How many cubic yards are in a dump truck? There are many types of loose materials that are sold in cubic yards, or “yards,” for short. Among the products that are frequently sold using this volumetric measurement are topsoil, mulch, and gravel.
The width, length, and height of the dump body determine how many cubic yards fit inside a dump truck. The more material it can carry depends on how long the bed is and how high the walls are. Since dump trucks are constrained in their width when traveling on roads, width is less of a problem.
On most roads, a vehicle’s width is limited to 96 inches, or 8 feet. However, the majority of dump trucks are about 90 inches wide, or 7 1/2 feet, giving them some extra room.
Please read on.
Table of Contents
What is a Cubic Yard?
“Cubic yards” or a “yard” of material fills a cube that’s 3 foot wide x 3 foot long x 3 foot high. A dump truck’s carrying capacity is measured in cubic yards as well as in pounds and tons.
Sand, dirt, gravel, or crushed stone can typically be transported in dump trucks in quantities of 7 to 19 cubic yards. However, they have a weight restriction, which is typically 30,000 lbs or 15 tons. Dump trucks come in various sizes and carrying capacities. However, the typical full-size, tri-axle dump truck you see on the road can only transport about 15 tons.
27 cubic feet make up a cubic yard. The cubic feet of a truck bed are calculated by measuring the bed’s length, width, and height, then multiplying those measurements. To convert cubic feet to cubic yards, divide the former by 27.
Depending on the substance, a cubic yard can weigh more or less. Gravel and crushed limestone can weigh as much as 3,000 lbs per cubic yard, compared to the approximately 2,100 pounds of dry dirt.
The storage capacity of the truck bed, the truck’s weight capacity, and the weight of the material you’re hauling must all be taken into account when determining how many yards a dump truck can carry.
How Many Cubic Yards Are in a Dump Truck?
A dump truck’s cubic yard capacity is determined by the size of the dump body. The truck’s cubic feet or storage capacity is determined by multiplying the dump body’s dimensions of width, length, and height. To get cubic yards, divide that number by 27.
The average full size dump tuck has a dump bed that is 7 1/2 feet wide, 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 feet tall, and 10 ′ – 18′ long. They now have a capacity of between 7 and 19 cubic yards.
Small dump trucks, which are merely full-size pickup trucks with a dump body attached, have a capacity of about 3–4 yards. Although their beds are smaller, shorter, and lower than those of actual dump trucks, they can still haul two to three times as much material and weight as a typical full-size pickup.
A dump truck will bring the large quantities of gravel, sand, mulch, topsoil, fill dirt, or other loose materials that you require.
You must compute volume before placing a loose material order. Not by weight but by the yard, most materials are ordered. Simply multiply the area’s width, length, and depth to determine its volume. You will then be provided with the area’s cubic feet. To get cubic yards, divide the number by 27. For every project, I advise adding an extra 10% of material.
You can calculate how many dump truck deliveries it will take to deliver the required amount of material once you know the volume. Since most suppliers charge a flat delivery fee per truck load, knowing this is crucial. So whenever possible, it’s best to order fully loaded trucks.
How to Figure Out a Dump Truck’s Cubic Yard Capacity?
Most full size dump trucks have a capacity of between 10 and 19 cubic yards. The owner’s manual for a truck usually contains a capacity list.
Smaller dump trucks are essentially full-size pickup truck frames with dump bodies attached. They can hold about 2-3 tons more than a regular pickup but much less than a full-size dump truck. Most small dump trucks can carry about 1 1/2 – 3 cubic yards.
Don’t worry if you can’t find your dump truck’s cubic yardage capacity in the owner’s manual; you can easily calculate it with a tape measure and some simple math.
- Width: Calculate the truck bed’s interior width.
- Length:The truck bed’s interior length should be determined.
- Height: The truck bed’s height should be measured from the floor to the top of the walls.
- Multiply:You should now have three measurements that represent the truck bed’s interior dimensions. Decimalize them and convert to feet. For instance, change 90 inches of width to 7.5 feet. Use the formula width x length x height to multiply the numbers together. The quantity you receive represents the cubic foot capacity of the truck.
- Convert:One cubic yard has a volume of 27 cubic feet. In order to calculate the truck’s capacity in cubic yards, divide the number of cubic feet you determined in the previous section by 27.
Any size storage area, including truck beds, dumpsters, and dump trucks, can be used with this technique.
