Empty reel pickup and used wooden spools in Hutchins, on I-45 just south of Dallas, home to part of Union Pacific's intermodal terminal and large inland port warehouses.
Empty reel pickup and used wooden spools in Lancaster, part of the International Inland Port of Dallas, with big distribution buildings along I-35E, I-20 and I-45.
Empty reel pickup and used wooden spools in Midlothian, Ellis County, home of Google's Railport Parkway data-centre campus, heavy industry and ranch land along US-67 and US-287.
The inland port
The International Inland Port of Dallas covers about 7,500 acres in Dallas, Lancaster, Hutchins, Wilmer and Ferris, between I-35, I-45 and I-20. Union Pacific's Dallas Intermodal Terminal, in Wilmer and Hutchins, opened in 2005. Around it stand some of the largest distribution buildings in Texas, and every one was wired on reels, with tenants still bringing in equipment and freight that arrives on them.
Data centres in Ellis County
Google runs a data-centre campus on Railport Parkway in Midlothian, in Ellis County, and announced a second Ellis County campus in Red Oak in 2023, with $600 million expected over several years. Google said it would invest $330 million in Red Oak that year alone. Campuses like these, and the substations and transmission work that feed them, are among the biggest sources of large reels in the region.
Who empties reels here
- Data-centre and utility projects along US-67, I-35E and around Midlothian and Red Oak
- Distribution centres at the inland port and along I-20
- Electrical contractors on warehouse, industrial and residential projects pushing south from Dallas
- Ranches and acreages in Ellis County, mostly as buyers
Pickup notes for the south Metroplex
Large sites here are built for trucks, so access is usually easy. Data-centre campuses have strict security and safety rules; tell us when you book. I-35E and I-45 are busy freight corridors, so we plan around peak truck traffic as well as commuter peaks. Further south, rural roads to ranches can be narrow and soft after rain.
The reels we see most here
| Source | Usual reels | Usual count |
|---|---|---|
| Data-centre campus | Nailed 36 to 96 in, plywood data reels, compartmental reels | Hundreds per building phase |
| Substation or transmission job | Drums of 72 to 96 in, steel reels | Dozens, all heavy |
| Inland port warehouse | Mixed reels from installs and freight | Occasional |
| Residential growth around Red Oak and Midlothian | Plywood and nailed 24 to 42 in | A few per house, many per subdivision |
Planning for big reels
The south Metroplex produces more big reels per pickup than any other area, because data centres and their power supply dominate. That changes how pickups are planned. Drums of 84 and 96 in go six to a flatbed and need a forklift or telehandler rated for them; sites without one need a winch truck. Expect us to ask for the count by flange size and for the lifting equipment on site before we quote.
Growth to the south
New homes, schools, retail and warehouses are spreading south along I-35E and US-67 into Ellis County. Each new subdivision leaves its own reels at the electrician's yard, and each new warehouse its own fit-out reels. Those smaller pickups ride along with the big data-centre collections.
Rail, freight and timing
The south Metroplex is crossed by Union Pacific and BNSF lines, and long freight trains can block level crossings for several minutes near the inland port. We allow time for them when planning routes, and drivers call ahead if a crossing delay pushes an arrival back.
Ellis County's open prairie also means wind and hail, which weather laydown-yard reels quickly; prompt pickups protect their value.
Questions
Do you cover Waxahachie, Ferris and Cedar Hill?
Yes, on south Metroplex routes.
Can you handle data-centre volumes?
Yes, with scheduled visits through the electrical phase. See data-centre builds.
Do you deliver to Ellis County ranches?
Yes, where a flatbed can reach safely.
Request a pickup or a quote
Count and flange size are the two things that matter. The rest helps us plan the truck.