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.
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
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
'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'.
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
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.
All payments from D&W Salvage are made via check.
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).
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.
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
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.).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There are 2,000 pounds in a net ton.
Here at D&W Salvage, there is a 10-pound minimum weight requirement. There is no maximum.
The average car battery weighs about 35 pounds.
Semi-truck batteries average about 55 pounds.
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 passenger vehicle (car/SUV) is approximately 3,500-4,500 pounds.
Yes. A title is required in order for us to accept any scrap vehicle.
Whomever's name is printed on the title needs to sign off in the box that says "Signature of Seller".
If there are any leins/loans on the vehicle, the bank or lender must also sign off in the appropriate space on the title, denoting that the vehicle has been paid off completely.
The simple answer is to keep looking. Oftentimes misplaced titles can be found with relatives or other family members, in glove boxes, safes, lockboxes, and even underwear drawers.
Having said that, if you absolutely cannot find your title, there are some options:
1. Request a Duplicate or Scrap Title.
If you have the registration, the application for the title, or any other ownership documents, you can visit the Secretary of State and request a duplicate or a scrap title for your vehicle. Depending on the branch you visit, a title will mailed to you within 7-10 days, or in some cases issued the same day. Once you have the new title in hand, the owner must sign off in the space where it says "Signature of Seller", and the bank/lender must sign off stating that any leins/loans on the vehicle have been paid in full. We can then accept this title when scrapping your vehicle. NOTE: Only the actual duplicate or scrap title will be accepted. We cannot and will NOT accept the Application for Title form (white copy) that is provided to you by the Secretary of State when requesting a new title.
2. Obtain a Certificate of Scrapping (form TR-208).
If you cannot find the title for your scrap vehicle because a.) the vehicle has been on your property for decades, or b.) the vehicle was left on property that you recently purchased, you can obtain a Certificate of Scrapping or form TR-208 from your local Sheriff's Office. With this service, an officer will validate your vehicle identification number (VIN) to verify the vehicle has not been stolen and is not involved in any other legal matters. They will then issue you a TR-208, which we can accept when receiving your vehicle as scrap. NOTE: The Sheriff's department will NOT issue a Certificate of Scrapping in cases where you possess ownerwhip documentation and are unwilling to obtain a duplicate or scrap title.
If there is still a loan or lein on your vehicle, we cannot accept it as scrap. In order for us to purchase the vehicle from you, you will first need to do one of two things:
A. Take your title to the bank or lending institution who issued the loan. They will then sign off, verifying that the lein has been paid off in full.
B. Have your bank or lending institution issue a letter (on their letterhead) stating that the loan/lein has been paid in full. They can then fax it to us at 989-269-8985 or email it to us at dwsalvage@dwsalvage.biz.
The tires are the only part of your vehicle that we do not accept. However, we do realize that in order to load your vehicle on a trailer or to tow it here, you need to leave the tires on. For that reason, you have one of two options if you bring in a vehicle with tires:
1. You can take back your existing tires and rims.
With this option one of our equipment operators will lift the vehicle enough to take the weight off the tires. You can then loosen your lugnuts and remove your tires and rims. (Make sure you bring an appropriately sized 4-way if you choose to do this.) This is a great option if you choose to re-use that set of tires.
2. You can take home scrap tires.
With this option we will give you just the rubber portion of tires that have already been cut off the rim. These tires will not be your exact tires, but will be approximately the same size/weight as the tires you brought to us. (Think of this option as if it were much like the 'Give a Penny, Take a Penny' dishes you see at the gas station counters.) With this option, you will then have to find a place to dispose of your tires.
NOTE: Our dumpster and roadside ditches are NOT options for the disposal of tires.
No. Due to environmental concerns about tires becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes and all kinds of bacteria, we will not keep your tires. Additionally, shipping tires to a proper tire disposal site is cost-prohibitive. If you bring a vehicle with tires on it, we leave the responsibility on you to find a way to also get rid of those tires.
