Industry
Reels from utility and grid work
Grid work empties the biggest reels in the region. Primary underground cable, transmission conductor and substation control cable arrive on 60 to 96-inch reels, many of them owned by a cable maker or the utility itself, and the rest left on a staging yard when the crew moves on.
Cable and reels this work empties
| Cable | Typical reel | Usually |
|---|---|---|
| Primary underground distribution cable | 60 to 84-inch wood or steel | Often returnable |
| Overhead conductor | 60 to 96-inch wood or steel | Frequently returnable |
| Substation control cable | 36 to 48-inch wood | One-way |
| Secondary and service cable | 36 to 60-inch wood | One-way unless stencilled |
| Fibre run alongside power | 48 to 72-inch wood, large drum | Maker program if labelled |
Who is doing the work around Chicago
ComEd, a unit of Exelon, serves about 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois. In December 2024 the Illinois Commerce Commission approved its refiled 2024–2027 multi-year grid plan with modifications, and much of that work is carried out by line and underground contractors who stage cable on yards across Cook, DuPage, Will and Lake counties. Across the state line, NIPSCO serves the northern third of Indiana, including Lake County.
Data-centre growth adds substations and feeders on top of routine replacement. ComEd broke ground on a 260 MW substation to serve a Stream data centre in Elk Grove Village, and projects like it leave long rows of big reels behind.
Ownership comes first
On grid work a large share of reels are not the contractor's to sell. Some belong to the cable maker and travel back on its trucks; some belong to the utility; some are on rental or deposit terms. Before any pickup we go through the yard reel by reel, read the plates, stencils and tags, and list the returnables by owner so the crew lead can call them in.
The one-way reels left after that list are ours to quote. That order matters: a utility reel loaded by mistake is hard to get back and can create a charge for the contractor.
Moving very large reels
- A 72-inch empty wooden reel can weigh several hundred pounds; heavier builds more. Plan for a forklift with long tines or a crane truck.
- The ground has to carry the truck. Staging yards after spring rain often do not.
- Reels must be chocked on both sides before anyone approaches them.
- Damaged flange boards can drop when a reel is lifted; keep people clear.
After the season
Grid crews often clear yards in a rush at the end of a construction season. Sending the reel list and photos a few weeks ahead lets the take-back calls and the buyback quote happen before the yard lease runs out, rather than after.
A reel list the crew lead can use
For each reel in a grid yard we record the flange size, the build (nailed wood, bolted wood or steel), any maker or utility name, any reel number, and a condition note. The crew lead gets that list before anything moves, sorted into three columns: owed back, offered for sale, past reuse. It doubles as a closeout record when the yard lease ends.
Where we see this work
- The west suburbs
Naperville's municipal electric crews and ComEd contractors elsewhere along I-88.
- The I-55 and I-80 corridor
Substation upgrades and new transmission feeding Will County's logistics boom.
- Northwest Indiana
NIPSCO line, substation and generation-transition projects across Lake County.
How the pickup runs
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Count and photo
Count the reels by flange size and send one photo of the stack and one of a reel tag.
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Sort by tag and condition
We read the tags and photos and tell you which reels we buy, which are returnable and which look like recycling.
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Route each reel
Every reel gets one exit: buyback, maker take-back, recycling or resupply.
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Schedule by corridor
We put you on the next corridor day in your area, or send a truck of its own for a big lot.
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Load and settle
The driver checks each reel, loads, and leaves one ticket showing what was bought, recycled and left.
Questions
Do you buy utility-owned reels?
No. Reels owned by the utility or a cable maker go back to them. We list them for you and quote only the one-way reels.
Do you work in NIPSCO territory?
Yes, across Lake County, Indiana, including Hammond, Gary, Merrillville and the towns along US 30.
Can you handle 96-inch reels?
Each one is planned individually: who owns it, how to lift it, and where it goes before it moves.
How do you lift reels on a soft staging yard?
Often by bringing the reels to the gravel edge first with the crew's own equipment, then loading from firm ground. Each yard is checked before the truck is sent.
Reel words on this page
- Flange
- The round side discs that hold the cable in. Flange diameter, edge to edge, is the size a reel is known by.
- Drum (barrel)
- The cylinder between the flanges that the cable winds around.
- Traverse
- The inside width between the flanges: how wide a layer of cable can be.
- Arbor hole
- The centre hole a spindle, shaft or payoff bar passes through.
- Drive hole
- A smaller hole off-centre in the flange that a drive pin uses to turn the reel.
- Lagging / staves
- The boards nailed around the drum, and the protective boards sometimes nailed across the flanges over finished cable.
- Nailed vs bolted
- Nailed reels are held together with nails and built for one trip; bolted reels have through-bolts and steel plates for many.
- Returnable reel
- A reel its maker expects back, usually stencilled or tagged to say so.
- One-way reel
- A reel nobody is collecting. Once empty, it belongs to whoever holds it.
- Reel tag
- The label or plate carrying the maker, the reel number and sometimes the return terms.
- Payoff
- The stand or trailer a reel turns on while cable is pulled off it.
Clear reels from utility and grid work
Send the count, the flange sizes and a photo of the stack. The quote names what is bought, what goes back to a maker and what is recycled.
Or write to info@chicagowoodenspools.com with the count, flange sizes and a photo of the stack.