Understanding Concrete Truck Capacities: How Many Yards Does a Concrete Truck Hold?

Standard Concrete Truck Capacities

If you’re budgeting a pour, the first thing you want to know is this: How Many Yards Does a Concrete Truck Hold. In day-to-day work, most on-road concrete mixer trucks deliver about 8–10 cubic yards (yd³) per trip, with smaller rigs carrying far less and heavy-spec units carrying a bit more when local weight laws allow it. That “headline” number comes from the interplay of concrete truck capacity (what the drum can mix), concrete truck weight limits (what it’s legal to haul), and real-world site logistics.

Why the numbers vary: A drum’s truck volume capacity (gross drum volume) is not the same as its rated mixer truck capacity. NRMCA notes that a drum’s rated cubic yard capacity as a mixer is about 63% of the gross drum volume (and ~80% as an agitator). Producers typically load near the rated mixer capacity—not the total drum volume. That’s one reason catalog specs and real payloads never line up perfectly.

Below is a practical look at capacity by size—noting that exact concrete truck sizes and concrete truck specifications differ by manufacturer, axle count, and local law.

Small Concrete Trucks

What they are: 2–6 yd³ minis, short wheelbase, often used for tight sites, alleys, or lightweight on site volume needs (patching, driveways, interior slabs).
Typical yard per load: 2–6 yd³, with batch volume per truck intentionally limited to keep gross weight down and to serve smaller orders economically.
Use when: you need nimble access, concrete delivery logistics include narrow streets, or truck size effects (turning radius/weight) are a concern.

Notes: Small rigs have plenty of truck capacity variability—some are re-powers or specialty bodies. Don’t be surprised if a supplier caps your maximum load per trip at the low end in wet or hot weather.

Medium Concrete Trucks

What they are: The mainstream fleet—6–8 yd³ rated as mixers, often the “bread-and-butter” for residential foundations and commercial slabs.
Typical yard per load: 6–8 yd³ (some fleets advertise up to 9 yd³, but see weight remarks below).
Why it matters: Mediums balance concrete truck payload and maneuverability; they’re easier to place near pumps and forms, and they simplify delivery quantity planning for pours <40 yd³.

Large Concrete Trucks

What they are: Big-drum road units rated 9–12 yd³ mixers (gross drums even larger), used where local regulations and axle configurations support the weight.
Typical yard per load: 8–10 yd³ in many jurisdictions (weight-limited), up to ~12 yd³ where legal loads and route constraints allow. Manufacturer specs show drums in the ~9–11 yd³ class and higher.

Weight is the hard stop. A single yd³ of normal-weight concrete weighs ~4,000 lb. Ten yards can be about 20,000 lb of concrete alone—before truck tare and water tanks—so the load distribution per trip must satisfy federal/state bridge rules and axle caps.

Factors Influencing Concrete Truck Capacity

Truck Design and Size

Rated mixer vs. drum volume. As noted, a drum’s truck volume capacity (gross) overstates how much you can mix; the rated capacity (≈63% of gross) defines the practical load volume per truck.
Concrete truck dimensions & weight. Frame, axle count, and concrete truck types (front-discharge vs. rear-discharge) change tare weight and usable payload. A heavier chassis may lower per trip volume even if the drum is identical.
Hopper volume. The charge hopper volume helps feed the drum and catch spillage; it does not add to per load measurement in yd³.
Truck design choices (chute system, water tank, add-mixers) also shift tare and truck load efficiency.

Local Regulations

Gross and axle limits. The U.S. federal baseline is 80,000 lb GVW for five axles on Interstates under the Federal Bridge Formula; states add their own spacing/axle limits and postings. Many DOTs and owners enforce practical caps that weight-limit trucks to ~7.5–8 yd³ of concrete even when the drum could take more. Plan your capacity by size with your route’s law, not a brochure.
Time-in-transit rules. The old “90-minute rule” in ASTM C94 has evolved; recent guidance allows purchaser/producer-agreed limits considering temperature and admixtures. The takeaway for concrete delivery scheduling: confirm discharge windows during concrete delivery planning, especially in heat/cold.

Calculating Concrete Requirements for Your Project

Planning starts with concrete project estimation (how much concrete you need) and ends with concrete delivery considerations (how many trucks and when). Use this framework for concrete project planning—from slab math to delivery quantity estimator.

