Sod
52 orders. 27 of them went in a lowboy, and the median box was gone in 3 days.2
LowboyMost used
One loose cubic yard of dry loam weighs about 2,070 pounds, so 10 tons of it takes up less than 10 yards.1 That's why dirt usually goes in a 20 yard that's only partly loaded, a 10 yard, or a short-walled lowboy. Here's what 454 dirt, sod, sand and stone orders in our provider network looked like over two years.2
What gets sent
284 orders listed the material as 100% dirt. They came through 70 providers in 22 states.2
| Container | Clean dirt orders | Share | All dirt, sod, sand and stone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 yard | 91 | 146 | |
| 10 yard | 82 | 121 | |
| Lowboy (short walls) | 65 | 108 | |
| Every other size | 46 | 79 |
Delivered October 26, 2024 through October 26, 2026, canceled orders excluded. "Every other size" groups sizes with too few orders to list one by one.2
Loose yards per 10 tons
The Federal Highway Administration publishes what a loose cubic yard of each soil weighs once it's dug up. Divide 20,000 pounds by that figure and you get how many yards reach 10 tons.1
| Soil | Loose lb per cubic yard | Yards to reach 10 tons | Yards | A 20 yard loaded to the top |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | 1,620 | 12.3 | 16.2 tons | |
| Clay, damp | 2,010 | 10.0 | 20.1 tons | |
| Loam, dry | 2,070 | 9.7 | 20.7 tons | |
| Clay, dry | 2,150 | 9.3 | 21.5 tons | |
| Loam, damp | 2,360 | 8.5 | 23.6 tons | |
| Silt | 2,380 | 8.4 | 23.8 tons | |
| Sand, dry | 2,590 | 7.7 | 25.9 tons | |
| Gravel, dry | 2,730 | 7.3 | 27.3 tons | |
| Loam, wet or mud | 2,940 | 6.8 | 29.4 tons | |
| Sand, wet | 3,230 | 6.2 | 32.3 tons | |
| Gravel, wet | 3,290 | 6.1 | 32.9 tons |
Loose weights from FHWA Exhibit 5.1 A, average gradation for gravel. FHWA rates its in-place weights within 5% and its swell factors within 33%, so treat these as planning numbers, not scale tickets.1 For other materials, use the debris weight calculator.
Rain changes the math. Dry loam is 2,070 pounds a loose yard and wet loam is 2,940, about 42% heavier.1 Cover an open box if a storm is coming, and load the dry pile first.
From the hole to the box
Measure a hole and you get yards in the ground. Dig it out and the same dirt fluffs up. FHWA's swell figures run from 11% for dry sand to 56% for topsoil and 67% for damp clay. Its own example: one yard in the cut can take 1.25 yards in the truck.1
The weight doesn't change when it swells. So size the box from the loose volume and count the loads from the weight.
| Dig | Yards in the ground | Loose yards | Weight | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 by 12 foot patio, 8 inches of topsoil | 3.6 | 5.5 | 4.3 tons | One 10 yard, well under 10 tons |
| 40 foot trench, 2 feet wide and 3 deep, damp loam | 8.9 | 12.7 | 15.0 tons | Fits a 20 yard by volume, but 15 tons is past a 10 ton inclusion, so plan two loads |
| 30 by 20 foot pad, 18 inches of dry loam | 33.3 | 50.0 | 50.5 tons | Five full 10 ton loads and a little more |
Worked from FHWA Exhibit 5.1 A: topsoil 2,430 pounds a yard in place with 56% swell, damp loam 3,370 with 43%, dry loam 3,030 with 50%.1
Clean or mixed
Clean dirt and dirt mixed with broken concrete behaved like two different materials in our records.2
| 100% dirt | Dirt and concrete mixed | |
|---|---|---|
| Orders | 284 | 72 |
| Most used size | 20 yard (91) | 10 yard (28) |
| Median tons included | 10 | 3 |
| Median scale weight, where one was recorded | 11.2 tons (27 orders) | 8.6 tons (21 orders) |
| Came in over the included weight | 11% of sized orders | 19 of 72 |
| Median days on site | 4 | 5 |
The clean dirt overage share is the one on our dumpster weight limits page, which counts 10 through 40 yard and lowboy orders. Mixed loads were quoted with less weight and went over more often, so tell us about the concrete, rock or roots before the quote. Pure concrete has its own guide: concrete disposal.
Sod, sand and stone
52 orders. 27 of them went in a lowboy, and the median box was gone in 3 days.2
LowboyMost used
25 orders, 20 in a 20 yard. Dry sand reaches 10 tons in about 7.7 loose yards, so load it low.21
20 yardMost used
21 orders, 17 in a 20 yard, and 14 of them quoted with 5 tons included.2
5 tonsMost quoted
How long it stays
Dirt containers don't sit long. Of 275 clean dirt orders with a pickup date, the median stay was 4 days.2
Across the whole dirt, sod, sand and stone group, 226 of 440 were picked up within 3 days. If you're filling more than one load, ask for a swap so the next box arrives as the full one leaves.
Send the dig size, the soil and anything mixed in. We'll match the box and the included weight to the load, from a local provider.
Questions
In our provider network, clean dirt went in a 20 yard most often, then a 10 yard, then a lowboy. A 20 yard isn't loaded to the top. About 10 loose yards of dry loam already weighs 10 tons.
Once it's dug up, FHWA puts dry loam at 2,070 pounds a loose yard, damp loam at 2,360 and wet loam at 2,940. Topsoil is lighter at 1,620.
The median on clean dirt orders was 10 tons, with 143 orders at 10 and 68 at 8. Dirt mixed with concrete had a median of 3.
FHWA's swell factors run from 11% for dry sand to 50% for dry loam, 56% for topsoil and 67% for damp clay. Size the box on the loose volume.
Ask first. Dirt with concrete is quoted as its own material, and trash in a dirt load can change where the load is allowed to go. See what can go in a dumpster.
Not long. Clean dirt boxes had a median stay of 4 days, and 189 of 275 were gone within a week.
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Sources