No. If you choose to keep the motor because you need it for parts, you want the seats for a 'man cave', or you want to remove various components and sell them to us separately, that is perfectly fine. All we ask is that you remove these items BEFORE you arrive in our yard.
Batteries are the only exception to this rule. This is because:
A. Batteries are realtively easy to remove.
B. We understand that you may want to keep a perfectly good battery, but that you also need the battery in order to get the car to us.
If you choose to keep your battery, please just let us know at the office when you arrive.
We will not, under ANY circumstances, lift up vehicles or flip over vehicles in order to allow you to remove various parts, nor will we remove the parts for you. Allowing customers to remove parts from underneath lifted or flipped vehicles is a serious safety hazard. Not only that, but our employees are getting paid to process metal, not remove parts. For this reason, please remove any parts that you are planning on keeping BEFORE you get to our yard.
Batteries are the only exception to this rule. This is because:
A. Batteries are realtively easy to remove.
B. We understand that you may want to keep a perfectly good battery, but that you also need the battery in order to get the car to us.
If you choose to keep your battery, please just let us know at the office when you arrive.
D&W Salvage is not a 'parts yard'. We do not re-sell automobiles or the parts from them. Because of this, there is no extra value to a vehicle that runs, is in pristine condition, or has just received a new part or component. All vehicles and their parts are just scrap metal to us--regardless of whether they run or not.
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. Pickups and full-sized vans tend to weigh slightly more.
The only way to tell exactly how much your car weighs is to bring it across our scales.
In most instances, the Secretary of State lists weight categories or classes on titles, as opposed to the actual weight of the vehicle.
In order to determine the actual weight of your vehicle, we will need to weigh it across our scales.
It quite possibly could be. However, we are unsure if the printed weight is just the frame weight, the body weight, or the weight of the vehicle in its entirety. For that reason, the only way to tell the exact weight of your vehicle is to weigh it across our scales.
No. Removing fluids from your vehicle is not necessary. We have a safe and environmentally friendly way of draining the fluids out of each vehicle as they are processed.
All vehicles that arrive at D&W Salvage, Inc. go through the following process:
1. The VIN number is verified to ensure we have received the proper title. At this time the title is inspected to ensure it is properly signed off and free of any leins/loans.
2. Fluids are drained (this includes gas tanks, transmissions, engines, etc.) from the vehicle.
3. An inspection is conducted to ensure that it contains no hazardous or unaccepted items.
4. The vehicle is placed into a machine that turns it into a log (a cube).
5. The log is shipped to an end-user who shreds it in preparation for it to be recycled into new raw materials. At this point, the title is also shipped to the end-user, who then submits the title to the State of Michigan.
We DO NOT accept tires.
If you sell us a vehicle, trailer, farm implement, other item that has tires on it, we will be sending rubber back home with you. This means that either:
A. We will lift the item so that you can loosen the lugnuts and take the tires and rims off/home with you. (Make sure you bring an appropriately sized 4-way if you choose to do this.)
B. We will give you just the rubber portion of tires that have already been cut off the rim. These tires will not be your exact tires, but will be approximately the same size/weight as the tires you brought to us.
The only exception to this is if you bring us a bicycle, lawnmower, or ATV that still has tires on it. Those tires are small enough that we do not worry about them.
D&W Salvage only purchases cardboard in LARGE quantities (thousands of pounds at a time) and on a case-by-case basis. Please call us at 989-269-6829 to inquire about large quantities of cardboard.
Yes. As long as they are AC motors with copper windings. We will not pay electric motor price for DC motors or those with aluminum windings--these items simply are purchased as Tin/Miscellaneous.
Electric motors may be encased in a steel cover, BUT any large pulleys, pieces of steel, or squirrel cages must be removed.
If the outside casing is cast aluminum, it is very possible that the wire within is copper-coated aluminum wire--in which case we will not pay electric motor price for these motors. To check whether the windings are copper-coated aluminum, use a file to scratch the wire windings. If the center of the wires/windings are a white or silver color, they are aluminum wires and thus, we will only buy them for tin price.
