A tandem dump truck usually carries about 10 to 12 cubic yards of dirt, and weight is often the limit, not the size of the bed. Fill dirt weighs about 1.2 tons per cubic yard, so a 10 yard load is about 12 tons.
Dirt is heavy
Dry fill dirt is about 2,400 pounds per cubic yard. Wet dirt can be 3,000 pounds or more. A truck bed that could hold 14 cubic yards of mulch may be at its weight limit with 10 cubic yards of dirt.
Hauling companies know their payload limits, so ask how many yards they will bring.
How many loads for your project?
Calculate your excavation or fill in cubic yards, then add 10 to 20 percent. Soil that has been dug up is bulkier than it was in the ground, and this swell can be 20 to 30 percent for common soil.
A pool excavation of 60 cubic yards in the ground may become 75 or more cubic yards of loose dirt to haul away.
Ordering dirt for delivery
Say whether you need clean fill, screened topsoil, or something else. Tell the dispatcher where the truck will dump and whether the driveway can handle the weight. Dump trucks can crack thin driveways.
Fill dirt load weight at 2,400 pounds per cubic yard
| Cubic yards | US tons | Pounds |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2.40 | 4,800 |
| 5 | 6.00 | 12,000 |
| 8 | 9.60 | 19,200 |
| 10 | 12.00 | 24,000 |
| 12 | 14.40 | 28,800 |
| 14 | 16.80 | 33,600 |
Frequently asked questions
How many yards of dirt are in a dump truck?
About 10 to 12 cubic yards for a tandem, limited by weight.
How many tons of dirt in a dump truck?
About 12 tons for 10 cubic yards of fill dirt.
What is swell?
It is the extra volume dirt takes up once it has been dug and loosened.
How many loads is 100 yards of dirt?
About 9 or 10 loads in a tandem truck.