Frequently asked questions
The questions we hear most, answered in a few sentences each, with a link to the page that goes deeper. Every answer here is also on the page it links to.
Getting started
How do I get a quote?
Tell us roughly what you have (counts, media types, whether any are solid-state), the standard you are held to, and where you are. You get one number in writing, and it does not change on the day. More.
How soon can you come?
In our next-day metros, usually the next business day; Mansfield is same-day. Extended-range metros are scheduled with additional planning. More.
Is there a minimum?
Not in our next-day metros. Extended-range visits carry a higher minimum because of the travel. By mail the minimum order is $59. More.
Do you serve places not on your list?
Yes. The truck goes anywhere in the lower 48, quoted individually. More.
Are you on a GSA schedule or a state contract?
Not yet; we sell open-market, through SDVOSB set-asides, and on purchase cards, and most single-site jobs fall under the micro-purchase threshold. We are open to a schedule or cooperative contract for the right opportunity. More.
On-site destruction
Can our staff watch?
Yes, and we encourage it. Witnessed destruction is the point of bringing the truck to you. More.
What do you destroy on-site?
Hard drives, SSDs and flash, tapes and discs, phones, tablets, circuit boards, whole laptops, and the storage inside servers, copiers, and imaging equipment. More.
Why degauss and shred?
For classified magnetic media the NSA requires both; for everything else shredding meets NIST Destroy and we degauss first because the belt is already running. More.
Can you destroy classified or SAP material?
Yes, on NSA-listed equipment at your facility, under the supervision of your cleared personnel, with your briefed personnel handling and witnessing SAP material. We do not hold an FCL; the material stays in your custody throughout. More.
Do you shred paper?
No. We concentrate on electronic media and can refer you to a paper partner we trust. More.
Preparing for our visit
What do you need from us on the day?
A place to park the truck near a dock or door, someone to bring the media out or walk us to it, and one person authorized to witness and sign. The truck carries its own generator, so no power hookup is needed. More.
Who should be present?
Whoever your policy says must witness destruction: usually an IT lead, a records or compliance officer, or for classified work your security officer and cleared staff. One person is enough; more are welcome. More.
Do we need to pull the drives first?
No. We pull drives from chassis, racks, copiers, and imaging equipment with your staff, and we log devices that turn out to hold no media as inspected. More.
Should we inventory ahead of time?
It helps. An export of asset tags and, if you have them, serial numbers lets the certificate match your records line for line. If you cannot, we capture serials as we go. More.
How long will you be on site?
Up to 600 drives an hour through the shredder and about 4,000 a day per trailer; a closet is an hour, a floor is a day, and we tell you the plan with the quote. More.
Shred by Mail
What can I send?
Hard drives, SSDs, flash media, tapes and discs, phones, tablets, network cards, motherboards, whole laptops, and electronics for recycling. Not paper, and never classified media. More.
What can't I ship?
Swollen, damaged, or loose lithium batteries, any loose batteries, anything burned or wet, liquids and aerosols, mercury devices, CRTs, and classified media. More.
How much is shipping?
Boxes under 10 lb ship on us with a prepaid UPS label. Heavier boxes are $28 under 25 lb and $45 under 50 lb, or use your own carrier. More.
Can I ship CUI?
Yes. CUI is unclassified and may travel by tracked carrier under 32 CFR 2002. Use tamper-evident packaging. More.
How long until I get the certificate?
Within five business days of arrival. More.
Standards and compliance
What is the difference between wiping and destroying?
Wiping is not a technical term. NIST 800-88 defines Clear, Purge, and Destroy; Purge techniques are media-specific and must be verified per device. Destruction produces its own evidence. More.
Is 2 mm required for SSDs?
By NSA/CSS 9-12 for classified media, yes. We recommend it for CUI, PHI, and anything a regulator cares about. More.
Can HAMR drives be degaussed?
No. The NSA's February 2026 manual allows only incineration for classified HAMR drives. Unclassified HAMR drives shred normally under NIST 800-88. More.
Which standard applies to me?
It depends on your data: NSA 9-12 for classified, DoDM 5205.07 for SAP, NIST 800-171 and CMMC for CUI, HIPAA, CJIS, GLBA, IRS 1075, or FERPA. The Standards page walks through each. More.
