Reel pickup in Bolingbrook

Low-voltage cable country

Bolingbrook is home to Windy City Wire, which makes and ships low-voltage cable for security, AV and building-systems integrators. We have no connection with them; we mention it because it shows what kind of reels this corner of the metro handles. Low-voltage work runs on small reels: 12 to 30-inch plywood and plastic reels by the hundred, and the odd 36-inch nailed reel of riser or plenum cable.

Small reels stack well and travel well, but they only pay their way in numbers. Integrators who empty a few dozen a month should keep them boxed or palletised by size and call when a pallet is full. Next step: send the pallet count and the reel sizes on it.

Bolingbrook also has many homes with large garages, where contractors keep work trailers and a few reels. A homeowner-contractor with five reels on a trailer can leave the trailer by the street, and we unload it there.

Warehouse fit-outs on I-55

The warehouse parks between Boughton Road and the Stevenson keep filling and turning over. Every new tenant brings a fit-out: power to racking, conveyors, chargers for forklifts, cameras and access control. Each one leaves 36 to 60-inch nailed reels in the truck court when the electrical contractor moves on.

A warehouse that is still being fitted out can ask the contractor to stage empties by one dock door, standing on edge and chocked. We collect them in one trip at the end, or in two if the job is long.

Integrators' warehouses

Security and AV integrators keep warehouses around Bolingbrook, where reels come back from jobs half-used or empty. Half-used reels are their stock; empties are clutter. Integrators who clear empties every month keep the warehouse floor free for pallets of equipment.

A monthly pickup suits most integrators: the driver collects the pallets of empties, and plastic reels that belong to a distributor are set aside with a note.

Pickup notes for Bolingbrook

• Truck courts are easy to reach; tell us which door the reels are by.
• Small reels on pallets load fastest; loose small reels go in gaylords or bins.
• Plastic reels from integrators usually go back to the distributor; we tell you which ones.

Before the truck comes

1. Count the reels by flange size, outside edge to outside edge.
2. Photograph the stack, plus one tag or stencil up close.
3. Stand each reel on edge and chock it; never stack them flat.
4. Leave an aisle wide enough for forklift tines, or a clear path to roll.
5. Keep maker-tagged returnables in their own row.

What the driver checks on each reel

Flanges

Boards whole and flat, not warped, split or cupped.

Staves

Lagging mostly intact on the drum, without rot or gaps.

Arbor hole

Round and solid, so a spindle or payoff bar fits.

Drive holes

Not torn out or elongated by a payoff stand.

Markings

Any maker's stencil, returnable tag or reel number.

Leftovers

Cable ends, staples and banding removed or noted.

The rest of the I-55 / I-80 day

Bolingbrook shares a run with these stops:

• RomeovilleWeber Road and Route 53, between I-55 and the Des Plaines River
• JolietI-80 and I-55 interchanges, the intermodal area and the river plants
• ElwoodCenterPoint Intermodal Center and BNSF Logistics Park Chicago
• New LenoxI-80 and Route 30 (Lincoln Highway); Metra Rock Island line

Where Bolingbrook reels go

• Buyback: one-way wooden reels with sound flanges and staves are paid for at the stop, priced by size and condition.
• Maker take-back: anything tagged or stencilled as returnable is listed for its owner's own collection.
• Recycling: split, rotted or warped reels are broken down, the wood recovered and the hardware separated.
• Resupply: checked reels go on to buyers who need them for rewinding, storage or projects.

Questions from Bolingbrook

Do you take small low-voltage cable reels in Bolingbrook?

Yes, by the pallet. Small wooden and plywood reels are bought in numbers; plastic ones usually belong to a distributor program, and we say which.

Which day do you come to Bolingbrook?

The I-55 and I-80 corridor day. Bolingbrook is usually the first stop.

Is a monthly pickup available for Bolingbrook integrators?

Yes. A monthly pickup collects pallets of empties; plastic distributor reels are set aside with a note.

What about reels with cable still on them?

Part-used reels are the owner's stock and stay with you. Reels with only a few turns of scrap left can be collected; strip them first if you can, or tell us so the remainder is handled properly.