A standard dump truck holds about 10 to 14 cubic yards, and the most common size, a tandem-axle “10-wheeler,” is often quoted at around 12 cubic yards. Smaller single-axle trucks hold about 5 to 10 cubic yards, and tri-axle trucks hold about 12 to 20. The catch is weight: a truck is limited by how many tons it can legally carry as well as by how many yards fit in the bed, so a dense material like gravel or wet sand fills the weight limit before it fills the bed. A tandem that has room for 14 yards of mulch may carry only about 10 yards of gravel.
To find how many yards you need, use the Gravel Calculator, Sand Calculator, Topsoil Calculator or Mulch Calculator. Then use this guide to see how many truckloads that will be.
How many cubic yards in a dump truck? Capacity by truck type
| Truck type | Typical bed volume | Typical legal payload |
|---|---|---|
| Single-axle dump truck | about 5 to 10 yd³ | about 6 to 10 tons |
| Tandem-axle (10-wheeler) | about 10 to 14 yd³ (some up to 16) | about 12 to 18 tons |
| Tri-axle | about 12 to 20 yd³ | about 18 to 25 tons |
| Super dump or quad-axle | about 15 to 20+ yd³ | about 20 to 26 tons |
| Transfer, end dump or side dump (semi) | about 18 to 30 yd³ | about 20 to 40 tons |
Different dealers and suppliers give slightly different ranges, so use these as ballparks and ask the supplier about their own trucks. Legal payload depends on the truck’s axle configuration and on state and local weight limits.
Struck vs heaped capacity
Truck specs can list two volumes. Struck capacity is the geometric volume of the bed. Heaped capacity adds a mound of material above the sides. One industry guide notes that the heaped figure is often the headline number, while the struck figure is what you can count on when hauling on public roads. For example, a body listed at 16 cubic yards heaped may be closer to 14 to 14.5 cubic yards struck.
You can estimate struck volume from the bed’s inside size: length × width × height ÷ 27. A bed 14 ft long, 7 ft wide and 4 ft high is 392 cubic feet, or 14.5 cubic yards struck.
Why a truck often cannot carry its full yards
The truck’s volume and its payload are two separate limits, and the smaller of the two decides how much you get. Divide the payload in tons by the material’s weight per cubic yard to find the weight limit in yards. One industry guide gives an example of a 14-yard tandem body loaded with wet gravel reaching its legal limit at around 11 cubic yards of material, and a gravel supplier notes that a truck with room for 15 yards may be able to carry only about 12 yards of dense gravel.
The table below uses CalcWoven’s planning weights and two example trucks that we chose from the middle of the ranges above: a tandem with 12 cubic yards of space and 14 tons of payload, and a tri-axle with 16 cubic yards and 22 tons. They are illustrations, not specs for any real truck.
| Material (planning weight) | Tandem: 12 yd³ bed, 14 tons | Tri-axle: 16 yd³ bed, 22 tons |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone (gravel), 1.40 tons/yd³ | 10.0 yd³ (weight-limited) | 15.7 yd³ (weight-limited) |
| Dry sand, 1.35 tons/yd³ | 10.4 yd³ (weight-limited) | 16.0 yd³ (bed-limited) |
| Wet sand, 1.60 tons/yd³ | 8.8 yd³ (weight-limited) | 13.8 yd³ (weight-limited) |
| Topsoil, 1.10 tons/yd³ | 12.0 yd³ (bed-limited) | 16.0 yd³ (bed-limited) |
| Mulch, 0.25 tons/yd³ | 12.0 yd³ (bed-limited) | 16.0 yd³ (bed-limited) |
Weights per yard come from our guides on gravel, sand, topsoil and mulch. Real loads vary with moisture and the supplier’s trucks.
How many truckloads do you need?
Divide the total yards by the yards one truck can carry of that material, and round up. A supplier will usually tell you what they can deliver per load.
