Ten cubic yards. That is the number most people are given when they ring a supplier, and it is roughly right for a standard drum mixer in the United States. In the UK and across most of Europe the same truck is quoted as 6 to 8 cubic metres.
The number matters less than you would think, though. Trucks are limited by weight long before they run out of drum, and the load you actually want is rarely a full one.
Typical mixer truck capacities
| Truck type | Drum capacity | Usual load carried |
|---|---|---|
| Standard US rear-discharge | 10–11 yd³ | 8–9 yd³ |
| US front-discharge | 10–12 yd³ | 9–10 yd³ |
| UK / EU 8-wheeler | 8 m³ | 6 m³ |
| UK 6-wheeler (“mini mix”) | 4 m³ | 3–4 m³ |
| Volumetric (mix on site) | varies | you pay for what you use |
Why the drum is rarely full
Concrete is heavy. One cubic yard weighs around 4,050 lb, so nine yards is over 18 tons of material sitting on top of an already heavy vehicle. Highway axle limits, not drum volume, decide what a driver can legally carry. Soft ground, tight site access and steep driveways cut the figure further, because a fully loaded truck will sink or scrub where a part-loaded one gets through.
Ask your supplier what they can actually get onto your site. A yard that looks fine in dry August turns into a recovery job in February.
Ordering: the part-load trap
Suppliers charge for empty space. In the US this shows up as a short-load fee, typically $50 to $150 on anything under 5 to 10 yards. In the UK it is a part-load charge of roughly £30 to £60 per empty cubic metre. Order 2 m³ from a truck that holds 6 and you may pay for four metres of nothing.
Two ways around it:
- Volumetric trucks. The materials are carried separately and mixed on the spot, so you are billed for exactly what comes out of the chute. For anything between roughly 1 and 4 m³ this is usually the cheapest route.
- Combine pours. If you have a slab and a set of footings to do, do them on the same day with one delivery rather than two.
Work out what to order
Measure the pour, add wastage, then round up to the nearest quarter metre or half yard — suppliers batch in increments, and coming up short mid-pour creates a cold joint you will be looking at for the next thirty years.
Our slab calculator and footing calculator both include a wastage field. For a straight volume-to-price check, use the concrete cost calculator, which handles per-cubic-yard and per-cubic-metre pricing.
Common questions
How many yards of concrete are in a full truck?
Eight to ten cubic yards for a standard US mixer, with the drum itself holding a little more. UK and EU trucks are typically 6 to 8 cubic metres. Weight limits usually cap the load before the drum does.
How much does a full truck of concrete cost?
At 2026 prices, a 9-yard load of 3,500 psi mix runs roughly $1,300 to $1,600 delivered in the US. A 6 m³ UK load of C25 sits around £700 to £850. Pump hire, weekend delivery and long waits on site are all extra.
How long can concrete stay in the truck?
Around 90 minutes to two hours from batching, less in hot weather. Beyond that the mix stiffens and the driver may refuse to discharge it. Have your formwork finished, your crew ready and your access clear before the truck arrives.
Can I order half a truck of concrete?
Yes, but expect a part-load or short-load surcharge. Below about 4 m³ (5 yd³), get a quote from a volumetric supplier before committing — they often work out cheaper for small pours.