough to reach under both flanges, or with a shaft through the arbor hole and a spreader bar so the slings clear the flanges.
- Never drop a reel off a tailgate or a dock edge. A cracked flange turns a reusable reel into scrap.
- Store on rims, on drained gravel or pavement, with walkways between rows. Lay small reels flat only where stacks stay square and low.
- Keep paper with steel. Serial numbers and invoices travel with any returnable reel until its maker has it back.
The details: moving reels, storing reels, readying a pickup.
What to put in a request
- Count and measure. Count the reels and measure the largest flange edge to edge across the face. A photo with the tape in it is better than a guess.
- Check the build. Nailed lumber, plywood sheet, steel or plastic. Look for a stencil or tag naming the maker and the reel number.
- Set aside steel and tagged returnables with their serial numbers. Those go back to the maker, not to the desk.
- Say where they stand: yard, dock, garage level, alley or curb, plus clearance, gate hours, badging or escort a driver needs.
- Say what loads them: forklift, pallet jack, loader, ramp, or only people. Reels over 42 inches weigh more than 100 lb empty.
- Say how often: one time, weekly, monthly or at each job close-out.
- Buying instead? Give the flange and height you want, how many, and how the reel gets from the truck to where it will sit.
- No form handy? Email info@dcwoodenspools.com with the same details and a few photos.
Sources
Each opened and read on 9 November 2026.
- Sonoco, EcoReel Recycling Program: free pickup of truckloads of viable nailed wood and polyfiber reels; reels repaired and returned to wire and cable makers; reels-per-truckload table
- AFL, Wood Reel Recycling Program: nailed wood only, no plywood; flanges at least 1½ in thick and 30 in across; 75% of staves; full truckloads; mainly East Coast and Midwest
- Southwire, Steel Reel Policy: steel reels carry a charge, credited if returned within 12 months of shipment