The Junkyard is the closest thing Rust has to a scrap machine. It is a fenced roadside scrapyard full of stacked wrecks, rusty trailers and a raised walkway, and in the middle sits a yellow magnet crane next to a car shredder. Fuel the crane, lift a wreck, drop it on the blades and it comes out as scrap. There is no radiation, no scientists and no keycard puzzle, so it is one of the friendliest monuments on the map for a fresh spawn.
This Junkyard Rust guide covers how to use the crane, what every vehicle is worth in the shredder, all 23 crates and 10 barrels, where the free green keycard spawns, the new powered loot room, what the yard has (recycler, car lift, motorbikes), what to bring and the best loot route.
- What It Is
- Crane
- Shredder
- Loot
- Green Card & Loot Room
- Recycler & Car Lift
- What to Bring
- Loot Route
- FAQ
What Is the Junkyard in Rust?
The Junkyard is a scrapyard monument that spawns next to the road network on procedural maps. Facepunch rebuilt it in the May 2021 World Revamp update, which is when the magnet crane and the shredder were added. Rustafied’s write up of that update, HDRP Art and Car Scrapping, shows the first version of the system.
Today it is a walled yard of stacked car wrecks and shipping containers, a long raised walkway with trailers on top, a few cabins and the crane and shredder in the middle. RustHelp rates it a small, tier 1/2 monument. In practice it is a day one stop: safe to walk into naked, quick to loot, and the only place in the game where you can turn whole vehicles into scrap. For how it fits with every other landmark, see our Rust monuments guide.
| Stat | Junkyard |
|---|---|
| Size and tier | Small, tier 1/2 |
| Radiation | None |
| Scientists | None |
| Safe zone | No, full PvP |
| Puzzle | None at the monument |
| Crates | 23 (10 normal, 10 normal or military, 3 in the loot room) |
| Barrel spots | 10 (yellow, blue or diesel) |
| Recyclers | 1 |
| Car lift | 1 public modular car lift |
| Green keycard | 1 free spawn |
| Tunnel entrance / Chinook drop zone | No / No |
| No build area | About 90,800 square metres |
Is there a Junkyard puzzle? No. People search for one a lot, but there is no fuse box or card reader at the Junkyard. The green card sits out for anyone to take, the crane only needs fuel, and the one locked room is opened from the Power Plant, not at the Junkyard itself.
How to Use the Junkyard Crane
The magnet crane is a tracked crane that waits in the yard for fuel. It is the part of the monument that confuses most new players, so here is exactly how it works.
- Fuel it. Put low grade fuel in the tank beside the cab door. The crane burns 1,200 an hour (20 a minute) and the tank holds 500, which is about 25 minutes.
- Climb in with E.
- Swing the boom with W A S D. On their own these raise, lower and turn the cab.
- Drive by holding Shift with W A S D. Most players who say the crane “doesn’t move” are missing the Shift key.
- Grab and drop with R, which turns the electromagnet on and off.
The Junkyard Shredder: Scrap per Vehicle
The shredder is a pit of spinning blades in the middle of the yard. Anything the crane drops on it, from a rusty pickup to a whole helicopter, is ground into scrap. It also kills any player standing on the blades, so keep your feet off it.
| Vehicle | Shredder output |
|---|---|
| Attack Helicopter | 500 scrap |
| Scrap Transport Helicopter | 300 scrap |
| Minicopter | 200 scrap |
| Large (4 module) car chassis | 150 scrap |
| Medium (3 module) car chassis | 125 scrap |
| Small (2 module) car chassis | 75 scrap |
| Junk pickup truck | 50 scrap + 50 metal fragments |
| Snowmobile | 50 scrap |
| Motorbike / Motorbike with sidecar | 40 scrap |
| Trike | 30 scrap |
| Bicycle | 25 scrap |
Modules still attached to a car chassis add their own output on top: most give 50 to 87 metal fragments plus some wood, and the engine, taxi and armored modules add 1 or 2 high quality metal. Pull engine parts and empty any storage modules first so you keep them. Our Rust cars guide explains chassis sizes and modules if you would rather build cars than shred them.
