How to use this calculator
- Enter Total material in tons.
- Enter Truck class.
- Press Calculate. The highlighted row is your order quantity; the note beneath it translates the number into real-world terms.
Formula & constants
Divide total tons by truck payload and round up: single-axle 10, tandem 15–22, tri-axle 22–28, transfer/side-dump 30+. Legal payload varies by state axle-weight law. Every default in the fields above is editable — when your supplier’s spec sheet lists a different density, coverage rate or price, enter that number instead. The waste and compaction allowances follow common trade practice; see our methodology page for the derivation of each formula and the standards it references.
Where this fits in the project
Earthwork precedes everything: dig volumes set the budget for hauling and determine imported fill or base gravel. Bank volume expands when dug (swell) and imported fill shrinks when compacted — use the truckload calculator on loose volume, not bank volume.
How this connects to your project
No quantity stands alone — each material in the chain depends on the ones around it. These are the planning steps that pair with the truckload calculator:
- Excavation Calculator — Excavated material is removed by trucks.
- Gravel Calculator — Gravel is delivered by dump truck.
- Asphalt Calculator — Asphalt is delivered by dump truck to the paver.
- Fill Dirt Calculator — Fill dirt is delivered by truck.
- Sand Calculator — Sand is delivered by dump truck.
- Ready Mix Calculator — Concrete trucks vs dump trucks for other materials.
- Asphalt Milling Calculator — Milled RAP is hauled by trucks.
- Swell Factor Calculator — Swell factor affects how many truckloads are needed.
- Cut and Fill Calculator — Surplus or deficit material requires trucking.
- Topsoil Calculator — Topsoil is delivered by truck.
- Mulch Calculator — Bulk mulch is delivered by truck.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons fit in a dump truck?
Tandems legally haul 13–16 net tons in most states despite 22-ton body capacity — axle law, not body size, governs.
Tons or yards — how is hauling priced?
Aggregates and asphalt by the ton; soil and demolition usually by the loose yard or by the load.
Last verified: — prices reflect current national averages. See our methodology.
Estimates are for planning. Material densities, coverage rates and prices vary by region and supplier — confirm final quantities before ordering, and check local code where structural or electrical work is involved.