FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Although we can't anticipate every question you may have, below is a list of the most commonly asked questions.  Just click on the question to view its answer.

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If you browse the list and still cannot find the answer you are looking for, please feel free to give us a call or send us a message via our Contact Us page.

DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS

What are ferrous metals?

Ferrous Metals are those that a magnet will stick to. Ferrous metals contain some form of iron, which gives them their magnetic qualities. Great examples of Ferrous Metals are: Cast Iron, Steel, and Wrought Iron



What are non-ferrous metals?

Non-Ferrous Metals are those that are a magnet will NOT stick to. These metals do not contain appreciable amounts of iron--the reason why they posess no magnetic qualities. Generally more expensive than ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals are used because of desireable properties such as low weight, higher conductivity, and resistance to corrosion. Non-Ferrous Metals include: Aluminum, Copper, and Lead



What does 'clean scrap' mean?

'Clean scrap' means that the metal is free from contaminants such as plastic, rubber, insulation, glass, wood, tar, etc. In the case of non-ferrous (non-magnetic) metals, iron/steel can also be considered a contaminant, thus making your material 'dirty'. To receive the full value of the metal in question, it must be 'clean'.



What is an alloy?

An alloy is a metal created by using a mixture of metals or a mixture of metal and other substances, to make the metal stronger, harder, lighter, or better in some other way. Common alloys include: Brass, Cast Iron, and Stainless Steel



POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS

What is required to sell scrap to D&W Salvage, Inc.?

Due to an increase in scrap metal theft, legislation was enacted that affected scrap metal buyers and sellers throughout the state of Michigan. The Scrap Metal Regulatory Act (Act 429 of 2008) initially went into effect on April 1, 2009, and was amended on July 1, 2014. To be in compliance with this legislation, D&W Salvage, Inc. requires from our valued customers: --A valid driver's license, state ID card, military card, or other government-issued identification containing your photograph. Your ID is then scanned and saved in our database, to be used each time you sell us scrap. Your ID only needs to be scanned at the time of your first sale, unless any of the identifying information has changed. Your personal information is confidential and shared only as required by law. Each time you sell scrap to D&W, you must also sign a statement certifying that: --You are at least 16 years of age --You are the owner, or otherwise authorized to sell the scrap material you are bringing to D&W Salvage, Inc. --You have never been convicted of a crime involving the theft, conversion, or sale of scrap metal D&W Salvage is also required to maintain a record of each transaction. The records include: --the name and address of the seller and the individual who is delivering the scrap metal if he/she is not the seller --the make, model, color, and license plate number of the vehicle delivering the scrap metal --the date and time of the transaction --description of the types of scrap metal purchased, including the weight or quantity --the total dollar amount and method of payment Scrap purchase transactions are maintained for at least one year and are readily accessible and available upon request, during regular business hours, to the seller as well as to local, state, or federal law enforcement agencies. D&W Salvage respects your right to privacy. We do not sell, rent, or give your personal information to anyone (including family members) except as required by law or by request of you, the seller.



What method of payment do you use?

All payments from D&W Salvage are made via check.



Can someone else bring in my scrap for me?

Unless we are told otherwise, a check is made payable to the person who is actually in the yard and selling the scrap. In order for the check to be made payable to someone other than the actual seller: 1. We must be informed that the check is to be made payable to someone else. 2. The person who the check will be made payable to must have an existing account established at D&W Salvage (ie. their driver's license or other form of identification has been scanned and saved in our database).



Do I need to sort my scrap?

D&W Salvage will purchase your scrap iron and metals whether they are sorted or not. Sorting your scrap is more work, but it will generate more revenue for you. HOWEVER, if your material is NOT sorted, you will be paid sheet metal/tin price for the entire load. If you do plan on sorting your load, please sort and 'clean' all of your scrap iron and metals before you arrive at D&W Salvage. We will be happy to suggest the best way to sort and 'clean' your material, but we will NOT do it for you. Not only is safety a concern when customers try to sort and 'clean' their material in our yard (read: flying debris, broken glass/plastic, injuries from hammers or other tools), but we want ample room available for those who have already sorted their material to sell us their scrap. By sorting loads in our yard, it takes away the space that others who have already sorted their loads need, and it can slow down the flow of traffic in our yard.



How often are scrap prices changed?

Scrap metal prices fluctuate depending on supply, demand, and even world events. As a result, prices can change freqently. Generally, prices change once a month, by the 10th day of the month; however, there are occasions when prices are changed more frequently. The date of the most recent price change is always noted at the bottom of the pricing page. If you'd like to check our current scrap prices, click HERE.



Do you pick up scrap iron and metal?

D&W Salvage does not provide pick-up services for vehicles, farm equipment, or small loads of scrap; however, if you are a commercial, industrial, or farm-agricultural producer of LARGE quantities of scrap iron and metal, we at D&W do offer roll-off container services. For more information about our roll-off container services, please CLICK HERE.



Do you sell auto parts or other pieces of metal?

No. Due to liability concerns, we DO NOT sell metal or auto parts. There is a lot of activity in the yard with a variety of potential hazards. Therefore, it is dangerous to have people who are unfamiliar with our operations wandering around searching for pieces of metal or parts. It has been suggested that we provide liability waivers; however, this is something that we choose not to do since we are a scrap metal and iron recycling facility, not an auto part or "u-pick" yard. Selling metals and parts is a whole different business from what is done here at D&W Salvage. We would like to let those who specialize in used auto parts do the selling. We'll continue to do the scrapping.



Will my scrap fit on your scale?

