How Many Yards Of Concrete Are In A Truck

Concrete trucks come in a variety of sizes and designs, holding varying amounts of concrete. There’s an average of 8-10 yards of concrete in a truck. But large trucks can hold upwards of 14 cubic yards, while mini-trucks carry around 4 yards. They’re basically a diesel truck with a huge cement mixer in the back that spins to keep the concrete from getting hard. Most concrete trucks also carry water tanks so they can wet the concrete or clean up after the pour. Once on site, the truck has shoots that can pour concrete to specific areas of the job. Some trucks offload concrete from the front and some from the back.

Concrete trucks are stationary, so they need concrete pumps, a hopper, and hoses to move concrete around a jobsite. Keeping concrete in constant motion prevents it from drying out too quickly, potentially causing cracks. These cracks should then be filled with a concrete crack filler to keep them from getting worse.

An average size 8-10 yard concrete truck weighs 20,000 to 30,000 pounds (9,070 to 13,600 kg), and can carry roughly 40,000 pounds (18,100 kg) of concrete.

My local concrete company charges $150 for delivery and $75 per hour past the first hour. They also charge an additional flat fee of $75 for small loads which are called “short loads”. Small loads cost more because the truck costs more per hour/mile to operate.

I’ve been a mason for over 25 years and can tell you firsthand that the average 8-10 yard concrete truck is best for residential work like pouring a driveway or a patio, but large 14 yard concrete trucks are better for commercial or industrial work that may require 1,000+ yards of concrete. Mini trucks are only good for small jobs or when streets are tight.

Concrete Trucks Come In Different Sizes

The average size concrete truck holds 8-10 cubic yards of concrete. But there are larger and smaller size concrete trucks. An 8-10 cubic yard truck is the right size for residential work like patios, foundations, driveways or steps.

Larger concrete trucks can carry upwards of 14 yards of concrete. These trucks are usually found on large scale commercial or industrial projects that need to pour a lot of concrete fast.

In many cases, such as bridges, damns and large foundations, the concrete pour needs to be done all at once before the concrete can set up. A single footing can easily contain over 100 yards of concrete. I’ve been on commercial jobs that poured over 100,000 yards of concrete. Bigger trucks are better for this scale work because you don’t need as many of them. The less trucks you bring in, the less chance there is for mistakes or mechanical issues.

As a construction manager, an important part of the job is managing the concrete deliveries and pours. All large scale construction projects require lots of concrete so builders prefer the large trucks.

Mini concrete trucks hold around 4 yards of concrete. These are great for cities where streets and properties can be tight. Larger concrete trucks are really heavy and terrible on gas, so you can save money using a mini truck for small deliveries. These trucks are great if you’re pouring a set of concrete steps or setting fence posts. The trucks are more maneuverable and easier to drive.

How Much Do Concrete Trucks Weigh

An average size concrete truck that holds 8-10 yards of concrete weighs around 18,000-25,000 pounds without any concrete in it.

Mini concrete trucks weigh around 14,000-16,000 pounds empty while large concrete trucks can weight over 25,000 pounds.

Concrete trucks can also tow additional equipment like shoots and pumps. This can easily add an additional 2,000-4,000 pounds.

Most concrete trucks also include water tanks for wetting the concrete and cleaning up. A full 200 gallon water supply weighs an additional 1,600 pounds.

A fully loaded concrete truck can easily weigh over 50,000 pounds.

How Much Concrete Do Trucks Carry?

A typical concrete truck carries between 8-10 yards of concrete. Small trucks carry around 4 yards and larger trucks around 14 yards.

It takes 45 x 80lb. bags of Quikrete concrete mix to equal a yard of concrete. So a fully loaded truck with 10 yards has the equivalent of 450 x 80lb. bags of concrete.

42 bags of 80lb. concrete fit on a pallet which is a little less than a yard. So a full concrete truck holding 10 yards has over 10 1/2 full pallets of 80lb. concrete.

A cubic yard of concrete weighs 4050 lbs. So 10 yards of concrete x 4050 lbs. equals 40,500 lbs.

Add that to a concrete truck that weighs 20,000 lbs. plus water and additional equipment and you’ve got a 60,000+ pound fully loaded concrete truck.

A ton is 2,000 pounds. So these trucks can weigh upwards of 30 tons when fully loaded. That’s over the legal limit of many small roads and bridges. And possibly damaging to your driveway or yard. I’ve seen plenty of concrete trucks crack a driveway or collapse a septic tank. Be careful when you order a concrete truck. Make sure the driver positions the truck away from underground tanks and off weak concrete. If possible, pour the concrete from the road or use a pump truck to shoot it in place.

