Reel pickup in Joliet

The intermodal side of town

The CenterPoint Intermodal Center covers about 6,400 acres across Joliet and Elwood, and Union Pacific's Joliet terminal accounts for 785 of them. Around the rail yards are millions of square feet of warehouses. Each building was wired once, and many are re-wired for each new tenant, which keeps a steady supply of 36 to 60-inch nailed reels moving out of Joliet truck courts.

These buildings almost always have docks and forklifts, so even a large lot is a quick stop. Next step: tell us the building, the dock door and the count.

Downtown Joliet and its older neighbourhoods have their own trickle: churches, schools and older commercial buildings that get rewired. Those lots are small, and they ride with the corridor day.

Joliet is also where the corridor day usually turns around, so a request here can be scheduled either early or late in the run.

Plants, river and the old city

Closer to the Des Plaines River and the older parts of the city, Joliet has plants, rail lines and the contractors who keep them running. Their reels come in mixed lots: some one-way nailed wood, some bolted reels that go back to a maker, now and then a steel reel from a utility job. We sort on site and tell you which reels are returnable and to whom.

Joliet contractors often work across Will County. If you have reels at two yards, put both on one work order and we plan the stops in order.

Utility and substation work in Will County

ComEd and its contractors do a lot of line and substation work across Will County, and Joliet-area yards are where the empty reels end up. Much of it is on steel or bolted reels that belong to the cable maker or the utility. We don't take those. We list them for their owner and collect the one-way wooden reels.

A contractor yard with both kinds should keep them in separate rows. It saves time at the stop.

Pickup notes for Joliet

• Intermodal-area buildings: give the gate or guard-shack procedure.
• Contractor yards: stand reels on edge on dunnage with room for forks between rows.
• Two or more yards: list each address in one request.

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

Joliet shares a run with these stops:

• BolingbrookI-55 warehouse parks and the I-355 interchange
• RomeovilleWeber Road and Route 53, between I-55 and the Des Plaines River
• ElwoodCenterPoint Intermodal Center and BNSF Logistics Park Chicago
• New LenoxI-80 and Route 30 (Lincoln Highway); Metra Rock Island line

Where Joliet 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 Joliet

Do you pick up from warehouses near the Joliet intermodal yards?

Yes. Most have docks and forklifts, which makes large lots quick. Send the dock door and the count.

Can one request cover reels at two Joliet yards?

Yes. List both addresses and the count at each; we route the stops in one run.

Do you take ComEd utility reels in Joliet?

Not reels that belong to the maker or the utility. We list those and collect the one-way wooden reels from the same yard.

Can you handle a Joliet warehouse with hundreds of reels?

Yes. Large lots are planned as full loads, sometimes over two trips. Send the count by flange size and photos of each row. Hundreds of mid-size reels usually fit within a day of loading when a forklift and operator are available.