Feeling ripped off.....fill dirt

[Egon]

I respectfully disagree.

Nothing wrong with that!

 

[cabinhollow]

What size is the truck bed?
All in feet.
Length of bed x width of bed x height of bed = cu ft / 27 = cu yard.
So if that truck bed was 14' long x 7.5' wide x 3' tall = 315 cu ft / 27 = 11.66 cu yards.
Looking at the picture, the bed was loaded to 4/5 max. So, if it was the size bed I used, you received app. 9.33 cu yards.

 

[ruffdog]

We can get black dirt 3 ways, either from a old dense pile (heavy), loosened dirt (lighter), or sifted dirt (lightest). The sifted dirt is so easy to spread you can do it with a rake but once it packs, it loses 50% of volume.

 

[Big Barn]

What size is the truck bed?
All in feet.
Length of bed x width of bed x height of bed = cu ft / 27 = cu yard.
So if that truck bed was 14' long x 7.5' wide x 3' tall = 315 cu ft / 27 = 11.66 cu yards.
Looking at the picture, the bed was loaded to 4/5 max. So, if it was the size bed I used, you received app. 9.33 cu yards.

Excellent explanation! BUT. We do not know the bed length of the truck in the photo. It LOOKS longer than 14 feet to me but photos can be deceiving. Most tandem trucks in my area are 16 1/2 foot minimum and up to 20 feet long.

 

[Big Barn]

Some places use scales on the loader, some use scales on the truck, some use average weighting. 1 cu.yd. Of clay is about 1700 pounds, one cu. yd. of sand/clay is about 2500 pounds. One cu.yd. Of mulch is about 1000 pounds. A tri-axle dump averages out to 22 cu. yds. But is limited by weight more than volume. 22 yards of mulch wouldn’t be a weight issue but 15 yards of sand is.
L

 

[Big Barn]

Nothing wrong with that!

 

[mred2]

I have two friends that haul dirt and gravel for me. One has large truck with a trailer. He says he hauls 20 yards on his truck. He can not turn it around at my house, but can the barn. The other has tri-axle trucks, his says that he hauls 20 yards on his truck. It seems that both trucks hauls are based on the max weight allowed on the highway. So no matter who I buy from, both should be about the same yards. The big trailer is so much bigger and looks like it is not loaded, but it is as much as he is allowed to haul. I have been given copies of the weight tickets when they haul rock and both are close to the same weight. And they are charged by the ton to buy it. Dirt is different. Around here when you ask for top soil, you get mostly sand and horse manure.

 

[Rmart30]

Dirt down here is sold by whatever fits in the truck. They fill the truck till it looks full, and not too full to attract attention from the DOT.
Ive loaded, moved and spread a lot of dumptruck loads and they always looks small when the truck dumps em. Usually if "I think" 3 loads should do it, I end up with 5 or 6.

 

[LD1]

Ever seen them water it down either.

Would take ALOT of water to even make much difference in the cost

 

[ovrszd]

But, there is a shrinkage factor, too. Whenever I plant something, I dig a hole, place the plant in the hole, scoop the dirt back in around it, then have to go get some more dirt to fill in the rest of the hole.



Bruce

Shrinkage, you know about shrinkage???? (Sienfeld)

 

[Big Barn]

Shrinkage, you know about shrinkage???? (Sienfeld)

TMI but thanks, Richard.

 

[GLyford]

Here's another idea:

How close to truly flat was the spot you put the dirt? It doesn't take much of a dip or waviness in the surface and next thing you know half a load is simply gone. Ask anyone who has tried to top dress a lawn or fill in a "small dip". Especially if there is grass there, which can hide a lot of surface variation.

And that's before we even get into the "fluff" factor of having it loose enough to be scoopable into a truck, as others have pointed out.

 

[CMV]

Ground was flat and level. Actually, there was some dirt there from the adjacent berm so this one had about 2 yds of old compacted dirt already there as a headstart.

The 'fluff' I don't get. Loose dirt from a pile, loaded into a truck with a wheel loader, dumped in a pile, then immediately taken 1/2 yd at a time and dumped loosely again. The 'fluff' theory suggests the original pile at the suppliers yard was incredibly light & airy, material compacted 20% during a 15 minute truck ride, and didn't 'fluff back up' by dropping it 1/2 yd at a time from 8'.