Remember that weight restrictions for trucks are in addition to those regarding space restrictions. Just because a truck can fit the amount of cubic yardage you require doesn’t mean it can support the weight. Full-size dump trucks typically don’t have this problem, but smaller dump trucks and pickups with dump bodies sometimes do.
How Many Yards of Gravel in a Dump Truck?
Approximately 2,800 lbs. of dry gravel weighs per yard, and this number can go as high as 3,000 lbs. A full-size dump truck has a capacity of 7–19 cubic yards. However, they typically have a weight restriction of 15 tons or 30,000 lbs. The truck cannot be fully loaded with gravel due to its weight restriction. A full size dump truck with a 15 ton (30,000 lb) limit can carry about 10 1/5 yards of dry gravel but only 10 yards of wet gravel.
It’s critical to keep in mind that when loading a dump truck, you must take into account both the truck’s weight limit and maximum capacity. You run the risk of exceeding the truck’s weight limit if you fully load it with something heavy like gravel.
How Many Yards of Crushed Stone in a Dump Truck?
A yard of crushed stone, such as limestone, weighs about 2,800 lbs dry and as much as 3,000 lbs wet. 7–19 cubic yards of material can be transported by a full-size dump truck. But their typical weight limit is 15 tons or about 30,000 lbs. The truck cannot be fully loaded with stone due to its weight capacity. A full-size dump truck with a 15 ton (30,000 lb) weight limit can carry about 10 1/2 yards of dry sand but only about 9 yards of wet sand.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that when loading a dump truck, the weight limit and the truck’s maximum capacity must both be taken into account. You run the risk of exceeding the truck’s weight capacity if you fully load it with something heavy like sand.
How Many Yards in a 20 Ton Dump Truck?
The weight of the material and the size of the dump body determine how many yards of material a 20 ton dump truck can transport. It’s simple to calculate how many yards of material a dump truck can carry based on its weight. Just multiply the truck’s weight limit by the material’s weight per yard to get the answer.
Here are a few examples with different materials:
- When carrying dry sand, which weighs roughly 2,600 lbs per yard and requires a 20-ton dump truck, divide 40,000 by 2,600 to get 15.38 yards.
- Let’s say the truck is transporting wet mulch, which weighs 800 lbs per yard. 40,000 / 800 = 50 yards. In this instance, the truck can be fully loaded because dump trucks can only hold 19 yards of material.
- Each yard of dry, crushed limestone weighs 2,800 lbs. 40,000 / 2,800 = 14.28 cubic yards of crushed limestone.
There is a weight restriction on dump trucks as well as a cubic yard capacity. The weight of the material will determine how many yards your dump truck can hold.
How Many Yards in a 10 Ton Dump Truck?
Depending on the weight of the material and the size of the dump body, a 10 ton dump truck has a carrying capacity of a certain number of yards. Calculating the number of yards of material a dump truck can carry based on weight is simple. Just multiply the truck’s weight limit by the material’s weight per yard to get the answer.
Here are a few examples with different materials:
- Divide 20,000 by 2,600 to get 7.69 yards of dry sand, which weighs about 2,600 lbs per yard, to fit in a 10 ton dump truck.
- Let’s say the truck is transporting 800 lbs. of wet mulch per yard. 20,000 / 800 = 25 yards. Since a full-size dump truck can only hold 7 to 19 cubic yards, the truck can be fully loaded in this scenario.
- A yard of dry, crushed limestone weighs 2,800 lbs. 20,000 / 2,800 = 7.14 cubic yards of crushed limestone.
Dump trucks have a weight cap as well as a cubic yard capacity. The weight of the material will determine how many yards of that material your dump truck is capable of transporting.
How Many Yards in a 1 Ton Dump Truck?
Depending on the weight of the material and the size of the dump body, a one-ton dump truck can haul as many yards of material as it can support. Calculating the number of yards of material a dump truck can carry based on weight is simple. Simply divide the truck’s weight capacity by the material’s weight per yard.
Here are a few examples with different materials:
- Dry sand typically weighs 2,600 lbs per yard, so a dump truck that weighs one ton (2,000 lbs) would have.76 yards of sand in it. About 3/4 of a yard is that.
- Let’s now assume that the truck is transporting wet mulch, which weighs 800 lbs per yard. 2,000 / 800 = 2.5 yards.
- Each yard of dry, crushed limestone weighs 2,800 lbs. 2,000 / 2,800 = .71 cubic yards of crushed limestone.
