The three formulas that matter
Container net weight = loaded container weight − empty container weight. Material estimate = net material weight × quoted price per matching weight unit. Mixed-load estimate = the sum of all individual material estimates. Keep every number tied to a material name, grade, unit, quote source, and time.
A vehicle scale ticket uses the same basic idea: gross weight minus tare weight equals net load weight. That total does not tell you how the buyer divided the load across grades, so home sorting weights and the facility's material lines remain useful for reviewing the final ticket.
Use the same container and compatible scale
Weigh the empty bin, bucket, pallet, gaylord, or trailer under comparable conditions, then weigh it loaded. Record whether the scale rounds to whole pounds, tenths, or another increment. Do not report more precision than the scale can support.
For small groups, a platform scale can be practical. Vehicle or industrial loads require suitable legal and safe weighing methods. Never exceed the scale, container, lifting equipment, vehicle, axle, or tie-down capacity.
- Tare each distinct container instead of assuming identical bins weigh the same.
- Keep material dry and remove unrelated debris that should not be part of the payable weight.
- Record the scale used so repeated differences can be investigated.
Keep the rate and weight unit aligned
A per-pound quote must multiply pounds; a per-kilogram quote must multiply kilograms. One kilogram is approximately 2.20462 pounds, and one pound is approximately 0.453592 kilograms. A U.S. short ton is 2,000 pounds, while a metric tonne is 1,000 kilograms. Label the specific ton unit instead of writing only “ton.”
Convert once, retain sensible precision, and preserve the original quoted unit in the note. Repeatedly converting a rounded number can introduce drift. ScrapValue supports pounds or kilograms, but the user is responsible for entering the quote in the unit shown by the calculation.
Worked mixed-load example with hypothetical rates
A copper bin weighs 31 pounds loaded and 4 pounds empty, so its net weight is 27 pounds. An aluminum bin weighs 58 pounds loaded and 8 pounds empty, so its net weight is 50 pounds. If the current yard quotes hypothetical rates C and A per pound, the estimate is (27 × C) + (50 × A).
If travel, tolls, fees, or paid labor matter to the decision, keep them outside the gross material estimate and calculate an expected net trip result separately. Do not represent either number as guaranteed; final grade, facility scale, deductions, and rate determine the transaction.
Reconcile the estimate with the ticket
After the sale, compare home net weights with the yard's grade lines and net scale weight. Differences can come from scale resolution, container assumptions, moisture, unrecorded attachments, material moved between grades, or an incorrect home measurement. Record the reason when it is known rather than overwriting the original estimate.
ScrapValue freezes the planning inputs with the sale and stores the actual payout separately. That preserves an honest estimate-versus-result record and makes scale or classification patterns easier to see over time.
