About the Yards to Tons Calculator
You have measured a driveway, path or garden bed and worked out how many cubic yards of material it needs. Now the quarry asks how many tons you want, or you need to know whether your truck or trailer can carry the load. Converting cubic yards to tons answers both questions, but only if you use the right weight for the material, because a yard of gravel weighs more than three times as much as a yard of bark mulch.
This yards to tons calculator converts a volume in cubic yards to US tons, pounds and metric tonnes for common bulk materials, or for any material whose density you know. It also shows how many trips that weight would take in a full-size pickup and how many tandem dump truck loads it fills, so you can plan the delivery or the hauling.
How to Use the Yards to Tons Calculator
Enter the volume in cubic yards.
Choose the material, or choose Other and enter its density in tons per cubic yard.
The Formulas
tons = cubic yards × tons per cubic yard
pounds = tons × 2,000
tonnes = tons × 0.907
pickups = ⌈tons ÷ 1⌉
dump loads = ⌈tons ÷ 15⌉Step-by-Step Example
Five cubic yards of gravel.
tons 5 × 1.4 = 7 tons
pounds 7 × 2,000 = 14,000 lb
tonnes 7 × 0.907 = 6.35 t
hauling 7 pickup trips, or 1 tandem dump truck load
per yard 1.4 × 2,000 = 2,800 lbTypical Weights per Cubic Yard
Gravel and crushed stone weigh about 1.35 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard, roughly 2,700 to 3,000 pounds. Sand is similar when dry. Crusher run, with its fines, is among the heaviest at about 1.5 tons. Fill dirt is around 1.2 tons and topsoil about 1.1, though both become much heavier when wet. Asphalt millings weigh about 1.25 tons loose. Bark mulch is light, around 800 pounds per yard. These are loose figures; compacted material weighs more for the same volume.
Can My Vehicle Carry It?
Weight matters for safety. A typical full-size half-ton pickup can carry about 1,500 to 2,000 pounds once passengers and fuel are counted, which is less than a yard of gravel. Heavy-duty three-quarter and one-ton pickups carry more, but check the payload rating on the door sticker. Small utility trailers often carry 2,000 to 3,000 pounds. Overloading strains brakes, tyres and suspension, makes steering unsafe and may be illegal. For more than a couple of yards of heavy material, delivery is usually safer and cheaper.
Dump Truck Loads
Dump trucks are limited by legal weight as well as box size. A tandem dump truck usually carries around 15 tons, a tri-axle about 20 and a small single-axle truck 5 to 8. With heavy materials such as gravel and crusher run, the truck reaches its weight limit before the box is full. With light materials such as mulch, the box fills first, so suppliers quote mulch by the yard rather than by the ton.
Moisture
Rain soaks into sand, soil and fine stone, adding weight. A load of wet topsoil can weigh 1.3 tons per yard or more. When buying by the ton, wet material gives you less volume; when hauling, it adds to the load. Ask the supplier whether their figures are for dry or typical moist material.
Ordering by Weight
Quarries weigh trucks on certified scales, so ordering by the ton is precise. Convert your measured volume to tons with this calculator, then add 5 to 10% for waste, uneven ground and compaction. If you later have a ticket in tons and want to check the coverage, the tons to yards calculator works the other way.
Estimating the Volume First
To find the cubic yards in the first place, multiply length by width in feet and by depth in inches, then divide by 324. A 30 × 10 ft path 3 inches deep is 300 × 3 ÷ 324 = 2.78 cubic yards, which in gravel weighs about 3.9 tons. The yards of gravel calculator handles circles and triangles as well, and gives wheelbarrow loads.
Pricing by the Ton or the Yard
Some suppliers price the same material both ways. Converting lets you compare: at 1.4 tons per yard, gravel at 40 dollars a ton costs 56 dollars a yard. If another yard charges 50 dollars per cubic yard, it is the cheaper option, before delivery fees. Always compare the delivered price for the full quantity you need.
Storage and Placement
Heavy deliveries can damage driveways, lawns and buried pipes. Choose a firm, level spot close to the work for the truck to tip, and keep the pile away from drains so rain does not wash fines into them.
Metric Projects
For metric plans, multiply cubic metres by 1.308 to get cubic yards before entering them.
Understanding Your Result
The headline gives the weight in US tons.
The working line shows the density, pounds and metric tonnes.
The hauling line gives pickup trips and dump truck loads.
The per yard line gives the weight of one cubic yard.
When Should You Use This Calculator?
Use it to order material from a quarry that sells by the ton.
Use it to check whether a load is safe for your vehicle or trailer.
Use it to plan how many deliveries a project needs.
Common Mistakes
Assuming a yard weighs a ton. Most aggregates weigh more.
Overloading a pickup. One yard of gravel can exceed its payload.
Ignoring moisture. Wet material is heavier.
Using gravel weights for mulch. Mulch is far lighter.