Contact the reel desk

What to put in a request

A reel request needs the same few lines whichever side you are on. Most delays come from a missing number, so it pays to measure once and send everything together.

• Buying or selling, or a question.
• The reel size in inches: flange diameter, inside traverse and drum diameter, written like 48x36x24. If you only know the flange, say so.
• The count, and whether the lot is one size, a few sizes or a mixed yard.
• Condition: new, used or damaged, and anything you can see, such as missing staves, a warped flange or a split arbor hole.
• The street and ZIP for pickup or delivery, and whether there is a forklift or a dock.
• When you need it done.

Photos that help

For sellers, two or three phone photos answer most of our questions before anyone drives out. Stand back far enough to show the stack and how the reels sit, then take one close up of a reel stencil so we can read the maker and the size painted on the flange, and one of the drum so we can see the staves and the arbor hole. Attach them to an email to info@cablereelsforsale.com with the request number from the form, or describe them in the details box.

What happens next

1. 01

   We read the ticket

   Every request is written up as a reel lot ticket: size, count, condition, location and timing. If a line is missing we ask for it by email or phone, whichever you gave.

2. 02

   We match the other side

   For a buyer we look for reels in that size and condition and work out the freight to your ZIP. For a seller we look at where the reels can go and what the load is worth to someone who needs them.

3. 03

   You get a quote

   The quote says what is included, the condition, the price for the lot and the pickup or delivery window. Nothing is booked until you agree it in writing.

Why there is no phone number on the site

We work from written requests because reel deals turn on numbers: three dimensions, a count and a condition. Written down once, they travel to the carrier and the other side of the deal without being misheard. Give us your phone number on the form if you would rather we call you, and we will.

Questions that are not requests

You can use the same form to ask a question: pick Ask a question at the top. We answer questions about reel sizes, how much cable a reel holds, whether a reel is worth selling, or how to measure an odd one. The guides and the questions page may already have the answer, and the capacity calculator works out footage for a given reel and cable.