How Many Yards of Concrete Are in a Truck?

How Many Yards of Concrete Are in a Truck?

A standard ready-mix concrete truck holds about 10 cubic yards when fully loaded, though most plants send trucks out at 8 to 9 yards to stay under weight limits on the road. Smaller trucks and mini-mixers carry less. So when you ask how many yards of concrete in a truck, the honest answer is that the drum can hold up to 10, but what shows up on your job is usually 8 to 9.

I have ordered a lot of ready-mix over the years, and the capacity number matters less than knowing when you are about to get hit with a short-load fee. That is where the money leaks. Below is what these trucks actually carry and how to order so you pay for concrete, not for a wasted trip.

Concrete truck capacity

The rotating drum on a full-size mixer is rated around 10 to 11 cubic yards, but a loaded drum plus the truck itself often pushes axle weight limits. To stay legal, most producers cap a standard load at 8 to 9 yards. Here is how the common truck types compare.

Truck type	Typical load	Best for
Standard rear/front discharge	8 to 10 yards	Driveways, slabs, foundations
Mini-mixer	3 to 5 yards	Tight access, small pours
Short-load truck	up to about 5 yards	Small jobs, on-site mixing

If your pour is bigger than one truck, the plant staggers deliveries so trucks arrive as the crew is ready. Use our ready-mix calculator to turn your dimensions into yards, then match that against truck capacity to see how many loads you need.

Ready mix truck yards and how ordering works

Concrete is sold and calculated by volume. Measure length, width, and thickness in feet, multiply, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards:

cubic yards = (length_ft × width_ft × thickness_ft) ÷ 27

If thickness is in inches, divide by 12 first. A 20 ft by 20 ft slab at 4 inches thick works out to 20 × 20 × 0.33, which is 133 cubic feet, or about 4.9 cubic yards. That is a comfortable single-truck order. A 30 ft by 30 ft slab at 6 inches is about 16.7 yards, which means two trucks.

Most plants have a minimum order, commonly 1 yard, and they price in quarter-yard or half-yard increments. Round your final number up, do not round down.

Concrete short load fee

Here is the one that surprises people. If you order less than a full truck, usually under 8 to 10 yards depending on the plant, you pay a short-load fee for the trip. It compensates the producer for sending a truck that leaves partly empty. Fees commonly run 60 to 150 dollars per yard short of the minimum, and some plants charge a flat trip charge instead.

The math swings ordering decisions:

• A tiny 2-yard pour can carry several hundred dollars in short-load fees on top of the concrete.
• Combining two small pours into one delivery can wipe out the fee entirely.
• Sometimes bagging a very small job is cheaper than paying a truck to roll for 1 yard.

The short-load fee is separate from the concrete price itself, so factor both. Our concrete cost per yard breakdown shows how the base price, fees, and add-ons stack up before you call the plant.

Order the right amount

Add 5 to 10 percent for spillage, uneven subgrade, and over-excavation. Running out mid-pour is far worse than having a little extra, because a cold joint from a delayed second truck can weaken the slab. Tell the dispatcher your access, the pour type, and whether you need a pump, and confirm the total against the concrete delivery calculator so the load matches the job.

If you are still sizing the pour itself, start with our guide on how much concrete do I need, then come back to match your yardage to trucks.

FAQ

How many yards of concrete fit in a standard truck?

A full-size mixer drum is rated around 10 cubic yards, but weight limits mean most trucks leave the plant with 8 to 9 yards. Mini-mixers carry 3 to 5 yards for tight or small jobs.

What is a concrete short load fee?

It is a charge added when you order less than a full truck, typically under 8 to 10 yards. It covers the cost of sending a truck that leaves partly empty and often runs 60 to 150 dollars per yard short of the minimum.

How do I avoid short-load fees?

Combine small pours into one delivery, order at or above the plant minimum, or bag very small jobs by hand. Ask the dispatcher what the minimum is before you book so there are no surprises on the invoice.

How many yards do I need for a two-car driveway?

A typical 20 ft by 20 ft driveway at 4 inches thick needs about 5 cubic yards, so it fits in one truck. Thicker pours or larger footprints push you toward the truck’s full capacity or a second load.

Can a concrete truck deliver a partial load?

Yes, but you pay for the trip either way through a short-load or trip fee. The truck can carry any amount up to its capacity, but the delivery cost does not shrink to match a tiny order.

How much does a full truck of concrete cost?

It varies by region and mix, but a full 8 to 10-yard load commonly runs well over a thousand dollars once you add delivery. Check current rates in our concrete cost per yard guide before ordering.

Match your pour to the right number of trucks with our ready-mix calculator and skip the surprise fees.