- 30 yd³ of gravel with a tandem: about 10.0 yd³ per load, so 30 ÷ 10.0 = 3.0 loads, which rounds up to 3.
- 20 yd³ of topsoil with a tandem: bed-limited at 12 yd³ per load, so 20 ÷ 12 = 1.7, which rounds up to 2 loads.
- 8 yd³ of mulch: fits in one tandem load, because it is far lighter than the payload limit.
- 100 yd³ of dry sand: about 10.4 yd³ per tandem load, so 10 tandem loads, or 7 loads with a tri-axle at about 16 yd³ each.
Not sure how many yards you need? See how much gravel do I need, how much topsoil do I need, how much mulch do I need or square feet to cubic yards.
How heavy is a loaded dump truck?
One dealer guide lists a tandem dump truck at roughly 52,000 to 66,000 lb gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), with an empty weight of about 26,000 to 32,000 lb, and a tri-axle at roughly 60,000 to 73,000 lb GVWR and 32,000 to 36,000 lb empty. That is the weight that rolls onto a driveway, culvert or soft ground when it delivers. If your access has a load limit, or you are worried about a new concrete driveway, tell the supplier before the truck comes. For the weight of a new slab or the curing time before heavy vehicles, see how much does a yard of concrete weigh and concrete curing time.
Tips for ordering a delivery
- Ask what they can deliver: truck size, and whether the load is sold by the yard or by the ton.
- Convert carefully: if a supplier sells by the ton, use the weight per yard from our guides, or ask for their figure.
- Check access: a tandem is about 22 to 26 ft long and needs room to back up and tip. Smaller trucks fit tighter spaces.
- Plan where it will go: a dump truck tips the whole load in one pile, so lay down a tarp or choose a spot where the pile will not block the drive.
- Order extra for settling and spillage: the calculators include an optional 5–15% allowance.
Common questions
How many cubic yards does a standard dump truck hold?
About 10 to 14 cubic yards, with around 12 yards as the usual figure for a tandem.
How many yards of gravel fit in a dump truck?
About 10 to 12 cubic yards for a standard truck, or roughly 14 to 17 tons, which is often close to its legal payload.
How many tons does a dump truck hold?
About 12 to 18 tons for a tandem and 18 to 25 tons for a tri-axle, depending on the truck and local limits.
How many cubic yards is a tri-axle dump truck?
About 12 to 16 cubic yards by one dealer guide, and up to about 20 by others.
How many yards are in a 10-yard dump truck?
Ten, if it is loaded level. A truck sold as a 10-yard model holds about 10 cubic yards struck, and a little more if it is heaped.
How many 5-yard loads make 20 yards?
Four. Divide the total by the load size: 20 ÷ 5 = 4.
Bottom line
A standard dump truck holds about 10 to 14 cubic yards, but its legal payload often caps heavy materials at around 10 yards. To turn your project into yards, use the Gravel, Sand, Topsoil or Mulch calculator, or the Cubic Yards Calculator, then divide by the yards the truck can carry and round up.
Truck sizes and payloads vary by manufacturer, body, state and supplier. Confirm the load size and weight with your supplier before ordering, and use these figures for planning only.
Sources
There is no university extension source for dump truck sizes. These are dealer and supplier guides, and their ranges overlap closely.
- HomeGuide: Dump Truck Sizes, Types, Dimensions and Capacity Chart
- Boom & Bucket: Tandem Dump Truck
- HelloGravel: How Many Cubic Yards Can a Dump Truck Hold?
- MyGravelMonkey: How Many Tons of Gravel in a Dump Truck?
- Soil Depot: How Many Yards and Tons Does a Dump Truck Hold?
- Orbit DB: Understanding Dump Truck Capacities (struck vs heaped)
- O’Leary Development Group: Dump Truck Dimensions (weight vs volume)
- The Upfit Insider: How Many Cubic Yards in a Dump Truck?
- Jim Ellis Commercial: How Much Can a Dump Truck Carry?