When you break down just how much concrete a single fully loaded truck is carrying it’s very impressive.

Ordering Concrete Trucks

When your planning a concrete job it’s important to understand how much concrete each truck holds and how to order the trucks.

Most concrete suppliers will charge a flat delivery fee, my local company charges $150 per order. The also charge $75 per hour the truck is on site past the first hour and an additional $75 for small deliveries called “short loads”.

Let’s say you need 13 yards of concrete to pour a patio or driveway. How many trucks of concrete would you order? If you ordered a 10 yard and 3 yard delivery, you’d probably get hit with a time fee because 10 yards of concrete can take over an hour to pour. And you’d get hot with the small delivery fee. That’s a very inefficient way to order concrete for small jobs.

What I would do is order a 7 yard and a 6 yard truck. Break the concrete job into a morning and afternoon pour. 6-7 yards of concrete can be poured within the hour so you don’t get hit with additional time charges and you stay under the small delivery fee.

Breaking up a job into two pours saves money and gives you more time to work. It’s also better for the concrete because there’s less chance it’ll dry out in the truck. I don’t like it when they add water into the concrete to keep it wet because that weakens the mix.

Large Concrete Jobs

Ordering concrete trucks for large scale commercial jobs is different than residential work. I’ve been on jobs where we poured 10 yards in 5 minutes and poured 1,000 yards in a day. It all depends on the crew you have. Their experience and how many workers you have makes a big difference.

Large concrete jobs usually requires a lot of concrete trucks coming in one after the other. It takes tight coordination because the concrete starts setting up as you pour it. This is even worse in especially hot or cold weather.

For larger jobs I recommend bringing in more experienced help and ordering full trucks as large as you can get them.

Concrete Truck Gallery

Here’s a small gallery of concrete truck that can hold between 4 and 14 cubic yards of concrete along with some pics of the mechanical systems, cab and hardware.

Mini concrete truck holding around 4 yards of concrete. These are great for small jobs or maneuvering into tight spaces.

Concrete trucks this size can hold 8-10 yards of concrete.

Standard 8-10 cubic yard concrete truck manufactured by Mack.

8-10 Cubic yard concrete truck weighing approximately 25,000 pound made by Mack.

Powerstar concrete mixing truck with an 8-10 yard capacity.

Front pouring concrete truck with an 8-10 yard capacity.

Front pouring concrete truck with a standard 8-10 yard capacity weighing approximately 24,000 pounds empty. 200+ Gallon water supply.

Rear pouring 8-10 yard capacity concrete truck made by Mack.

Front pouring concrete truck with an 8-10 yard capacity still dirty from the previous pour.

Closeup pic of the mechanical hydraulic system that turns the truck’s concrete mixer.

Closeup pic of a concrete truck’s heavy duty frame

Brand new concrete truck with an 8-10 yard capacity weighing over 22,000 pounds empty.

Rear right side view of a new concrete truck.

Rear left side view of a new concrete truck.

Cab view of a new concrete truck.

Concrete truck electronic and hydraulic controls. Mixing and pouring the concrete can be controlled from this single location.

Summary: How Many Yards Of Concrete Are In A Truck

Concrete trucks come in a variety of sizes and designs, holding varying amounts of concrete. There’s an average of 8-10 yards of concrete in a truck. But large trucks can hold upwards of 14 cubic yards, while mini-trucks carry around 4 yards. They’re basically a diesel truck with a huge cement mixer in the back that spins to keep the concrete from getting hard. Most concrete trucks also carry water tanks so they can wet the concrete or clean up after the pour. Once on site, the truck has shoots that can pour concrete to specific areas of the job. Some trucks offload concrete from the front and some from the back.

Concrete trucks are stationary, so they need concrete pumps, a hopper, and hoses to move concrete around a jobsite.

An average size 8-10 yard concrete truck weighs 20,000 to 30,000 pounds (9,070 to 13,600 kg), and can carry roughly 40,000 pounds (18,100 kg) of concrete.

My local concrete company charges $150 for delivery and $75 per hour past the first hour. They also charge an additional flat fee of $75 for small loads which are called “short loads”. Small loads cost more because the truck costs more per hour/mile to operate.

I’ve been a mason for over 25 years and can tell you firsthand that the average 8-10 yard concrete truck is best for residential work like pouring a driveway or a patio, but large 14 yard concrete trucks are better for commercial or industrial work that may require 1,000+ yards of concrete. Mini trucks are only good for small jobs or when streets are tight.

If you have any questions email or leave a comment below.