Do you hold a facility clearance (FCL)?
No, not yet; we intend to obtain one. Classified destruction happens at your cleared facility with the material in your custody, under the continuous observation of your cleared personnel, who witness and sign. Our technicians are U.S. citizens with background checks, and many hold individual clearances through Guard or Reserve service, but those are theirs, not the company’s. Your FSO confirms the arrangement before we come. More.
Will you sign the CJIS Security Addendum?
Yes, if your agency requires it, and our technicians will submit to fingerprint-based checks as your policy directs. Our normal process does not require access to CJI: the media stays in your custody and is destroyed under your authorized personnel's supervision. More.
The certificate
What is on the Certificate of Destruction?
A signed letter naming the client, date, and standard, plus a media log with one row per item: asset tag, serial, make, media type, equipment, two technicians, date, seals, customer approval, sensitivity, and recycling partner. More.
Is every serial number recorded?
Yes, including devices that held no media, which are logged as “none found” to prove the chassis was inspected. More.
How long do you keep your copy?
At least the three-year audit period on the letter, longer on request. More.
Pricing
How much does hard drive shredding cost?
On-site: a custom quote from item count, media mix, standard, and distance, with per-item rates that fall at volume. By mail: hard drives $8, 2.5-inch SSDs $8 or $12 at 2 mm, M.2 cards $12, tapes 50 cents, $59 minimum. More.
Why does an SSD cost more?
The 2 mm disintegrator is slower and harder on the machine than the shredder. More.
Do you charge for travel?
Travel is part of the quote you approve, not a line item afterward. More.
Isn't free recycling cheaper?
It is free because your hardware is the product. Free recyclers resell what you hand over, whole, and the wipe is the step they can least afford. More.
Resale and recycling
Do you resell our computers?
Never whole. Every computer, phone, and tablet is disassembled, its storage destroyed, its boards smelted, and only parts with no data path are resold, and only if your agreement allows it. More.
Where do the pieces go?
Metal to scrap, boards and particles to a domestic smelter, working parts back into service, all through R2-certified partners with every effort to minimize exports. More.
Can I opt out of resale entirely?
Yes. Tell us at quote time and everything goes to recycling. More.
Equipment and the company
What machines are on the truck?
A Data Security LM-1 degausser from Nebraska, a GigaBiter GB12 disintegrator (GB16 in the semi) and an Allegheny 5HD3 shredder from Pennsylvania. The degausser and disintegrator are on the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products Lists. More.
Are you veteran-owned?
Yes, a certified service-disabled veteran-owned small business, UEI SKVZDQ3WXKM3, CAGE 9P0F2. More.
Who operates the machines?
U.S. citizens who have passed a criminal background check, trained on the equipment and standards, two per job. Many are Guard or Reserve members with individual clearances. More.
What is your CMMC status?
We have completed the CMMC Level 1 self-assessment and affirmed it in SPRS, covering the fifteen basic safeguarding requirements for federal contract information. Level 1 is a self-assessment under the CMMC rule, not a third-party certificate, and we describe it that way. Our destruction of your CUI media is documented to NIST 800-171 requirement 3.8.3 for your own assessment. More.
Are you insured?
Yes: general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, pollution liability of $1 million, technology professional liability of $1 million, cyber and privacy liability of $1 million including incident response, and commercial auto liability of $1 million plus hired and non-owned coverage. Certificates naming your organization are available before a job. More.
Do you buy American?
American-made equipment first, allied nations next, nothing from hostile countries. More.
Do you have reviews?
Twelve five-star Google reviews as of September 2026, quoted on the Reviews page with links to the originals. More.
Are you an equal opportunity employer?
Yes. Qualified applicants receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or protected veteran status; veterans and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Every position requires U.S. citizenship and a criminal background check. More.
Are you NAID AAA certified?
No. NAID AAA was built around paper shredding and off-site destruction plants. We destroy electronic media on your site, in front of you, on NSA-listed equipment, with a serial-level certificate, and we answer any questionnaire a NAID requirement stands behind. More.