How much concrete does a truck hold?

Short answer

A ready-mix truck holds 8 to 12 cubic yards of concrete (about 6 to 9 cubic metres), according to NRMCA. A 10-yard load is the same as 450 bags of 80 lb concrete mix and weighs about 39,150 pounds.

How to work it out

10 cu yd + 0% = 10 cu yd → round up to the next ¼: 10 cu yd
10 cu yd ÷ 10 cu yd per truck = 1 truck
Same job in bags: 270 cu ft ÷ 0.6 cu ft per 80 lb bag = 450 bags (36,000 lb)

The drum size varies by truck, and so does what it can legally carry: weight limits on local roads often keep a truck from leaving the plant completely full. That is why the plant, not the truck’s size, decides how many loads your pour needs.

Adjust for your project

More options: Extra · Bag $ · Ready $ …

Extra to order

Same 10% the slab calculator uses. NRMCA suggests 4–10% over the plan volume

Price per bag (optional)

Optional — an example figure; use your store’s price

Ready-mix price per cubic yard (optional)

$per cu yd

Optional — ask your local plant; prices vary by region and mix

Short-load or delivery fee ($) (optional)

Optional — many plants add a fee on small orders; ask what theirs is

Truck capacity

cu yd

NRMCA: truck mixers carry 8 to 12 cu yd (about 6 to 9 m³). Ask your plant

Ready-mix to order10 cu yd270 cu ft

Truckloads: 1 truck
Or bags of mix (same volume): 450 bags · 80 lb bag
Weight of those bags: 36,000 lb (18 tons)
Weight of the delivered concrete: 39,150 lb (20 tons)
Mixer batches at 2 bags each: 225 batches

450 bags means lifting about 36,000 lb of dry mix. Unless the truck can’t reach, ready-mix is usually far less work and gives a more even slab.
Total to buy counts this as ready-mix. Switch “How will you buy it?” to bags if you are mixing it yourself.
Ask the plant about its minimum order, any short-load fee, how long the driver can wait, and whether the truck can reach your forms — a pump or buggy costs extra.

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Bull float with handleWith a truck on the way, have the screed, bull float and enough helpers ready before it arrives — the driver’s waiting time is limited.

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Truckloads and bag equivalents by order size

Truckloads and bag equivalents by order size
Concrete needed (before extra)	Truckloads	Or bags of mix (same volume)	Weight of the delivered concrete
2 cu yd	1 truck	90 bags	7,830 lb
5 cu yd	1 truck	225 bags	19,575 lb
8 cu yd	1 truck	360 bags	31,320 lb
10 cu yd	1 truck	450 bags	39,150 lb
12 cu yd	2 trucks	540 bags	46,980 lb
20 cu yd	2 trucks	900 bags	78,300 lb

A truckload in other units

Truck capacity range from NRMCA Concrete in Practice 31. Weight at 145 lb per cu ft, the middle of the 140–150 lb range Iowa DOT gives for normal-weight concrete.
Load	Cubic feet	m³	80 lb bags	Concrete weight (≈145 lb/cu ft)
8 yd	216	6.1	360	≈ 31,300 lb (15.7 tons)
10 yd	270	7.6	450	≈ 39,150 lb (19.6 tons)
12 yd	324	9.2	540	≈ 47,000 lb (23.5 tons)

Add the truck itself and NRMCA puts a loaded mixer at about 80,000 lb. Keep that in mind before you ask the driver to back across a lawn, over a septic tank or onto a thin driveway apron.

Planning loads for your pour

Divide your order by the capacity your plant quotes and round up. A 24 × 24 ft garage floor at 4 in with 10% extra is about 7.8 yards — one truck — while a 30 × 40 shop floor needs two or more; both are worked through on how many yards of concrete for a 24×24 slab and how much concrete for a 30×40 slab. For more than one truck, ask for spacing that matches how fast your crew can place and finish.

At the small end, a truck carrying a yard or two is still a full trip for the plant, which is why small orders often carry a fee. For those, compare bags — how many 80 lb bags of concrete in a yard shows what a single yard means in bags.

Different size? Use the full Ready-Mix vs Bags Calculator.

What you’ll need

Bull float with handleMid-range price
Smooths and levels a slab you can’t reach across, right after screeding. Rent or buy one for anything wider than about 6 ft.
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Aluminum screedMid-range price
A straight, light screed strikes off the concrete level with the forms. A straight 2×4 works too if it really is straight.
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Rubber work bootsMid-range price
For standing in wet concrete. Tuck trousers in or tape them so concrete can’t run down inside the boot.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.

Frequently asked questions

How many bags of concrete equal a 12-yard truck?

540 bags of 80 lb, weighing 43,200 pounds dry.

How many tons of concrete does an 8-yard truck carry?

About 31,320 pounds of concrete, roughly 15.7 tons at 145 lb per cubic foot.

How many trucks for 20 yards of concrete?

2 trucks of 10 yards each. Ask your plant what its trucks carry.

Sources

NRMCA Concrete in Practice 31 — Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete (opens in a new tab) — Truck mixers carry 8 to 12 cubic yards (about 6 to 9 m³); order 4–10% more than the plan estimate; a loaded truck weighs about 80,000 lb; fresh concrete can cause severe chemical burns.
Quikrete Concrete Mix (No. 1101) data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Yields: 40 lb ≈ 0.30, 50 lb ≈ 0.375, 60 lb ≈ 0.45, 80 lb ≈ 0.60, 90 lb ≈ 0.675 cu ft; unit weight ≈ 140 lb/cu ft; for pours 2 in thick or more; 6–9 pints of water per 80 lb bag; control joints every 6–8 ft; cure 5 days at 70 °F or above, 7 days at 50–70 °F; protect from freezing for 48 hours.
Iowa DOT Instructional Memorandum 340 — Weight per cubic foot, yield and air content of concrete (opens in a new tab) — Normal-weight concrete is typically 140–150 lb per cu ft at 5 to 8 percent air.
NIOSH Applications Manual for the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (Pub. 94-110) (opens in a new tab) — Load constant of 51 lb (23 kg) — the most nearly all healthy workers should lift under ideal conditions; real lifts allow less.