The figures above are RustHelp’s shredder data, last verified on 1 October 2026. Older guides list 125 scrap for both 3 and 4 module cars, which was true at launch in 2021 but not now.
Junkyard Rust Loot and Crates
Even without the shredder, the Junkyard is a solid loot stop. The crates are spread through the car stacks, the cabins and along the raised walkway, and they respawn every 15 to 20 minutes.
| Spawn | Count | What it can be | Respawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crate spots | 10 | Normal crate | 15 to 20 min |
| Crate spots (tier 2 and 3) | 10 | 50% normal, 50% military crate | 15 to 20 min |
| Powered loot room | 3 | 65% normal, 35% military crate | 15 to 20 min |
| Barrel spots | 10 | 45% yellow, 45% blue, 10% diesel | 15 to 20 min |
| Diesel fuel | 2 | Collectable diesel | No respawn listed |
| Green keycard | 1 | Free green card | No respawn listed |
| Junk pickup trucks | 8 | Shredder food | 10 to 20 min |
The barrels feed you gears, springs, pipes and other components for the recycler. Grab the diesel even if you have no use for it yet: it runs the Giant Excavator. If the crates are open when you arrive, someone beat you to it, so shred the trucks and move on.
The Junkyard Green Keycard and Loot Room
Where is the green card at the Junkyard?
One Green Keycard spawns at the Junkyard, in the office on the raised walkway near the crane and the recycler (some guides call it the bridge office). It is free and needs no puzzle. Take it with an electric fuse to the Satellite Dish, Harbor or Sewer Branch to earn a blue keycard, and the blue card then leads to a red keycard. The full ladder is in our monument puzzles guide.
If the desk is empty, someone took it first. A green card costs 15 scrap at Bandit Camp, which is quicker than waiting.
The powered loot room
The October 2026 Livestock update tied a set of monument loot rooms to the Power Plant grid that came with the August 2026 Power Trip update. The Junkyard room is the cheapest on the map:
- Someone puts 1 Heavy Fuse into the Power Plant, which brings the grid to Stage 1.
- At the Junkyard, flip the switch next to the powered door.
- Inside are 3 crates, each 65% normal and 35% military.
- The door re-locks every 30 minutes and closes as soon as the grid drops below Stage 1.
You do not have to insert the fuse yourself. On most servers somebody has the grid running, so check the door every time you pass.
Junkyard Recycler, Car Lift and Vehicles
For a small roadside site, the Junkyard is well equipped:
- 1 recycler up on the raised walkway. Recycle components and stripped car modules here before you head home.
- 1 public modular car lift, so you can swap modules or engine parts on a car you drove in. The Ferry Terminal and Oxum’s Gas Station are the other places with a public lift.
- 7 motorbike spawns. A free ride home with a full inventory, or 40 scrap in the shredder if you do not need it.
- The magnet crane and shredder, covered above.
- 2 hobo barrels to warm up on cold maps.
What it does not have: it is not a safe zone, there are no vending machines, no turrets and no NPCs. To sell scrap or buy a car, head to Outpost or Bandit Camp.
How Dangerous Is the Junkyard?
The monument itself is harmless. There is no radiation and no scientists, so you need no rad protection and nothing shoots at you unless a player does. A couple of guides list low radiation or scientists here, but RustHelp’s October 2026 data lists neither, and we have gone with that.
The danger is people. The car stacks and containers give campers endless cover, the walls funnel you through a few gaps, and the crane is loud. Fresh spawns run the Junkyard constantly in the first hours after a force wipe, and groups shredding vehicles draw attention. Check the stacks and the walkway before you commit, and do not sit in the cab longer than you need to.
What to Bring to the Junkyard
- 50 to 100 low grade fuel. At 20 a minute, 50 covers a few quick shreds and 100 covers a relaxed session while you learn the controls.
