Flyersmike, I am assuming you have a job so that you are not free to go at whim. I am "retired", so by my calculations, I come out ahead by delivering my loads rather than shipping, but considering that most of our recyclers have jobs, it would not be profitable to miss work. Here is how I figure it. 1. Free to go when I have a load and Boardsort gives the OK. I count it as a sightseeing trip: hopefully some day I will actually bring in a load when I haven't made previous commitments that require quick turnaround. 2. Gasoline and eats cost about the same as shipping a normal load, probably a little less, BUT when delivering a load, I can add all the low and midgrade boards that wouldn't be profitable to ship, as well as the mixed wire., and whole harddrives and power supplies that I haven't wanted to strip. These bulky items will basically cover the expenses of the trip. 3. The bank up there has lollipops with the bank name imprinted on the wrapper, and when I tell them I have to drive 600 miles to get back home, they give me extra!!! 4. The distance for me is 605 miles one way. A lot of business travelers with fast cars claim they make the trip in 8 hours, but I generally take at least 14, with frequent stops, since I leave SE Tennessee around 6 PM for a night drive. With a couple hour break at a rest area about 60 miles out, I miss rush hour, and get unloaded and on my way before noon. 5. Since the guys unloading and checking the material actually know what they are doing, they will point out why some of the strange boards go in a particular category. While seeing a picture on the forum here, and seeing the identification, is good, it isn't quite as good as seeing the actual board and having it named. And as Lost mentions, getting an upgrade because of a little extra something on a board does feel good. 6. I collect rocks as a hobby, and each time, I tell myself I am going to spend about four extra days, stopping at some of the collecting sites I have heard about..Maybe next time...
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