# How many yards of concrete are in a truck?

A standard ready-mix truck holds about 8 to 10 cubic yards, but capacity is set by each supplier and no national standard exists. Legal weight limits often cap a load below the drum's rated volume. Order full loads where you can, because anything less usually carries a short load surcharge.

## Short version

- Plan on 8–10 cubic yards per truck, then confirm the number with your supplier.
- Concrete weighs roughly 4,000 lb per cubic yard, so weight, not drum volume, is often the real limit.
- Short loads carry a fee, commonly $40–60 for each yard below the minimum. Suppliers set it themselves.
- ASTM C94 is the specification that governs ready-mixed concrete, including limits on discharge time.
- Have the site, forms, crew, and washout area ready before the truck rolls in.

## How many cubic yards does a concrete truck actually hold?

Most ready-mix trucks in the United States carry 8 to 10 cubic yards on a normal delivery. There is no national standard fixing that number. Each producer specifies its own fleet capacity, minimum order, and delivery increments, so the only reliable figure is the one your local plant quotes you.

Drum capacity and legal payload are two different things. A drum may be rated higher than what the truck can lawfully haul on the road, and highway weight limits are set state by state. Producers routinely load below the drum rating to stay legal.

Smaller trucks exist for tight sites and short driveways, and some markets run volumetric mixers that batch on site and bill for what you actually use. Ask what equipment the plant runs before you assume a truck count.

## Why does the weight of concrete limit the load?

Concrete is heavy enough that weight, not volume, usually decides how much a truck can bring. Normal-weight concrete runs about 150 lb per cubic foot, which works out to roughly 4,000 lb, or two tons, per cubic yard.

Ten cubic yards is therefore about 40,000 lb of concrete sitting on top of a truck that already weighs a great deal empty. This is also why access matters: a loaded mixer can crack a residential driveway or sink into soft ground, and any damage from driving on your property is normally your responsibility, not the supplier's.

Ask the dispatcher what the truck weighs loaded and whether a smaller unit is available for a tight site. Where access is genuinely bad, the alternatives are pumping the concrete, running it in by wheelbarrow or buggy, or using a volumetric mixer that batches at the curb.

## What is a short load fee?

A short load fee is a surcharge applied when you order less than the plant's minimum, which is commonly a full truck. It is charged per cubic yard below that minimum, often in the range of $40 to $60 per yard short, and every supplier sets its own figure and its own minimum. Treat published ranges as market context, not as a quoted price.

The practical consequence is that a 3-yard order and a 6-yard order can cost close to the same. If you have a second small pour on the property, a walkway or a set of pads, doing both from one delivery is usually cheaper than two separate trips.

## How many trucks will your job need?

Divide your total cubic yards by the truck capacity your supplier quotes, then round up. Figure your yardage first using [the cubic yard formula](/questions/estimating-and-quantities/how-do-you-figure-concrete-in-yards/).

| Job | Size and thickness | Cubic yards | Trucks at 9 yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patio | 20 × 20 ft at 4 in | 4.9 | 1 (short load) |
| Garage slab | 24 × 24 ft at 4 in | 7.1 | 1 |
| Driveway | 40 × 20 ft at 5 in | 12.3 | 2 |
| Driveway | 50 × 24 ft at 6 in | 22.2 | 3 |

Yardages include no waste allowance. Add about 10 percent before ordering.

Rounding up matters more than it looks. A job that calculates to 9.2 yards against a 9-yard truck means two deliveries, and the second one is mostly short load fee. Adjusting the footprint slightly to land under a full truck can save real money, as long as the design thickness still suits the use.

For pours needing more than one truck, tell the dispatcher it is a continuous placement so loads arrive spaced to keep the concrete moving. Gaps between trucks are what create cold joints.

## How long can concrete stay in the truck?

Fresh concrete has a limited working window, and ASTM C94, the specification covering ready-mixed concrete, addresses limits on discharge time and mixing revolutions. The clock effectively starts when water meets cement, not when the truck arrives.

Hot weather shortens the window and cold weather lengthens it. Adding water on site to make stiff concrete easier to place raises the water-cement ratio and lowers strength, which is why any water addition is controlled and recorded rather than done casually with a garden hose.

The practical takeaway is to be ready before the truck shows up. Forms braced, subgrade damp and compacted, reinforcement set, tools laid out, and enough hands to place and finish the whole load.

## Common mistakes

- **Assuming a fixed truck size** — capacity varies by producer and by truck; confirm before you count deliveries.
- **Ordering exactly the calculated yardage** — with no waste allowance, a dip in the subgrade leaves you short mid-pour.
- **Booking two small deliveries instead of one** — you pay the short load fee twice for concrete that would have fit in a single truck.
- **Letting the truck drive across a finished slab or septic field** — 60,000-plus pounds cracks pavement and collapses tanks and lines.
- **Adding water at the site to buy working time** — extra water lowers strength and invites surface scaling.