Reel pickup in Aurora

Business parks on the tollway

Aurora's newer industrial and distribution buildings line I-88 on the city's east and north sides, around Eola Road, Orchard Road and Route 59. Fit-outs of those buildings and their automation equipment pull power, control and data cable, and empty reels of every small and mid size. A distribution building that goes live can leave a hundred reels behind.

Those buildings have docks, which makes them quick stops. Next step: tell us how many reels are on the dock and whether more are coming as the project finishes.

Aurora's downtown along the Fox River has seen renovation of older buildings, theatres and lofts. Those projects leave reels in tight downtown lots, where a straight truck is the better choice.

The far-west day starts or ends in Aurora depending on where the bigger stops are, and the driver calls ahead with a tighter window on the day.

Several big distribution tenants along the tollway also order checked reels for rewinding, which lets one truck deliver and collect.

Fox River plants and contractor yards

Closer to the Fox River, Aurora has older manufacturing buildings and the contractors who maintain them. Their reels come out in smaller lots and are often stored outside, which is hard on wood: a reel lying flat in a gravel yard through a winter loses its bottom flange. Stand reels on edge on dunnage, chock them, and they stay worth collecting.

Aurora is far enough out that we plan the far-west day around the bigger stops and fill in smaller lots between them. A contractor's ten reels are welcome on that run.

Pole barns on the edge of town

Aurora's south and west edges reach farmland, and contractors there often work out of pole barns. Reels stored in a pole barn stay dry and sound, which makes them good buyback reels. The catch is access: a gravel drive and a barn door may not suit a big truck.

Tell us how wide the barn door is and whether the drive is firm. If a semi can't get in, a straight truck can, and reels can be rolled out to it.

Pickup notes for Aurora

• I-88 business parks: give the dock contact and hours.
• Gravel yards: tell us if a truck can get close to the stack after rain.
• Large reels from feeder work need forks; say whether you have them.

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 West suburbs day

Aurora shares a run with these stops:

• BerwynRoosevelt Road, Cermak Road, Ogden Avenue; BNSF/Metra line
• CiceroRail-served industrial blocks and Cicero Avenue
• Bedford ParkRail yards and plants between Midway and the Des Plaines River
• NapervilleI-88 research and office corridor; BNSF/Metra line

Where Aurora 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 Aurora

Do you come out as far as Aurora?

Yes. Aurora is the western end of the far-west day with Naperville.

Are reels stored outside through the winter still worth anything?

Often, if they stood on edge off the ground. Reels that lay flat in water usually rot at the bottom flange and go to recycling.

Can a truck reach a pole barn on a gravel drive in Aurora?

Usually. Tell us the door width and whether the drive is firm; we send a straight truck if a semi won't fit.

Do you go further west than Aurora?

Aurora is the western edge of our regular routes. Sites a little beyond it, toward the Fox Valley towns, can sometimes ride along with a large Aurora pickup. Ask with the address and count, and we answer honestly whether the trip works.