Long TON vs Short TON vs Gross TON!!!!!!!

[LD1]

This is kinda a rant so bare with me.

Long story short, I scrapped an old junk car shell. 2360lbs to be exact.

Called around to find the best price.

Best was NOT the closet to me. Everyone was 220/ton .11 per lb

One place a little farther was $245 "gross" ton.

I never gave it a second thought. I figured 12.25cents per pound. Enough to be worth the extra little drive. So I am expecting ~$289 Or so I thought.

I guess a gross ton is another name for a long ton:confused2: (2240lbs) so I only got $258

I thought we here in the states quit using that back in the 80's. :confused2: Personally I have NEVER heard it called gross ton. It has always been know to me as long and short ton.

I did a little googleing and found bits and peices but nothing to confirm: but a few places said that a "gross" ton was only a leagal measurment for volume (as pertaining to shipyards). But again, nothing concrete. They are a BIG outfit here in central OH, so I am sure it isnt against the law, but still....the deception.

Fool me once....shame on you
Fool me twice....I think not. I will never go there again as long as I live.

End of rant. For now

 

[Diamondpilot]

I deal in GROSS Tons all the time when it comes to boats. We document a lot of boats with the US Coast Guard and its all in how much the boat will displace in Gross Tons. Thats the only time we use it.

Around here a ton is a ton. We buy dirt, gravel, ect by the ton. IE: 2000#. Plain and simple.

You learned a hard lesson. I know guys who will drive 25 miles or more to save $10 on a set of brake shoes. Just seen it happen this weekend. 50 mile round trip in a 1/2 ton GMC truck at 15 mpg. Thats about $14 in gas and a hour of his time plus the wear and tear. It used up some of his brakes, oil change, tires, ect, ect. Still he though he was saving $10.:confused2:

Not to step all over you here but 99 times out of 100 you can not drive to the next town to save a few buck. The math really does not work out when you sit down and put it to paper. It took me years to learn this lesson also, its a guy thing I guess.:thumbsup:

Chris

 

[SweBota]

I did a little googleing and found bits and peices but nothing to confirm: but a few places said that a "gross" ton was only a leagal measurment for volume (as pertaining to shipyards).

Gross Tonnage, GT, is a unitless measure of ships volume, but:

"The gross or long ton is used commercially in the United States to only a limited extent, usually in restricted industrial fields. These units are the same as the British 鍍on.?


Well, there is only one metric ton... ;-)


/Marcus

 

[SweBota]

I deal in GROSS Tons all the time when it comes to boats. We document a lot of boats with the US Coast Guard and its all in how much the boat will displace in Gross Tons. Thats the only time we use it.

That sounds very strange. Are you measuring displacement (weight) in long tons and call it gross tons? Or are you referring to Gross Tonnage (GT) which has nothing to do with displacement?

/Marcus

 

[LD1]

Not to step all over you here but 99 times out of 100 you can not drive to the next town to save a few buck. The math really does not work out when you sit down and put it to paper. It took me years to learn this lesson also, its a guy thing I guess.:thumbsup:

Chris

I agree with you 99% of the time on this.

But in this case, with this weight, it was going to be 20 mile trip for $259 (my usual place, or $289 (so I thought) to make the 30 mile trip here.

For an extra $31 I feel I could justify the extra 20 miles round trip. And I also wanted to see what kind of place they ran because I do scrap a lot. I guess now I know

 

[Qapla]

Next time you need to scrap a car, try asking if they pay a flat rate for a "whole car". Most of the yards here pay for cars different then they do "scrap"

To be a "whole car" means they must have the engine, transmission and the catalytic converter. If any of the three of these is missing, then it is "scrap" and pays by the 100#

The rate per 100# varies from yard-to-yard and from day-to-day, sometimes from hour-to-hour. The scrap metal business is a bit volatile and the prices go up and down all day long.

I usually call for the "current price" before I take a load in. The yards I deal with will "guarantee" the rate they quote you for that day or half-day. They pay the quoted price or the "current" price, whichever is higher, when I take the load in. But, they only do this if I call first. If I do not call and take a load in during the afternoon I get the afternoon price even if the morning price was higher.

Since I usually take in loads of 5,000# or more, I try to get the highest price I can from the nearest yard.

I have never had one of them mention "long", "short" or "gross" tons. They just call a ton a ton (2000#), but then they all quote prices by the 100#, not the ton. You might try asking what your yard is paying per 100# instead of one of the "ton" references.

 

[SPYDERLK]

long ton, metric ton = 1000 kilograms = 2203# afaik ... Gross ton is probably just disgusting :confused3:
larry

 

[LD1]

Next time you need to scrap a car, try asking if they pay a flat rate for a "whole car". Most of the yards here pay for cars different then they do "scrap"

To be a "whole car" means they must have the engine, transmission and the catalytic converter. If any of the three of these is missing, then it is "scrap" and pays by the 100#

The rate per 100# varies from yard-to-yard and from day-to-day, sometimes from hour-to-hour. The scrap metal business is a bit volatile and the prices go up and down all day long.

I usually call for the "current price" before I take a load in. The yards I deal with will "guarantee" the rate they quote you for that day or half-day. They pay the quoted price or the "current" price, whichever is higher, when I take the load in. But, they only do this if I call first. If I do not call and take a load in during the afternoon I get the afternoon price even if the morning price was higher.

Since I usually take in loads of 5,000# or more, I try to get the highest price I can from the nearest yard.

I have never had one of them mention "long", "short" or "gross" tons. They just call a ton a ton (2000#), but then they all quote prices by the 100#, not the ton. You might try asking what your yard is paying per 100# instead of one of the "ton" references.

Good points, but this aint my first rodeo when it comes to scrapping if ya know what I mean

I usually pull the motor and tranny, cats, radiater, ac stuff, etc. ANYTHING that pays more than mere scrap price. I sell it seperatly. I have ALWAYS gotten more $$$ out of a car this way rather than just flat rate. And yes, some of the yards areound here quote "per hundred" and some by the ton, and others by trhe pound.

It justs seems ODD why this yard (which this is my first, AND LAST) trip to, would quote using an all-but-obsolete form of weight measurement:confused2: The ONLY possible explination is sheer deception. NO-ONE uses gross/long ton anymore.

It really aint about the $30 bucks I am out. It aint going to make or break me. Its about the whole principal behind the matter.

Boy I wish when I buy stone/topsoil off my normal place, that they would sell me gross/long tons for the same price as others charge for short tons:confused2:

 

[Snaker]

They probably giggled themselves silly over that marketing plan. I just got a letter in the mail announcing a 200% increase of the annual fees for a IRA, 1 year into a 5 year term. Of course if I pulled it out, I estimate about a $250 penalty.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Yep, its a very deceptive practice. I am with you, its not so much about the money but the fact that they are screwing the average joe.

I would make sure everyone I know knows about it. Probably not going to make a difference to them but it would make me feel better.

Chris