Estimating Concrete Volume

Measure the pour (slab, footing, wall) in feet and compute concrete volume per load targets:
- Rectangular slab: \text{yd}^3 = \dfrac{L \times W \times T}{27} (T in feet).
- Footings/grade beams: volume of each prism + haunches.
- Cylinders/round piers: \text{yd}^3 = \dfrac{\pi r^2 h}{27}.
Use a concrete volume calculator to double-check math and waste factors (commonly 5–10%).
Translate to trucks: divide by your chosen yard per load (the realistic batch volume per truck after weight limits).

Example (driveway): 42′ × 18′ at 5″ (0.417 ft) → 42×18×0.417=315.18\text{ ft}^3 → 11.7 yd³. If your supplier caps trucks at 8 yd³, you need 2 loads (8 + 3.7 yd³). Now plan multiple deliveries with a targeted gap so you keep a wet edge.

Weight sanity check: at ~4,000 lb/yd³, that driveway is ~46,800 lb of concrete total, so the second truck will be lightly loaded. This matters for delivery scheduling guide decisions and truck load efficiency.

Planning for Multiple Deliveries

A good concrete delivery scheduling plan keeps crews productive and the pour continuous:

Right-size the truck. If access is tight, a small concrete truck (2–6 yd³) avoids backing delays; if access is open, a large concrete truck improves per trip volume. (Ask the supplier which concrete truck variations they run on your route.)
Stagger arrivals. Base the gap on crew pace, pump rate, and weather. In hot weather, shorten the gap to stay within spec’d discharge windows (ASTM C94 updates allow negotiated limits; confirm in writing).
Account for batch yield. Batch yield (plant vs. delivered volume) is typically very close to ordered volume, but air entrainment, moisture corrections, and return wash-out can shave or add fractions of a yard—budget a cushion.
Mind batch size limits. Some plants cap single batch size limits and will “double-batch” a big truck; coordinate production batch planning with dispatch (busy mornings or freeze-thaw seasons reduce seasonal batching capacity).
Route/legal checks. If a route has weight-posted bridges, producers may self-limit concrete truck payload (e.g., target 7.5–8 yd³ in California DOT practice). Plan delivery quantity planning from what’s legal, not theoretical.

Capacity Chart — Practical Ranges & Constraints

Class (capacity by size)	Typical truck volume capacity (rated mixer yd³)	Common yard per load on public roads	What usually limits you	Notes
Small concrete trucks	2–6	2–6	Access + job size	Minis are ideal for tight approaches, pads, patching.
Medium concrete trucks	6–8	6–8	Route weight + plant policy	Workhorse for most slab/footing work.
Large concrete trucks	9–12	8–10 (≤12 where legal)	Axle/GVW, postings	Typical fleets quote 8–10; some 12 in permissive regions.
Drum spec example	—	—	—	McNeilus drums: 9–11 yd³ model examples; remember rated mixer = ~63% of gross drum volume.

Callout on laws: U.S. Interstate baseline is 80,000 lb GVW with axle/spacing rules—your maximum load per trip may be set by law well below your drum rating.

Factors Influencing Concrete Truck Capacity (Deep Dive)

We’ve discussed the basics; here’s what actually changes concrete load capacity day to day:

Mix & slump (truck size effects). Higher slump and admixtures change agitation behavior in the drum; producers load to maintain mixing headspace. NRMCA and ACI guidance emphasize documenting jobsite water additions and mixing rotations—your batch yield and per load measurement depend on it.
Temperature & time. Hot or cold weather influences allowable delivery windows and concrete delivery considerations (e.g., shortened times in heat). The 90-minute legacy rule has been supplanted with purchaser/producer agreements in ASTM C94-21; some owners still specify 90 minutes, sometimes 120 minutes with conditions—write it into your delivery scheduling guide.
Axle spacing & route. Bridge postings and state-level weight restrictions set the effective truck capacity chart for your job; in some DOT manuals you’ll see practical advice like “most trucks are limited to 7½–8 yd³” on certain routes.

Calculating Concrete Requirements for Your Project

Estimating Concrete Volume

Step-by-step concrete volume estimation (with a quick delivery quantity estimator at the end):

Compute the volume (see formulas above).
Add waste & overbreak (5–10%).
Check plant/product constraints: admixtures required? air entrainment? batch size limits?
Select truck size (small/medium/large) based on access and concrete project requirements.
Set your per truck target (concrete volume per load): legal yard per load for your route (e.g., 7.5–8 yd³ in stricter areas; 9–10 yd³ where posted loads permit).

