How Many Yards Does a Concrete Truck Hold?

If you’re planning a large-scale renovation project, such as redoing your driveway, then you might want to consider purchasing a truckload of concrete. The only question is, how many cubic yards will a concrete truck transport per trip?

A fully loaded concrete truck can hold between 0.3 and 0.4 cubic yards of concrete at once.

The next natural question is how much area can a truckload of concrete covers and how much is it going to cost you? I’ll answer these questions and more in the following sections.

How Many Yards Does a Concrete Truck Hold?

One of the simplest ways to cover your driveway or any wide surface with concrete is by purchasing the material by truckload. Of course, you can mix concrete yourself, which is the more cost-effective route, but if you want a beautiful finish and even drying times, then purchasing ready-mixed concrete is the better option.

So, how much concrete can a truck transport in one trip?

Concrete trucks come with massive mixer tanks that hold 8 cubic feet on average. However, you can push the limit and get 10 cubic feet of concrete. In cubic yards, these figures translate to 0.3 and 0.4, respectively.

While these numbers might seem insignificant, figuring out how much surface area a truckload of concrete can cover will give you some perspective.

How Many Square Feet Does a Concrete Truck Cover?

To figure out how much of your driveway will be covered in ready-mixed concrete per truck, you first have to know how thick you want the slabs to be. For example, concrete driveways will usually be 4 inches thick. However, some people might get away with just 3 inches of concrete, while others might want thicker slabs for extra durability. And even though concrete shrinks as it dries, it does so at a rate of just 0.05%, which is a pretty insignificant number for driveways.

The following table will demonstrate how many square feet a truckload of concrete can cover based on various slab thicknesses.

Driveway Thickness	Square Feet per 8-cu.-ft. Truck	Square Yards per 8-cu.-ft. Truck	Square Feet per 10-cu.-ft. Truck	Square Yards per 10-cu.-ft. Truck
3 in.	2.67	0.3	3.33	0.37
4 in.	2	0.22	2.5	0.28
5 in.	1.6	0.18	2	0.22
6 in.	1.33	0.15	1.67	0.19

So, assuming that you have a 9 × 24-foot driveway at various thicknesses, you’ll need:

Concrete Thickness	Truckloads per 8-cu.-ft. Truck	Truckloads per 10-cu.-ft. Truck
3 in.	6.75	5.4
4 in.	9	7.2
5 in.	11.25	9
6 in.	13.5	10.8

Now, how much will it cost you? It ultimately depends on how much the supplier charges per cubic foot of concrete and whether there is a fuel surcharge when you don’t order a full truck.

To cover these bases, let’s assume that you will have to pay $800 or $1,300 per 8 and 10 cubic feet of ready-mix concrete, respectively, and that there is also a $25 surcharge for partially loaded trucks.

Concrete Requirement	Cost ($800) per 8-cu.-ft. Truck	Cost ($1,300) per 10-cu.-ft. Truck
3 in.	$4,825*	$6,525*
4 in.	$7,200	$9,125*
5 in.	$8,825*	$11,700
6 in.	$10,425*	$13,025*

*Includes a $25 surcharge

Is It Cheaper to Mix My Own Concrete?

The price disparity between purchasing ready-mix concrete and mixing your own is astronomical.

To demonstrate this fact, you first need to understand how much concrete a bag of concrete mix will produce. On average, you can hope to get around 0.6 cubic feet per 80-pound bag of mix. Quickrete 110180 Concrete Mix costs around $8 per 80-pound bag, which is what I’ll use in the following cost analysis.

Please note that the following calculations do not include the cost of water, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, labor, and renting a concrete mixer machine.

8-cubic-foot Concrete Truck

• 1 80-pound bag of Quickrete = $8 = 0.6 cubic feet
• 1 concrete truck = 8 cubic feet = 14 (rounded up) bags of Quickrete
• 14 bags of Quickrete = $112
• 1 concrete truck = $800
• Cost difference = $688

10-cubic-foot Concrete Truck

• 1 concrete truck = 10 cubic feet = 17 (rounded up) bags of QUuckrete
• 17 bags of Quickrete = $136
• 1 concrete truck = $1,300
• Cost difference = $1,164

Is It Worth Purchasing Ready-Mix Concrete?

It can be, especially if you value looks, feel, and durability over everything else. The thing about ready-mix concrete, apart from convenience, is that the suppliers are trained to produce high-quality, extra-durable concrete that dries evenly. Meanwhile, if you don’t know what you’re doing, your self-mixed concrete may end up becoming a complete mess.