A junk pickup or an old work van is still junk car removal in Chicago as far as we’re concerned: we buy it, tow it free and pay you at pickup. The difference is size. Longer, heavier, and usually full of somebody’s stuff.
Can I get rid of a junk truck or van for free?
Yes, and you get paid for it. Cars Junk Man buys junk pickups, work trucks and cargo vans in Chicago and tows them away free. Tell us the year, make, model and title status, then where it's parked and what's still inside. We make an offer, pick it up and pay you at pickup.
Most people with an old work truck assume they’ll have to pay someone to haul it. You won’t.
What to tell us about a truck or van
- What it is. Year, make, model. For pickups, the cab and bed size if you know it (regular cab or crew cab, short bed or long bed). For vans, cargo or passenger, and roof height.
- What’s in it. Bed full of scrap? Shelving and ladders in the van? Say so. We’d rather hear it now than find it at the curb.
- Whether it runs and rolls. Same questions as any non-running car. Dead trucks are heavy, so “rolls in neutral” matters more.
- Where it’s parked. A long-wheelbase van in a narrow alley, or a pickup backed onto a side yard, needs a plan. Give the cross streets and say what’s around it.
- Paperwork. Title if you have it. If not, tell us which papers you’ve got, like a bill of sale, the registration or an insurance card. Illinois rules set which of them a scrap sale can use, and we’ll tell you where you stand on the call.
Empty the bed, the cab and the cargo area first
Everything left in the vehicle leaves with it. That includes things people forget: tools under the seat, a ladder rack, a hitch-mounted bike rack, the garage opener clipped to the visor, a toll transponder on the windshield, the paperwork in the door pocket. The full checklist is in what to take out before it’s junked.
Two things specific to work vehicles:
- Business plates and decals. If the truck or van carries your company name or number, peel the lettering off if you don’t want it on the road without you. Pull any plates you’re keeping.
- Fixed equipment. Shelving, racks and bolted toolboxes can stay if you don’t want them. If you do want them, take them off before pickup day.
Weight and access
Trucks and vans are heavier than cars, and a dead one doesn’t want to move. That’s our problem, not yours, but it’s why the questions about access matter. A van parked nose-first into a tight garage, or a pickup sitting on soft ground in a backyard, can need more room than you’d guess. An honest answer about what’s blocking it saves everyone a second trip. Read the truck we send and how it loads for how street, alley and garage pickups go.
At pickup
The driver checks the vehicle against what you described, you show your paperwork, it goes on the truck and you’re paid. Towing is free. Same-day pickup is often possible.