How Many Yards in a Concrete Truck? Loads & Limits
By Marko VisicBSc Physics, University of Ljubljana
Order a slab and the plant thinks in truckloads. Here is what one truck carries, why it is not more, and how many trucks your pour takes.
A full concrete truck carries about 10 cubic yards on roads that follow the federal bridge formula. That is the load Continental’s Thoroughbred and Con-Tech’s BridgeKing mixers are built for, and Con-Tech says some state roads allow 12 or more. Ten yards of concrete weigh about 19 to 21 tons.
10yd³
a full load on bridge-formula roads
How many yards of concrete a truck holds
Two makers of mixers built for the federal bridge formula put the load at about ten yards. Continental describes its six-axle Thoroughbred as capable of hauling 10 yd under the formula, and Con-Tech designs its BridgeKing for payloads up to 10+ yards, adding that some state roads allow 12+.
The drum is bigger than the load. Two things limit a truck: the rating of its drum and the weight its axles may carry on the road, and the load has to fit under both.
Mixer and agitator ratings
Drums are rated well below their full volume. New Jersey DOT’s truck inspection procedure caps a truck mixer’s rating at 63 percent of the drum’s gross volume, and an agitator truck’s, carrying concrete already mixed at a central plant, at 80 percent. So a truck rated for ten yards as a mixer has a drum of about 15.9 cubic yards, which could agitate about 12.7 if weight allowed.
Texas DOT’s pavement manual gives a smaller example: a truck rated for 6 cu yd as a mixer and 8 cu yd as an agitator. Central-mixed concrete can go out at the larger figure; concrete mixed in the truck goes at the smaller.
Why a truck carries no more
Concrete is heavy. The Federal Highway Administration puts normal concrete at 140 to 155 lb/ft³, so ten yards weigh 37,800 to 41,850 lb before the truck itself.
On the Interstate System, federal rules cap a vehicle at 80,000 lb gross, unless the bridge formula allows less, with 20,000 lb on any one axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem. The bridge formula allows more weight when it is spread over more axles set farther apart; the Thoroughbred has six axles.
How many trucks for your pour
Work out the cubic yards with the concrete calculator, divide by the load and round up. The last truck often brings a partial load.
| Pour | Trucks at 10 yd | Last load |
|---|---|---|
| 4 yd³ | 1 | 4 yd³ |
| 8 yd³ | 1 | 8 yd³ |
| 12 yd³ | 2 | 2 yd³ |
| 15 yd³ | 2 | 5 yd³ |
| 20 yd³ | 2 | 10 yd³ |
| 30 yd³ | 3 | 10 yd³ |
| 45 yd³ | 5 | 5 yd³ |
Cement truck or concrete truck
They are the same truck. Cement is one ingredient of concrete, along with water, sand and stone, and the drum carries the mixed concrete; the concrete vs cement guide explains the difference.
Concrete truck FAQ
How many yards are in a concrete truck?
A full load is about 10 yards where trucks must meet the federal bridge formula: Continental and Con-Tech build their bridge-formula mixers for that load. Con-Tech says some state roads allow 12 or more.
How many yards can a cement truck hold?
The same truck: a “cement truck” is a concrete mixer, and a full one carries about 10 cubic yards on bridge-formula roads. Its drum holds more than that by volume, but the drum rating and the road weight limits keep the load down.
How much does a full truck of concrete weigh?
The concrete alone weighs 37,800 to 41,850 lb for ten yards, at the Federal Highway Administration’s 140 to 155 lb/ft³, before the truck’s own weight.
How many concrete trucks do I need?
Divide the cubic yards by the load and round up. A 30 by 30 ft slab 4 inches thick is 11.1 yd³, so 2 trucks at ten yards a load.
Why does a concrete truck not fill its drum?
Drums are rated well below their volume. Specifications such as New Jersey DOT’s cap a mixer’s rating at 63 percent of the drum’s gross volume, or 80 percent when the drum only agitates concrete mixed at the plant.
What is the difference between mixer and agitator capacity?
A truck has two ratings. Texas DOT’s example is a truck rated for 6 cu yd as a mixer and 8 cu yd as an agitator: when the concrete is mixed at a central plant, the larger figure applies.
Sources & method
Loads are from Continental’s and Con-Tech’s descriptions of their bridge-formula mixers; the drum ratings from New Jersey DOT’s truck inspection procedure and Texas DOT’s pavement manual; the weight limits from 23 CFR 658.17; the unit weight of concrete from the Federal Highway Administration. Weights, drum sizes and truck counts are worked out on the page.
- Concrete Products. Continental engineers its own breed of bridge mixer. Nov 29, 2017
- Con-Tech Manufacturing (CTM). Con-Tech Manufacturing 2025 Spring Mailer (BridgeKing). 2025
- New Jersey Department of Transportation. Materials Procedure MP 38-09, Concrete Truck Inspection. effective Jan 1, 2010
- Texas Department of Transportation. Pavement Manual, Section 4.2 Concrete Mixing Trucks. retrieved Nov 15, 2026
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 23 CFR 658.17 Weight. eCFR as of Oct 22, 2026
- Federal Highway Administration. FHWA-HRT-05-057, Appendix C – Proposed Revisions to the AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges, Art. 3.3.6 (dead load) background. October 2006
- Concrete Calculator: Cubic Yards, Bags & CostCubic yards for your slab, footing or wall, to order by the truck.
- Concrete Weight Calculator: Pounds, Tons & kgWhat a pour weighs, by volume and mix.
- Concrete vs Cement: What's the Difference?Why the "cement truck" is carrying concrete.
Marko Visic
I'm Marko Visic, a physics graduate who builds data-driven calculators. I run ConstructionCalc through my company, Moving Data Systems d.o.o.
The calculators help you plan a DIY job or check a contractor's quote before you sign. Each one cites its sources and shows its method, and cost figures are computed from public primary data. If a number looks wrong, email info@constructioncalc.org and I'll trace it to its source or fix it.