Skip to calculator
MaterialCalc

—online—visits

MaterialCalc — Concrete Truck Load & Short-Load Fee Calculator

Estimate prepared 09/01/2026. Estimates only; verify against your plans before ordering.

Concrete Truck Load & Short-Load Fee Calculator

Most mixers carry 8 to 10. Ask your supplier before you plan the pour.

%

Order over, not under. Coming up short mid-pour makes a cold joint.

Result

Loading…

Ready-mix is billed by the yard with a minimum, delivered by trucks with a capacity, and charged extra when you fall below either. This works out how many trucks your pour needs, whether a short-load fee lands on the bill, and what the last partial load is going to cost you.

Assumptions used

These are the numbers behind the result. Where one of them is soft, the cost range widens rather than pretending to a precision the data does not have.

Ready-mix short-load threshold
1 yd³

Below roughly one cubic yard, most suppliers add a short-load fee that erases the price advantage over bags.

Regional ready-mix supplier schedules — Rough figure — widens the estimate range, checked 09/01/2026

Prices verified 09/01/2026 (US national average, big-box retail shelf price and regional ready-mix quotes). Regional adjustment: Blended from RSMeans city cost index bands and BLS construction wage differentials.

The formula

Billed volume = your volume plus waste, rounded up to the next quarter yard, or the supplier minimum if that is higher. Truck count = billed volume ÷ truck capacity, rounded up. The last load is the remainder after the full trucks.

Worked examples

6 yard patio pour

Concrete needed (cubic yards): 6 Truck capacity (cubic yards): 9 Waste: 10

One truck at 6.75 yards billed. Comfortably inside a single load, no short-load fee, no staging to arrange.

0.6 yard footing pour

Concrete needed (cubic yards): 0.6 Truck capacity (cubic yards): 9 Waste: 10

Billed at the one-yard minimum plus a short-load fee. At this size bagged mix is normally the cheaper route — check the ready-mix versus bags calculator.

16 yard driveway

Concrete needed (cubic yards): 16 Truck capacity (cubic yards): 9 Waste: 10

Two trucks, with about 8.6 yards on the second. Big enough that staging matters and a pump is worth pricing if access is awkward.

Choosing materials

  • Order in quarter-yard increments — that is how suppliers bill, and asking for 4.1 yards gets you 4.25 on the invoice anyway.
  • Always round up. A pour that runs out 20 minutes before the end leaves a cold joint through the slab, and no amount of money fixes that afterwards.
  • Space multiple trucks 30 to 40 minutes apart. Too close and they queue and charge waiting time; too far and the previous load starts to stiffen before the next arrives.
  • Ask about the water policy before the truck arrives. Adding water on site to make placement easier lowers the strength, and many suppliers void their strength guarantee if the driver adds any.
  • Check truck access first. A loaded mixer weighs 60,000 lb or more and will crack a residential driveway, tear up a lawn, and not fit down a narrow lane at all.

Common questions

How many yards does a concrete truck hold?

A standard mixer carries 8 to 10 cubic yards, though most suppliers load 9 or less to stay under axle weight limits. Small "mini-mix" trucks carry 1 to 4 yards and are worth asking about for tight sites and small pours.

What is the minimum concrete order?

One cubic yard is the common minimum, and ordering less than that triggers a short-load fee — frequently $100 to $200. Some suppliers set the minimum higher, so confirm before you plan around it.

Should I order extra concrete?

Yes, about 10%. Subgrade is never as flat as it looks and forms bulge. Having a quarter yard left over is a nuisance; running out 20 minutes short is a permanent cold joint through the pour.

What happens if I order too much?

You pay for what you ordered, and the surplus goes back with the truck. Have a plan for the extra before the day — a small pad, a set of post footings, or a place to dump it that will not become a problem.

How long can a concrete truck wait on site?

Most suppliers allow around 5 to 7 minutes per yard of unloading time and then charge demurrage. Concrete also has to be placed within about 90 minutes of batching, so a truck sitting in a queue is a truck losing workability.

Can a concrete truck reach my back yard?

Usually not. A loaded mixer weighs over 60,000 lb and needs a firm surface. Most back-yard pours run a chute up to about 18 ft, wheelbarrow the rest, or hire a pump — get the pump priced early, because it changes the budget.

Related calculators