There is a weight restriction on dump trucks as well as a cubic yard capacity. The weight of the material will determine how many yards of that material your dump truck is capable of transporting.
How Many Cubic Yards in a Tri Axle Dump Truck?
How many cubic yards can a tri axle dump truck hold? Due to the fact that tri axle dump trucks are typically bigger, they can typically carry 10 to 19 cubic yards of loose materials. Having two sets of wheels in the back to help carry the load makes a tri-axle vehicle easy to identify. 14 cubic yards of stone, 17 cubic yards of topsoil, 16 cubic yards of dirt, 19 cubic yards of mulch, or 17 cubic yards of gravel can all be accommodated by a tri axle dump truck.
The cubic yard of the dump body, which is typically between 10 and 19 cubic yards, limits the amount of weight that a tri axle dump truck can carry.
How Much Can a Dump Truck Carry?
A cubic yard measures volume rather than weight. 3 feet wide by 3 feet long by 3 feet high is the size of a cube that holds one cubic yard of material. The majority of loose material is sold by the yard, including sand, mulch, gravel, topsoil, clean fill, and stone.
The maximum number of yards that a dump truck can hold will vary from one to the next. Small dump body pickups hold about 1.5 to 3 yards while full-size dump trucks can hold between 7 and 19 cubic yards.
Dump trucks have a weight limit in addition to their capacity for storage. Large dump trucks, for instance, have a hauling capacity of about 15 tons or 30,000 pounds.
Loading a truck involves more than just considering how many cubic yards it can hold. Additionally, keep in mind the weight restrictions of the truck as well as the material you are loading.
The chassis and suspension of a truck play a major role in its weight rating. However, it also needs an engine and transmission strong enough to carry all that weight. Additionally, they require brakes strong enough to stop a truck that is completely loaded. This distinguishes a HD (Heavy Duty) pickup from a regular pickup.
You must weigh the weight of the material you’re loading, the weight of the truck, and the maximum number of yards a truck can hold when loading one.
Consider filling a dump truck with sand that has a 15-yard capacity and a 30,000-pound weight limit. Sand can weigh up to 3,000 lbs per yard. 45,000 is more than the truck’s weight capacity. Therefore, your carrying capacity is only about 10 yards.
Let’s imagine that the material you are transporting weighs only 400 lbs per yard of dry mulch. That’s only 6,000 lbs, which is well under the truck’s weight capacity. The truck’s 15 yard maximum can be used in this situation.
What is the Dump Truck Weight Rating?
You need to keep other information in mind for your construction project in addition to the dump truck’s cubic yard capacity. Most dump trucks also have a weight limit that they are not allowed to go over.
As a result, knowing the dump truck weight rating is another crucial factor in figuring out how many dump trucks you’ll need for a particular project.
The material’s weight as well as the size and strength of the suspension system on the dump truck are just a few of the many variables that greatly affect the weight rating. Larger dump trucks, for instance, have a one-trip capacity of 30,000 pounds (15 tons). Smaller dump trucks, on the other hand, might not be able to hold more material than one ton.
Every material has a different overall weight, as we have previously explained in great detail. As a result, the situation for each material’s one cubic yard of storage will vary. Because of this, a truck might not be able to hold more than ten cubic yards of sand at once, for instance, if there are approximately 3000 pounds in every cubic yard of sand.
Mulch is one of those materials that may vary in the amount of moisture present, so dealing with it could be difficult. Because of this, you must take into account that wet mulch could weigh up to 1500 pounds while dry mulch might only weigh about 700 pounds when determining the weight rating and the cubic yard capacity for mulch.
Can I Haul Material in My Truck?
Some individuals may choose to transport their construction supplies in their trucks as a short-cut. To avoid dealing with safety-related issues, some calculations are needed before making this choice.
For instance, even if your truck has a two cubic yard carrying capacity, you must take your suspension system and the holding capacity of your vehicle into account before transporting the material. Also, pay attention to how your car behaves because it will behave differently when you’re hauling at its maximum capacity than when you’re not.
By using your truck to transport construction materials from one place to another, you can save a lot of money, but you should think about the consequences and how much strain you’re putting on the suspension system of your car.
Summary
10 to 16 cubic yards of material can fit inside larger dump trucks. But the limiting factor isn’t typically the total volume. How much material you can ultimately transport safely will typically depend on the weight limit of the vehicle.
