Pickup beds, by volume
A bed’s volume is length × width × side height ÷ 27. Suppliers who load pickups publish these figures for a bed filled level with the top of the sides:
| Bed | Inside size (ft) | Stated capacity | Our math | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short bed | 6 × 4.5 × 1.5 | 1.5 cu yd | 1.50 cu yd | Landscape Recycling Center[1] |
| Standard bed | 8 × 5.33 × 1.5 | 2 cu yd | 2.37 cu yd | Landscape Recycling Center[1] |
| Compact | 6 × 4 | 1.33 cu yd | 1.33 cu yd* | Cedar Grove[2] |
| Compact | 7 × 4 | 1.56 cu yd | 1.56 cu yd* | Cedar Grove[2] |
| Full size | 7 × 5 | 1.94 cu yd | 1.94 cu yd* | Cedar Grove[2] |
| Full size | 8 × 5 | 2.22 cu yd | 2.22 cu yd* | Cedar Grove[2] |
| Full size | not given | 2.5 cu yd | — | Soil Building Systems[3] |
* Cedar Grove gives only the floor size; its figures match sides 1.5 ft high, which we used. For a 6 ft bed plan on about 1.5 cubic yards and for an 8 ft bed about 2. The Landscape Recycling Center rounds its standard bed down to 2 even though the listed size works out to 2.37. Measure your own bed if you want the exact number.
Payload or bed space: which runs out first
Payload is the weight a truck may carry, including the driver, passengers and anything else in the cab and bed. Ford lists 2,440 lb as the maximum for a 2026 F-150, and only in the configuration built for maximum payload; most trucks are rated lower, and yours is on the label inside the driver’s door.[4] The table below assumes 2,000 lb left for cargo after the people in the cab, and an 8 ft bed of 2 cubic yards.
cargo weight = payload rating − driver and passengers
| Material | Lb per cu yd (loose) | Cu yd in 2,000 lb | Load per trip | What runs out first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #57 crushed stone (about ¾ in, clean) | 2,500–2,900 | 0.69–0.80 | 0.69–0.80 cu yd | Payload |
| #8 / #89 crushed stone (⅜ in, pea-size) | 2,300–2,800 | 0.71–0.87 | 0.71–0.87 cu yd | Payload |
| Pea gravel (rounded, about ⅜ in) | 2,500–3,000 | 0.67–0.80 | 0.67–0.80 cu yd | Payload |
| River rock (1–3 in) | 2,600–2,900 | 0.69–0.77 | 0.69–0.77 cu yd | Payload |
| Crusher run / road base (loose) | 2,600–3,200 | 0.63–0.77 | 0.63–0.77 cu yd | Payload |
| Decomposed granite | 2,700–3,000 | 0.67–0.74 | 0.67–0.74 cu yd | Payload |
| Lava rock | 900–1,600 | 1.25–2.22 | 1.25–2.00 cu yd | Either, depending on the load |
| Sand, dry | 2,400–2,900 | 0.69–0.83 | 0.69–0.83 cu yd | Payload |
| Sand, damp (typical as delivered) | 2,800–3,100 | 0.65–0.71 | 0.65–0.71 cu yd | Payload |
| Topsoil | 1,600–2,600 | 0.77–1.25 | 0.77–1.25 cu yd | Payload |
| Fill dirt | 2,000–2,400 | 0.83–1.00 | 0.83–1.00 cu yd | Payload |
| Clay fill | 2,000–2,149 | 0.93–1.00 | 0.93–1.00 cu yd | Payload |
| Compost | 800–1,600 | 1.25–2.50 | 1.25–2.00 cu yd | Either, depending on the load |
| Shredded hardwood mulch | 400–800 | 2.50–5.00 | 2.00 cu yd | Bed space |
| Wood chips | 450–650 | 3.08–4.44 | 2.00 cu yd | Bed space |
| Pine bark mulch or nuggets | 200–500 | 4.00–10.00 | 2.00 cu yd | Bed space |
| Rubber mulch | 702 | 2.85 | 2.00 cu yd | Bed space |
Weights are loose, as delivered, from our material weights table, where each has its sources. Wet material sits at the heavy end, so use the smaller number when it has been raining.
Example: 3 cubic yards of topsoil, then 3 of mulch
- Topsoil per trip: 2,000 ÷ 1,600 lb = 1.25 cu yd for light, dry soil, and 2,000 ÷ 2,600 lb = 0.77 cu yd for heavy, wet soil
- Trips: 3 ÷ 1.25 = 2.4 and 3 ÷ 0.77 = 3.9, so 3–4 trips
- Shredded hardwood mulch weighs 400–800 lb per cubic yard, so a 2 cu yd bed weighs 800–1,600 lb and the bed fills first: 3 ÷ 2 = 1.5 → 2 trips
Dump trucks
Texas DOT’s haul truck guidance puts a single-axle dump truck at about 6 cubic yards of aggregate and a tandem-axle bed at 12 or 14 cubic yards.[5] Those are bed volumes. Multiplied by loose weights they give the tons below, but a truck’s legal weight limit often means a supplier loads less of heavy material, so treat these as the most a full bed could weigh:
| Material | Single axle, 6 cu yd | Tandem, 12–14 cu yd |
|---|---|---|
| #57 crushed stone (about ¾ in, clean) | 7.5–8.7 tons | 15.0–20.3 tons |
| Crusher run / road base (loose) | 7.8–9.6 tons | 15.6–22.4 tons |
| Sand, damp (typical as delivered) | 8.4–9.3 tons | 16.8–21.7 tons |
| Topsoil | 4.8–7.8 tons | 9.6–18.2 tons |
| Shredded hardwood mulch | 1.2–2.4 tons | 2.4–5.6 tons |
Stone and damp sand are often sold by the ton. Ask your supplier how many tons or yards their truck actually delivers and whether there is a minimum order.
Ready-mix concrete trucks
Ready-mix trucks carry 8 to 12 cubic yards. A loaded truck weighs about 80,000 lb and may not be able to drive over loose dirt or residential curbs.[6] Plan where it will park and how the concrete gets to the forms. See bags vs ready-mix for small jobs.
Questions people ask
How many tons does a dump truck carry?
By volume, a tandem dump truck holds 12–14 cubic yards, which would be 15–20 tons of #57 stone, and a single-axle truck about 6 cubic yards (7.5–8.7 tons). Legal weight limits often mean less is loaded, so ask the supplier what their truck carries.
How many wheelbarrows is 1 yard of gravel?
Divide 27 by your wheelbarrow’s capacity in cubic feet, which is usually marked on the tub. Gravel is heavy, so you may not fill the barrow level; count your own trips for the first yard and scale up.
Related calculators and guides
Sources
- Landscape Recycling Center (Champaign–Urbana), Measurements. Pickup bed capacities. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Cedar Grove, Average Pickup Truck Capacities in Cubic Yards. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Soil Building Systems (soil and mulch producer, Texas), Pickup Truck Capacities. Full-size pickup level full 2.5 cu yd (supplier page, secondary source). Checked 2026-09-26.
- Ford Motor Company, 2026 F-150 specifications. Maximum payload 2,440 lb in the best configuration. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Texas Department of Transportation, Seal Coat and Surface Treatment Manual: Haul Trucks, Size. Single-axle about 6 cu yd; tandem 12–14 cu yd. Checked 2026-09-26.
- National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, CIP 31: Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete. Truck capacity 8–12 cu yd; order 4–10% extra. Checked 2026-09-26.