Concrete Truck Calculator

1. Enter the concrete volume and its unit, with a waste allowance so you order enough.
2. Set the truck capacity, about 8 to 11 cubic yards; 10 is a safe default for a full load.
3. Optionally add your crew placement rate in cubic yards per hour to schedule the trucks.
4. Read the number of loads, the size of the last load, and the interval to space trucks by.

Here is what each result means:

A concrete truck calculator works out how many ready-mix truck loads a pour needs, and how to time their arrivals. It turns a volume into a delivery plan, not just a number of yards.

It helps anyone ordering a larger pour: you need enough trucks to cover the volume, but trucks that arrive too fast sit waiting and run up wait-time charges, while trucks too far apart risk a cold joint between loads. The tool counts the loads and, from your crew rate, spaces them so each arrives just as the last is placed.

The number of trucks is the yards divided by the truck capacity, rounded up, because a part load still needs a whole truck. The spacing comes from how fast your crew works.

1. Convert the volume to cubic yards and add the waste allowance.
2. Divide by the truck capacity and round up for the number of loads.
3. The last load is whatever is left over, so you can order it as a part load.
4. From the crew rate, the spacing between trucks is the capacity divided by the rate.

Suppose you are pouring 25 cubic yards with 10-yard trucks, a 10 percent waste allowance, and a crew that places 10 cubic yards an hour.

Calculation: with waste you order 27.5 yd. Trucks = 27.5 / 10 = 2.75, rounded up to 3 trucks, with a last load of 7.5 yd. At 10 yards an hour, each truck is placed in 1 hour, so you space them about 60 minutes apart and the whole pour takes about 2 hours 45 minutes.

Spacing the trucks this way means each arrives as the crew finishes the last, avoiding both wait-time charges and cold joints.

Truck Capacity

Loads are usually 8 to 11 cubic yards. Access, weight limits and the supplier set the real figure, so confirm it rather than assuming a full 10.

Waste Allowance

You order more than you place, so the extra can tip a pour into another truck. Check the last load size before you round your order up.

Part Loads

The final truck is rarely full. Many suppliers deliver a part load, usually with a short-load fee, so you are not paying for yards you do not need.

Access and Site

Tight access can force smaller loads or more trucks, and a pump may change how fast each truck empties. Factor these into the capacity you enter.

Getting the interval right is where this tool earns its keep. Trucks are only free to unload for a set time; past it you pay wait-time by the minute.

Enter your crew rate and the calculator gives the matched interval, so you can book delivery times that keep trucks moving and the pour continuous.

Ordering a Large Pour

Work out the loads and book delivery slots that match how fast your crew can place concrete.

Planning Crew and Access

Use the total pour time to plan labour, finishing and site access for the day.

Deciding on a Pump

If the placement rate is slow for the volume, a pump can speed it up and cut the number of trucks waiting. Compare with the pump cost calculator.

1. Assuming a Full Load Every Time

Access and weight limits often cap a truck below 10 yards. Confirm the capacity with the supplier before you count loads.

2. Booking Trucks Too Close Together

Trucks that queue on site rack up wait-time charges. Match the spacing to your placement rate.

3. Leaving Trucks Too Far Apart

Long gaps let the previous load start to set, causing a cold joint. Keep the pour continuous.

4. Forgetting the Waste Allowance

Ordering the exact volume risks running short on the last load. Add a margin, and check whether it needs another part load.

5. Treating the Estimate as a Schedule

Real timing depends on access, weather and the crew. Use the interval as a starting point and confirm the schedule with your supplier.

The arithmetic is exact for the capacity and rate you enter; the real plan depends on your site and supplier.

A full ready-mix truck holds about 8 to 11 cubic yards, with 10 a common working figure. The real load can be lower because of legal weight limits or tight site access, so confirm it with your supplier.

Three 10-yard trucks. Twenty-five yards, plus a 10 percent waste allowance, is 27.5 yards, divided by 10 and rounded up to 3 loads, with a last load of about 7.5 yards.

Space them by how long your crew takes to place one load. At 10 yards an hour with 10-yard trucks, that is about one truck an hour. Enter your placement rate and the tool gives the interval.

Trucks are free to unload for a set time, often around an hour. Past it you pay wait-time by the minute. Spacing trucks to match your crew rate avoids trucks queuing and running up those charges.

Yes. The last truck is usually not full, and most suppliers deliver a part load, generally with a short-load fee. The tool shows the last load size so you can decide.

The previous load begins to set before the next arrives, creating a cold joint, a weak seam between pours. Keeping the trucks matched to your crew rate keeps the pour continuous.

Not the number, but it can raise your placement rate, which tightens the spacing and shortens the pour. If placement is the bottleneck, a pump can reduce trucks waiting on site.

Add 5 to 10 percent for waste and an uneven base. Check the last load size afterwards, because the extra can sometimes push the order into another part load.

No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

• National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA; ready-mixed concrete delivery).
• American Cement Association (Portland Cement Association) (American Cement Association; concrete basics).
• QUIKRETE concrete and bag calculator (QUIKRETE; volume and yield method).
• QUIKRETE Concrete Mix product data (QUIKRETE; coverage and yield).