Truck Load Calculator: Loads of Soil, Gravel or Mulch

Enter the cubic yards you need, the inside size of the truck bed or body, the payload of the truck and the weight of the material. You get the yards in a full load, the yards the payload allows, and the number of loads.

Jump to your result ↓

Results

Example job shown. Change the numbers to match yours.

Space in the bedLength × width × height, divided by 27: 2.11 yd³
Yards the payload allowsThe payload divided by the weight of a yard: 0.71 yd³
Yards in each loadThe payload limits the load, not the space: 0.71 yd³

Loads needed

9 loads

6.0 yd³ in loads of 0.71 yd³

Weight of a full-space loadIf the bed were filled to the height you set: 5,898 lb
Material in the last load: 0.29 yd³

A load is limited by the space in the bed or by the payload of the truck, whichever is smaller. Heavy material such as gravel, wet soil or sand fills the payload long before it fills the bed, while mulch and dry topsoil fill the bed first. Take the payload from the sticker on the door jamb (the weight you may add, which includes people and gear), and never exceed it, since an overloaded truck brakes and steers badly and may be illegal. A supplier's own truck loads by weight or volume, so ask them for the yards and the tons of a load. The weights are approximate: ask your supplier.

Before you buy: round up to whole packs, check the size printed on the label, and add a little spare. Your supplier has the final say.

How this calculator works

Worked example: a bed 6.5 × 5 × 1.75 ft holds 6.5 × 5 × 1.75 ÷ 27 = 2.11 cubic yards. At 1.4 tons a yard, a payload of 2,000 lb allows 2,000 ÷ 2,800 = 0.71 yards, which is the smaller, so a load is 0.71 yards, and 6 yards takes 9 loads. Mulch at 0.5 tons a yard is limited by the space: 2.00 yards and 3 loads. A heavy material at 2 tons a yard gives 0.50 yards a load and 12 loads. A dump body of 12 × 7 × 3 ft with a payload of 24,000 lb carries 8.57 yards of this material and does the job in 1 load.

Yards in a load for a bed of 6.5 × 5 × 1.75 ft and a payload of 2,000 lb

The payload limit for some materials, and the loads for 6 yards.

Material weight (tons per yd³)	Yards the payload allows	Yards in a load	Loads for 6 yd³
0.5	2.00	2.00	3
0.7	1.43	1.43	5
1	1.00	1.00	6
1.4	0.71	0.71	9
1.7	0.59	0.59	11
2	0.50	0.50	12

Tips before you buy

Check the payload on the door jamb sticker, and subtract the people and the gear in the truck.
Ask the supplier for the weight of a yard of the material, since it varies with moisture.
Load heavy material over the axles and not behind them, and tarp the load.
If your truck is small, have the supplier deliver: the delivery fee is often less than many trips.
Allow for the material to settle, and order a little extra.

Tools & materials for this project

Affiliate links As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These links do not change what you pay.

Truck bed tarp Wheelbarrow Shovel Ratchet straps Work gloves

Frequently asked questions

How many truck loads do I need?

Divide the yards you need by the yards in a load, rounded up. A load here is 0.71 yards, so 6 yards takes 9 loads.

How many yards fit in a pickup truck?

It depends on the bed: a full-size bed holds about 2.1 cubic yards by volume, but the payload often allows less of a heavy material such as gravel.

What is the payload of my truck?

It is on the sticker on the driver's door jamb, which shows the weight you can add, including people and gear. Do not guess it.

Why does gravel fill the payload before the bed?

A cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.4 tons or more, and a typical pickup can carry well under a ton and a half, so the weight limits the load before the space does.

How much does a yard of material weigh?

It varies with the material and the moisture: mulch and dry topsoil are light and gravel, sand and wet soil are heavy. Ask your supplier for their figure.

Add this calculator to your website

Running a blog, a contractor site or a class page? You can put this calculator on it for free. Copy the code below, and please leave the link underneath the calculator in place. The small script just resizes the frame to fit the results; if your site strips scripts, the calculator still works inside a scrolling frame.

Get the embed code

<iframe src="https://weekendcalc.com/embed/truck-load-calculator/" title="Truck Load Calculator: Loads of Soil, Gravel or Mulch" style="width:100%;max-width:760px;height:1020px;border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<script>window.addEventListener("message",function(e){var d=e.data;if(e.origin==="https://weekendcalc.com"&&d&&d.weekendcalc==="height"){var f=document.getElementsByTagName("iframe");for(var i=0;i<f.length;i++)if(f[i].contentWindow===e.source)f[i].style.height=d.h+"px"}});</script>
<p style="font:14px/1.4 system-ui,sans-serif">Truck Load Calculator: Loads of Soil, Gravel or Mulch by <a href="https://weekendcalc.com/truck-load-calculator/">WeekendCalc</a></p>

Related calculators & guides

Estimates only. Results assume standard materials and simple shapes. Supplier products vary, and the final call on quantity, structure and safety is yours. Check your local code and your supplier's guidance before ordering.

Your project