- A gun. No scientists, but plenty of players. A Semi-Automatic Rifle or a Revolver is enough early in a wipe.
- Bandages or a syringe for fights in the car stacks.
- A way home. Your own car, or one of the yard’s motorbikes.
- Any clothes. With no radiation, anything works, including nothing at all.
The Best Junkyard Loot Route
The Junkyard rewards a set route because the car stacks make it easy to lose track of which crates you have opened. This loop works on any map:
- Scout from the walkway. It overlooks the whole yard. Check the stacks and the road before you commit.
- Grab the green card and the walkway crates, then check the powered loot room door.
- Sweep the yard in one loop through the car stacks so you never cross the same open ground twice. Hit the barrels as you go.
- Shred. Fuel the crane and drop the junk pickup trucks, plus any spare vehicles you brought, on the blades.
- Recycle on the walkway. Turn components into scrap before you carry anything home.
- Leave fast on the road or a motorbike. Do not linger with a full inventory.
The monthly force wipe resets the Junkyard, its crates and the green card. See exactly how long you have left.
Force Wipe CountdownJunkyard Rust FAQ
Is there a puzzle at the Junkyard in Rust?
No. The Junkyard has no fuse box or card reader. The green keycard sits out for anyone to take and the crane only needs low grade fuel. The only locked room is the powered loot room, which opens once 1 Heavy Fuse is in the Power Plant.
How do you use the Junkyard crane in Rust?
Put low grade fuel in the tank beside the cab door and press E to climb in. W, A, S and D swing the boom and turn the cab, holding Shift with them drives the crane, and R turns the magnet on and off. Pick up a wreck, swing it over the shredder and press R again to drop it.
How much fuel does the Junkyard crane use?
The magnet crane burns 1,200 low grade fuel an hour, which is 20 a minute. Its tank holds 500, enough for about 25 minutes. Bring 50 for a few quick shreds or 100 if you are still learning.
How much scrap does the Junkyard shredder give?
An Attack Helicopter gives 500 scrap, a Scrap Transport Helicopter 300, a Minicopter 200, and car chassis give 150, 125 or 75 scrap for large, medium and small. A junk pickup truck gives 50 scrap and 50 metal fragments, a snowmobile 50 scrap and a motorbike 40.
Where is the green keycard at the Junkyard?
One green keycard spawns in the office on the raised walkway near the crane and recycler, sometimes called the bridge office. If it is gone, buy one at Bandit Camp for 15 scrap.
Is there a recycler at the Junkyard in Rust?
Yes, one green recycler up on the raised walkway. The Junkyard also has a public modular car lift, the magnet crane and the car shredder.
Does the Junkyard have radiation or scientists?
No to both. You can run it in any clothes. The only threat is other players hiding in the car stacks and on the walkway.
How many crates are at the Junkyard?
23 crates: 10 normal crates, 10 spots that are half normal and half military crates on tier 2 and 3 maps, and 3 crates in the powered loot room. There are also 10 barrel spots, 2 diesel fuel spawns and 8 junk pickup trucks to shred.
How do you open the Junkyard loot room?
Insert 1 Heavy Fuse at the Power Plant to bring the grid to Stage 1, then flip the switch next to the door at the Junkyard. The room has 3 crates, re-locks every 30 minutes and closes if the grid drops below Stage 1.
Is the Junkyard a safe zone?
No. It is a normal PvP monument with no turrets, vending machines or safe zone rules.
Sources and Further Reading
- RustHelp, Junkyard (spawns, loot room and counts, verified 1 October 2026)
- RustHelp, Junkyard Shredder (outputs per vehicle and module)
- Rust Clash, Magnet Crane (fuel, tank, health and respawn)
- EIP Gaming, Junkyard Monument (callouts and crane fuel)
- Rustafied, HDRP Art and Car Scrapping (the 2021 rework; in-game images)
- Facepunch, World Revamp (official Junkyard screenshots)
- Related: how to get scrap in Rust, every Rust vehicle, CCTV codes