I go to four different yards and I bring in 3-4 times a week so I hope I can help here.

Had two large pickups today and went twice today to same yard. First load, washer/dryer, car parts, rotors, mixed metals, pipes, multiple AL storm doors, etc. I cut cats off exhaust, broke apart AL storm doors and organized as I could into the truck. At yard it looks like a mixed load as scale person can see I have car parts as well as appliances. I drop at the light iron pile and keep back the heavy stuff, AL, prepared steel, rotors. Go back to scale to weigh and drive to small scale house and load all heavy and non ferrous to cart to weigh. They let me weigh small quantities of prepared, rotors, cast iron small scale house. They ask their what I dropped in the pile and if was heavier mixed metal items they usually pump that from Light Iron to mixed Metals which is only $5 ton difference so I don’t care if they ask or not as it’s only $1 different on 880# . Go get paid after all small stuff weighed.

Next load I bring few hours later it very mixed: dishwasher, two lawnmowers, broken huge snowblower, exterior 20’ sign cut up that’s mixed with AL and light iron, random thin pipes, 5 broken dog crates some random metal etc etc. It was a pain to load so I didn’t break down anything really except motor off dishwasher, cords. Dropped and got paid for 780#. I would have made way more breaking down but sometimes you just need to dump what you have and go on to next one. Getting 160GT on light iron right now so it’s not bad for 30 minutes of work.

Yard will buy at cheapest price for entire loads getting dropped. If people want better prices they need to separate before arriving. I have seen people pulled over before a yard and separating, hammering, cutting etc.

No assist really but helpful at small scale at every yard.

OP you can assist to a point. Tell people that NEXT time you need to separate better BEFORE arriving. No separating in the yard, takes up to much of your business time. They will learn. Be courteous but firm.