How Many Dump-Truck Loads Is That Gravel?
Convert area and depth to cubic yards, then divide by what the truck actually holds. Capacity depends on the truck and the material’s weight.
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Transcript
A truckload isn't a number. Here's how to order the right count. Start with the area and the depth. Length times width times depth, in feet, divided by 27, gives you cubic yards. A 20-by-20 foot area, four inches deep, is about five cubic yards before compaction. For gravel, add a little extra because it compacts. Then divide by what the truck actually holds. Truck capacities differ, and payload also depends on the material's weight. That's why two suppliers can quote a different number of loads for the same driveway base. Use the dump-truck and gravel calculators at concretenear.com, then find a local hauler or aggregate yard.
Photo credits
- A dump truck unloading aggregate. Maël Balland · Pexels License (free to use; attribution not required, recorded anyway) · Pexels photo 19820169 — dump truck unloading gravel.
- A loaded dump truck. Ronald Plett · Pexels License (free to use; attribution not required, recorded anyway) · Pexels photo 15370207 — dump truck loaded with sand.
- Dump truck placing crushed stone. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region · Public domain · File:Little Sucker Brook- Construction of stream crossing (5277480687).jpg.
- A gravel truck and trailer on the road. Kotivalo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · File:Long gravel truck with trailer and Patova branding.jpg · attribution required.
Original teaching diagrams drawn in Python (PIL/NumPy). No AI-generated imagery. Music: none.