We will purchase window and door FRAMES as long as they are made of metal and do not contain any glass, plastic, rubber, or foam.
We only buy lead-acid batteries. These include most car, truck, ATV, lawnmower, and golf cart batteries.
Steel encased batteries are acceptable, but are purchased as a separate commodity with their own pricing structure.
We DO NOT buy alkaline, NiCad, or rechargable/power tool batteries, and we ABSOLUTELY do NOT accept Absolyte, GNB, or Champion brand batteries.
Computer monitors and televisions (TVs) contain very little metal and are mostly made of glass and/or plastic. For this reason we do not purchase these items.
For the safety of our personnel, we do not accept ANY sealed containers.
In order to be accepted:
--Propane and oxygen tanks must have the valves completely removed and/or have a visible hole in them.
--Fuel tanks must be COMPLETELY drained of any liquid or sludge and have a hole cut in them large enough for us to see inside (12" by 12" is the ideal size of hole).
Because of their construction, we CANNOT accept acetylene tanks of any kind.
Yes, they are purchased as insulated copper wire.
However, if your cords contain a large, plastic A/C adapter, an industrial-size plug end, or ends that have connector pins and/or thumb screws, you will need to remove the plug-end before bringing your cords to us.
Coaxial cable is never purchased as insulated copper wire. The ratio of foam/insulation to copper wiring is far too great.
Instead, it can be purchased as Christmas Lights/Computer Cable if the following criteria are met:
1. The steel connection ends must be cut off.
2. If you allow a magnet to hang freely near your coaxial cable, it will NOT draw to it. (If the magnet does draw to the cable, then there is steel somewhere in the cable and it is puchased as Tin/Miscellaneous.)
Yes. However, there are some guidelines when it comes to Christmas Lights, Computer Cables, and/or Phone Cables:
1. Keep them separate from any other insulated copper wiring you may have. This is because the ratio of copper to insulation is different than other forms of insulated copper wiring.
2. The bulbs must be removed if you have the Christmas lights with the larger sized bulbs (think the old-fashioned style). However, if you have the newer-style with the miniature bulbs, you can leave them right on the strand.
3. Any large plastic AC adaptors or ends that have connector pins and/or thumb screws must be cut off the wire and discarded.
We do not buy complete trailer homes, campers, or motor homes due to the large quantity of wood, insulation, and other non-metal material they contain.
However, if you tear apart your trailer homes, campers, or motor homes and bring us just the bare metal, we would be happy to accept that material from you.
No. Fiberglass is a non-metallic material, and therefore we have no way to recycle it. However, if you remove any metal off of your boat, we would be happy to accept and pay you for the metal portion only.
We will purchase refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners as long as the freon gas within the unit has been properly removed.
If the compressor and lines are still within the unit, documentation verifying that the freon was removed must be provided.
Yes. We purchase all types of household appliances as Tin/Miscellaneous.
Refrigerators, freezers, and/or air conditioners will be purchased as Tin/Miscellaneous as long as the freon has been properly removed.
There are a lot of ins and outs to our container services--in fact, too many to re-list them all here. However, we do have them completely spelled out on the Container Information page of our website.
An extremely brief synopsis would be this:
You need to have a LARGE amount of scrap--enough to fill at least one (if not more) semi trailers.
Our cans are for scrap metal ONLY. We do not handle garbage or other debris.
Be sure you have a place to put the container that is free of overhead obstructions and can bear the heavy weight of a loaded semi truck.
Ensure you have equipment to load the container and pack the scrap metal down--otherwise you could face a Light Load Charge for an underfilled container.
Give our Trucking Coordinator a call at 989-269-6829 x102 (or option 4 at the main menu) to schedule a delivery.
Load the container in less than 90 days and give us a call to pick it up. You will be charged a Delinquent Container Fee if you keep the container over 90 days.
Payment is issued within 30 days of pickup and will be mailed in the form of a check. Pricing will be based upon the published price at the time of pickup.
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.
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.
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.
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.