D&W has a large state-certified platform scale available for use. It is 80 feet long and 10 feet wide. If for some reason you feel that our scales will be unable to accomodate your material, please feel free to give us a call so we can discuss the best way to properly weigh your scrap. We have various types of equipment that may be needed to weigh your overly large or bulky items.



How is large equipment or other heavy scrap off-loaded?

D&W Salvage is equipped with payloaders, material handlers, and forklifts to handle large & oversized items. As a convenience to our customers, assistance with off-loading will be provided for large & oversized items ONLY. However, D&W Salvage, Inc, its owners, employees, agents and associates are NOT liable for any damages incurred during the off-loading process.



I've  sorted out multiple items, but I only have one vehicle.  Do I need to make multiple trips to sell my scrap, or can I bring all my items in at one time?

If you've sorted out and 'cleaned' your scap, you can most definitely bring it all in on one load--no need to make multiple trips. You just need to keep it sorted while it is on your vehicle. Some great ways to do this are: --Keep one commodity to the front of the vehicle and another to the back (or divide your pickup bed into 4 different areas and keep things in each different corner) --Keep one commodity on the bottom and one on the top --Place separate commodities in their own barrel, box, tub, or container --A combination of anything mentioned above



Are the prices on your website current/accurate/up-to-date?

Yes. As soon as the pricing changes at our yard, we update our website to reflect those changes. The date of the last/most recent price change is always listed at the bottom of the pricing page. However, there may be a time when it takes a moment for the internet to recognize that we made changes to the website. Because of this, prices posted at our facility, at the actual time of sale, govern.



Will you unload my scrap material for me?

As a general rule, we at D&W expect you to unload your own material--after all, you were able to load it at home, so we expect you will be able to unload it here as well. We do this to limit the risk of damage or injury to both you and your vehicle/trailer AND to allow our employees to continue to sort and process received material without interruption. The more sorting and processing our employees can do, the more room that will be available for you to unload your scrap! Assistance with unloading material will ONLY be provided as needed for large & oversized items (ie. large combines, farm equipment, vehicles, etc.).



WEIGHT

How many pounds are in a net ton?

There are 2,000 pounds in a net ton.



How much does the average battery weigh?

The average car battery weighs about 35 pounds. Semi-truck batteries average about 55 pounds.



Is there a minimum or maximum weight that you will purchase?

Here at D&W Salvage, there is a 10-pound minimum weight requirement. There is no maximum.



How much does a car weigh?

The weight of a vehicle can vary, depending on size, the materials it is constructed out of, and whether or not it has its engine, seats, or other various parts intact. That being said, the average weight of a car is approximately 3,500-4,500 pounds.



VEHICLES

How many pounds are in a net ton?

There are 2,000 pounds in a net ton.



How much does the average battery weigh?

The average car battery weighs about 35 pounds. Semi-truck batteries average about 55 pounds.



Is there a minimum or maximum weight that you will purchase?

Here at D&W Salvage, there is a 10-pound minimum weight requirement. There is no maximum.



How much does a car weigh?

The weight of a vehicle can vary, depending on size, the materials it is constructed out of, and whether or not it has its engine, seats, or other various parts intact. That being said, the average weight of a car is approximately 3,500-4,500 pounds.



WHAT WE WILL OR WILL NOT BUY

How many pounds are in a net ton?

There are 2,000 pounds in a net ton.



How much does the average battery weigh?

The average car battery weighs about 35 pounds. Semi-truck batteries average about 55 pounds.



Is there a minimum or maximum weight that you will purchase?

Here at D&W Salvage, there is a 10-pound minimum weight requirement. There is no maximum.



How much does a car weigh?

The weight of a vehicle can vary, depending on size, the materials it is constructed out of, and whether or not it has its engine, seats, or other various parts intact. That being said, the average weight of a car is approximately 3,500-4,500 pounds.



CONTAINERS

Can I get a container for my shingles, wood, insulation and siding from a  house demolition, garbage, etc.?

D&W Salvage, Inc. does not accept any non-metallic material--we recycle scrap iron and metals only. Please refer to our Prohibited Items page for more information on unacceptable items. If you are looking for a container for your non-metallic items, please feel free to contact Emterra Envrionmental, Thumb Disposal, Rent-A-Box, or Central Disposal to discuss their container options.



Can I place vehicles in a roll-off container?

No. Vehicles are one of those items that take up a lot of space in the container, but do not produce a lot of weight (does not allow the container to be used to its full potential). Also, we need titles with any and all vehicles we purchase. While we understand that using a payloader or other equipment to flatten a vehicle would allow for more material to be placed in the container, this makes it extremely difficult to read any VIN numbers in order to match them to the title. For these reasons, we do not accept vehicles via roll-off container.



I would like a 10-yard roll-off container.  Can you help?

Unfortunately, D&W Salvage does not offer containers that small. All of our containers at D&W Salvage are large--think the size of a semi trailer. Our smallest container is 30 yards (22ft long with 6ft high sides) and our largest is 80 yards (36ft long with 8ft high sides), with other sizes available in-between. Please visit our Container Information page for more information on container sizes and availability.



How do I go about requesting a roll-off container for my scrap?

First, please check out our Container Information page to review the ins-and-outs of our container services. Keep in mind that roll-off containers are only available to those in the industrial, commercial, or farm/agricultural sector who are producing LARGE amounts of scrap metal. Then give us a call at 989-269-6829 ext. 102 (or press option 4 at the main menu) to discuss your container needs.



© 2019 by D&W Salvage, Inc.

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D&W Salvage, Inc.

1303 Minnick Rd.

Bad Axe, MI 48413

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Main: (989) 269-6829

Fax:  (989) 269-8985

Email:  dwsalvage@dwsalvage.biz

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