I could see if I were taking loose material and then really compacting it by driving over it. But this was basically, pile - to truck - to pile - to pile. Hard to imagine a 20% volume loss considering I can't walk up the berm without getting calf deep in loose dirt. It's still 'loose' which is why I'll need more once it does settle & compact (and why I'm disappointed there was no remainder from my '26 yds' to take care of that).

 

[LD1]

Its really hard to measure an exact volume of a "pile"

What are the dimensions of the area you were filling?

That truck looks like what is considered a "14" yard box.

But I dont know its dimensions. so hard to say. Looks like they could have filled it a little fuller IMO to reach 13 yards. But if you were shorted it dont look like much. Looks like you got maybe 11 or 12 yard loads.

But as others have said....call the company. If none the less you can get dimensions of their box, and you have the pic for proof. Because if that is indeed a 14 yard box (assuming level full) they might have shorted you a few yards per load.

 

[WVBill]

Many years ago I decided to put in a french drain across the slope in my back yard (city-size lot). I calculated I needed a yard of drain rock. I also calculated the 6' bed of my old 1965 F150 would hold a yard of material. So I went to the stone yard about 2 miles from my house and told the man at the counter I needed a yard of drain rock. "A yard - you sure?" - "Yes sir" - "Delivered?" - "No sir, I've got my truck" - "[sly smile] OK, son drive around back and Slim will load you up".
Slim loaded me up with a yard of drain rock. It fit. The rear springs on my truck were fully compressed and the bed was riding on the rubber bumpers on the rear axle. Fortunately the road home was level.

 

[crashz]

I could see if I were taking loose material and then really compacting it by driving over it. But this was basically, pile - to truck - to pile - to pile. Hard to imagine a 20% volume loss considering I can't walk up the berm without getting calf deep in loose dirt. It's still 'loose' which is why I'll need more once it does settle & compact (and why I'm disappointed there was no remainder from my '26 yds' to take care of that).

I was expecting it to be compacted. And your cross section drawing shows a little more than 1/2 as fill, with steeper sides than a 1:1 slope. So I would say you are using more in lines with 20 CY of soil. With compaction, I thought you were right about on, maybe a little shy (1 to 2 CY).

But if the backstop is not compacted, I can't see how loose soil will hold the steep slopes you need in your cross section. Even a 1:1 slope is steep for un-compacted fill. So my guess is your base spread a little wider. And it only takes about a foot to drastically add volume. So assuming that your cross section is 2/3 and your base is 7ft wide, height is 7ft and a perfect 16ft, you are ~ 19.5 yards of loose fill.

 

[cabinhollow]

"13 cu yds is one tandem load (advertised, sold by volume, not weight like stone)."

Find out what the ID of the dump bed is. Not the OD, as that will be 6"+ more.
It does not matter if its sand, rock, dirt, fluffy, wet. etc. You brought by the cu yd.
5% volume loss would be max for a 15 min drive.
Based on your picture the bed was only 80% full. So, for you to have got 13 cu yds, that would of have to be a 16 cu yd bed. A tape measure and 2 min, will tell the truth.

 

[Fuddy1952]

You know the sugar/poop/fly story? When I got the five tandem loads of fill dirt a few weeks ago the last $200 load I stopped by their office to pay. I didn't ask if it was 9 or 15 yards a load...all I know is it was enough to finish my project of damming up a nice spring I had, so I would have a reservoir and it also made a nice crossing.
The owner saw I was using 6" PVC pipe for a capped drain and overflow. He asked if I needed more pipe, we walked down to a shed and he gave me connectors, a Y, extra pipe. Then I offered to tip the driver. They wouldn't take a dime. Then he said ohhh...here's some 50# bags of Bennerite to seal it up, again...no charge. He said he stays so busy, so many other jobs...stop by anytime because he said they always have material left over.
So call, or better yet stop by their office. Explain what you're doing, how you figured 26 yards would do it.
Believe me...you can never ever have enough dirt!

 

[Deere Dude]

I really felt ripped off by my neighbor excavator. I said I wanted a dump truck load of topsoil. I came home and saw it after he dumped it and I never saw such crappy top soil. I thing it was from a field of quack and only got the top 4 inches of material from the field, so you can imagine all the grass roots that was in it. I just sucked it up and know the next time it will be from someone else. I am learning all kinds of lessons here.

 

[stevem5215]

I've felt I've gotten ripped off on sifted top soil delivery also. But, if i need more delivered I'm going to ask what a whole truckload costs. A FULL TRUCKLOAD not a half or not a 3 yard delivery. I want the whole thing next time. BTDT not again.

Steve