What the three weight fields mean
Gross weight is the loaded vehicle or container weight, tare is the corresponding empty weight, and net is the material weight calculated from the compatible difference. On a scrap-yard ticket, confirm the unit and identify whether the ticket shows one vehicle-level net, separate material weights, or both before checking the payout.
A vehicle-level net does not by itself explain how a mixed load was divided among grades. The ticket may show additional commodity lines, separate platform-scale weights, or buyer-entered allocations. Ask the scale operator or buyer to explain a label you do not recognize while the transaction is still available for review.
| Ticket field | Usually means | Review question |
|---|---|---|
| Gross | Loaded vehicle or container weight | Was this measured in the same unit and weighing sequence as tare? |
| Tare | Empty vehicle or container weight | Is it an actual, stored, or otherwise identified tare? |
| Net | Gross minus compatible tare | Does the arithmetic agree within the displayed precision? |
| Grade or commodity | Buyer's accepted material category | Does it match what was unloaded and explained? |
| Rate | Price applied per stated weight unit | Does the unit and quoted condition match? |
| Deduction or fee | Weight or money removed under the transaction terms | What caused it, and where is it reflected? |
| Extended value | Accepted weight multiplied by the applied rate | Does each line calculate as shown? |
| Total or payout | Final transaction amount before or after listed adjustments | Can every difference from the line total be traced? |
Follow the weighing sequence, not just the labels
A common vehicle-scale sequence records the truck or trailer loaded and again empty. Depending on facility workflow, the gross may appear first or second. Some tickets use a stored or keyboard tare instead of a same-day empty weighing. NIST explains that a receipt using the words gross, tare, or net does not by itself prove exactly how the scale performed the operation.
Check timestamps, scale identifiers, vehicle or customer information, ticket number, and units when present. For container or platform weights, confirm that the tare belongs to the same bin, pallet, or container. Do not subtract measurements from unlike vehicles, containers, units, or unsupported scales and call the result a certified net weight.
Review the ticket in six steps
Move to a safe location away from scales, loaders, magnets, traffic lanes, and unloading equipment before reading or photographing the ticket.
- Confirm the yard, date, ticket number, vehicle or customer reference, and weight unit.
- Trace gross, tare, and net through the weighing sequence and check the displayed arithmetic.
- Match every commodity line with the material groups that were actually unloaded.
- Check each accepted weight and rate, including whether the rate is per pound, kilogram, short ton, or another stated unit.
- Identify every deduction, fee, adjustment, tax treatment, or payment term and ask for an explanation when needed.
- Compare the line extensions with the total payout, then save the ticket and the buyer's explanation with the sale record.
How to review a mixed-load ticket
For a mixed load, a single vehicle net can equal the total material removed while the commodity lines divide that weight among copper, aluminum, steel, wire, brass, or other accepted categories. Add the grade-line weights and compare them with the total net when the ticket format supports that comparison. A difference can reflect containers, material returned to the vehicle, separate weighing methods, rounding, or an allocation that needs explanation.
Next, calculate each line as accepted weight × applied rate and compare the sum with the stated subtotal. Trace deductions and fees separately. Do not assume that every difference is an error, but do not leave unexplained math hidden inside the final total when the facility can clarify it.
Compare the ticket with the estimate without rewriting history
Keep the original home weight, assumed grade, quote, and expected value unchanged. Enter the facility's accepted grade, certified or recorded weight, applied rate, deductions, and actual payout as the result. The difference can then be separated into weight variance, grade variance, rate variance, and transaction adjustments.
A repeated difference may reveal a home-scale limitation, an incorrect container tare, a preparation rule you misunderstood, moisture or debris, material consistently moved between grades, or a quote that changes before arrival. Attach a clear ticket image and a short note in ScrapValue so the next estimate uses evidence instead of memory.
- Weight variance: home net versus facility accepted weight.
- Grade variance: assumed category versus buyer classification.
- Rate variance: quoted rate versus applied rate and unit.
- Adjustment variance: deductions, fees, returned material, or other stated terms.
Questions people ask
Common questions
What do gross, tare, and net mean on a scrap ticket?
Gross is the loaded weight, tare is the corresponding empty vehicle or container weight, and net is the compatible difference. Confirm the unit, weighing sequence, and whether the tare was measured or stored.
Why do the material lines not equal my home weights?
Differences can come from scale resolution, container assumptions, moisture or debris, returned material, buyer grading, separate weighing methods, or an incorrect home measurement. Ask the yard to explain the ticket format before leaving.
What should I do if the ticket math looks wrong?
Move to a safe place, recalculate using the printed units and displayed precision, then ask the facility to explain or correct the transaction. Preserve the original ticket and any replacement or adjustment.
Should the final payout replace my ScrapValue estimate?
No. Keep the original estimate and record the final payout separately. That preserves the assumptions that led to the trip and makes weight, grade, rate, and deduction differences useful next time.
