Tires are a counted item
Many sites treat passenger tires as their own material, separate from the weight of the rest of the load. Staff may count each tire, and they may refuse a pile that exceeds a posted limit for that visit. Read the fee sheet and the tire rule before you load, and call if the sheet is unclear. Do not bury tires under bags to hide the count. An inspection will find them, and a hidden tire can change the ticket or get the load rejected. Off-road, farm, and truck tires are a different category. Say passenger car tires when you ask.
Rims, water, and dirt
Ask whether tires must come off the rim. Some sites take tires on rims, some charge or sort them differently, and some refuse rims in the tire pile. Pull the tires out of the weather before you haul them. A tire full of rainwater is heavy and will soak the bed when you tip it. Shake out mud, but do not wash a pile of tires into a storm drain. Leave the valve stem. You are not being asked to destroy the tire. Stack them so they cannot roll. A loose tire in a pickup is a traffic hazard the moment you brake.
Use the tire area only
Follow the signs to the tire drop, not the brush pile and not the compacting trash bay, unless an attendant specifically tells you otherwise. Roll tires down one at a time if that is the instruction, or hand them to the area marked for them. Count what you unload and compare it with what you told the scale house. If you brought four and the attendant sees five, stop and correct the count. Do not leave a spare beside the fence because you miscounted the limit. Take it home and ask about a second trip or another outlet.
Before you go
- Read the site's tire rule for count limits and rims.
- Empty standing water and stack tires so they cannot roll.
- Declare the tire count at the scale house.
- Unload only in the tire area and match the count you declared.
Hiding extra tires under trash bags so the scale house records a smaller count.
Questions people ask
Can I bring tires from several neighbors?
Ask the site first. Some resident visits limit how many tires one trip can include, and tires from a business may fall under a different rule.
What if a tire is still mounted on a wheel?
Call and ask. Do not assume a rim is accepted in the tire pile. If the site wants rims removed, do that before you arrive or take the mounted tire to a shop that will handle it.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.