Worked example (foundation & slab):

Footings: 140′ of 24″ × 12″ → 140×2.0×1.0/27 = 10.37 yd³
Slab: 38′ × 28′ × 5″ → 38×28×0.417/27 = 16.4 yd³
Total before waste: 26.8 yd³ → with 7% waste ≈ 28.7 yd³.
If the route caps per trip volume at 8 yd³, plan 4 trucks (8 + 8 + 8 + 4.7). Stagger arrivals based on crew + pump rate (e.g., 20–30 min gaps in mild weather; tighter gaps in heat per your delivery scheduling guide).

Planning for Multiple Deliveries

A clean concrete delivery planning run sheet aligns plant capacity, travel time, and crew pace:

Delivery quantity planning: Lock in the first two trucks; the third floats to match placement speed.
Production batch planning: Ask dispatch about morning peaks and seasonal batching capacity. Plants re-prioritize in freeze-thaw or heat waves; give them your concrete volume forecast early to protect your slot.
Truck capacity variability: Even in one fleet, tare weights differ (fuel tanks, chutes, wash-water). Your capacity chart should reflect the supplier’s exact units on your route.
Concrete delivery logistics: If you’re pumping, include setup time so multiple deliveries don’t stack up at the gate.
Truck volume capacity vs. legal payload: Confirm which controls your per trip volume—drum rating or weight. For many states, weight wins.

Reference Table — “Capacity by Size” and Legal Reality

Size band	Typical concrete truck capacities (rated mixer)	Practical yard per load on public roads	Common truck design examples	Legal notes
Small	2–6 yd³	2–6 yd³	Short-wheelbase minis for tight sites	Easy on weight; watch time-in-transit on long hauls.
Medium	6–8 yd³	6–8 yd³	Standard tandems	Often the sweet spot for concrete project planning.
Large	9–12 yd³	8–10 yd³ (≤12 yd³ where allowed)	Heavy-spec tandems/tridems; big drums	Frequently weight-limited despite big drums.

Practical Math & Rules of Thumb

Per load measurement: plan by yard per load, not drum size.
Concrete truck weight limits: 1 yd³ ≈ 4,000 lb—your maximum load per trip is usually a weight problem, not a space problem.
Batch yield: expect delivered volume ≈ ordered volume, but small deltas occur due to moisture corrections and air; keep a 0.5–1.0 yd³ buffer on pours over 20 yd³.
Delivery windows: coordinate C94 time language with the producer (older specs cite 90 minutes; newer practice allows agreed times based on conditions).
Plant/route constraints: check bridge postings and axle spacings on the route; many DOTs publish axle caps like 20,000 lb on single axles and other per-axle rules that drive effective truck load efficiency.

Conclusion

Here’s the clear, dispatch-ready answer to How Many Yards Does a Concrete Truck Hold:

On most jobs, plan on 8–10 yd³ for a full-size road unit—but expect a legal cap closer to 7.5–8 yd³ in weight-strict jurisdictions.
Medium concrete trucks reliably cover 6–8 yd³ runs, and small concrete trucks serve 2–6 yd³ sites where access is tight or the order is modest.
Large drums and glossy spec sheets don’t change concrete truck payload reality; local regulations and concrete truck dimensions (tare weight) set your truck volume capacity for the day. Balance capacity by size with route postings and site constraints.

Final checklist for accurate orders and smooth pours:

Define concrete project requirements (true volume + waste) with a concrete volume calculator and a site sketch.
Agree on the supplier’s concrete truck sizes (and exact concrete truck specifications) for your route, including concrete truck weight limits, batch size limits, and discharge time language.
Build a delivery scheduling guide: target per trip volume, slot multiple deliveries, and sync with pump/crew pace for constant placement.
Confirm concrete truck types (front vs rear discharge) and staging plan to maximize truck load efficiency and minimize backing.
Keep a small buffer for capacity by size variation, weather, and seasonal batching capacity; communicate early for reliable production batch planning and concrete volume forecast.

With those pieces in place, you’ll answer How Many Yards Does a Concrete Truck Hold confidently, place concrete without cold joints, and keep both the inspector and the finisher happy.