Figuring out how much landscaping or construction material you need is a tricky business. Below are some diagrams to help you visualize how much product a pickup truck can carry. We also help you visualize how much various kinds of dump trucks can carry.
You can also learn how to calculate how many cubic yards of material you need in our article-video combo, “How Many Cubic Yards Do I Need?”
How many cubic yards of material can my pickup truck or delivery truck carry?
Check out our visual guide below.
Why are some materials sold by cubic yards and some sold by tons?
A cubic yard is a measure of volume while a ton is a measure of weight. The volume of the space you need to fill will always be the same, but the total weight of the materials you need will vary by the material. For example, a cubic yard of crushed rock is lighter than a cubic yard of topsoil.
The reason Washington Rock sells topsoil and sand by cubic yard rather than by ton is that their weight varies with the seasons. Topsoil and sand are heavier during the rainy season when they’re wet but lighter during the dry season. We do calculations throughout the year to figure out how much water the material has absorbed. Then our team members calculate how much of a ton of material is water weight and subtract that from the total. Buying topsoil and sand by volume means that you pay for the material rather than the water that’s in it. That’s especially important in the wet Pacific Northwest.
How many cubic yards of gravel, sand, or topsoil do I need?
Check out our article, “How Many Cubic Yards Do I Need?” You can also watch our video below.
This post was originally published on May 18, 2018, and was updated on July 9, 2020, September 27, 2021, and May 10, 2022. For more information about Washington Rock’s rock products, visit our Products page.
One thought on “What Does a Cubic Yard Look Like? | Visualizing How Much Gravel, Sand, or Topsoil You Need”