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PlanQty

Truckload Estimator

Estimate how many truckloads you need from a quantity in cubic yards and the capacity of the truck you actually have on the job. Rounds up to whole loads for ordering.

Use loose yards for excavated spoils

Heaped capacity of one truck

Enter your values, then press Calculate.

How to calculate

Enter the haul quantity in cubic yards (loose yards for spoils, compacted for import). Choose the truck size you are using. The result is exact loads and a whole-truck count.

Formula

Loads (exact) = quantity (yd³) ÷ truck capacity (yd³). Loads to order = ceil(exact loads). Remaining capacity on the last truck = capacity − remainder.

Common use cases

  • Spoils haul-off
  • Import backfill or aggregate
  • Checking a quote against truck tickets
  • Comparing 10-yd vs 16-yd trucks

Assumptions

  • Quantity is already in the same condition the truck will haul — usually loose yards for spoils.
  • Capacity is the yards you actually get in that truck, not always the nameplate.
  • Loads to order round up. Exact loads stay visible so you can see the partial last bed.
  • Select 10, 12, 14, 16, or 18 yd³ to match the fleet on site.

Limitations

  • Does not apply swell. Convert bank yards first (trench spoils or shrink/swell).
  • Does not convert tons to yards. Use density on the base-rock or riprap page first.
  • Does not account for legal payload, axle limits, or wet material weighing more.
  • Does not schedule cycle time.

Worked examples

32 yd³ in 10-yd trucks

32 ÷ 10 = 3.2 exact loads, which rounds to 4 trucks and leaves 2 yd³ on the last bed.

  1. 1. Exact loads

    32 ÷ 10 = 3.2 loads

  2. 2. Round up to whole trucks

    ceil(3.2) = 4 loads

Exactly 3 trucks

  1. 1. Exact loads

    30 ÷ 10 = 3 loads

  2. 2. Round up to whole trucks

    ceil(3) = 3 loads

Last step in the haul chain

Enter loose (or import) cubic yards, not bank yards unless swell is already applied. 32 cy in 10-yd trucks is 3.2 exact loads, which rounds up to 4 trucks with 2 cy on the last bed. Capacity is the yards you actually get — often less than the nameplate if the material is wet or the tailgate leaks. This page does not apply swell or density; use trench spoils or shrink/swell first.

Struck vs heaped

Pick 10, 12, 14, 16, or 18 cy to match the fleet. Heaped rock is not the same as struck sand. If the plant tickets in tons, convert tons to yards with the material density (base-rock or riprap pages) before counting loads.

Nameplate yards versus what fits in the bed

A 10-yd truck rarely holds 10 yd³ of wet clay. If the last five tickets averaged 8.5 yd³, type 10 anyway only if you like extra trips — or treat capacity as 8.5 by choosing the nearest listed size and increasing quantity, because the select list is discrete. Thirty-two loose yards in a true 10-yd truck is 4 loads with 2 yd³ on the last bed.

Related calculators

FAQ

Bank yards or loose yards?

Trucks haul loose material. Convert bank yards with the shrink/swell calculator before counting loads, or use the trench spoils tool which already applies swell.

Why round up?

You cannot dispatch a fraction of a truck. The last load is a partial bed unless the quantity divides evenly.

The plant tickets in tons. Now what?

Convert tons to cubic yards with the material density (base rock, riprap, or a quarry factor), then come back here. Dividing tons by 10 does not give 10-yd loads.

Can I compare 10-yd and 16-yd trucks?

Run the same quantity twice with each capacity. The rounded load count is what you dispatch; exact loads show how full the last truck is.

Disclaimer

These calculators are estimating tools for planning and field checks. They are not a substitute for approved plans, specifications, licensed professional engineering, or governing standards. Confirm densities, waste factors, and yields with your supplier and project documents.