Bucket & Payload Calculator
CalculatorsTurn bucket volume, material density, and fill factor into an actual payload weight.
Not sure what to check first? Hand the result to the assistant.
About this tool
This payload calculator estimates the weight of material in a bucket and the total over several passes, from the bucket capacity, material, fill factor, and number of loads. Load equals effective volume times material density, where effective volume is the bucket capacity times the fill factor.
Pick the material to load a typical bulk density and a suggested fill factor: free-flowing sand and gravel heap to about 105 percent, while rock and broken concrete fill closer to 80 percent. Enter the bucket's rated capacity in cubic metres or cubic yards. Densities are public bulk-density estimates and vary with moisture and compaction.
Use it to plan truck loads and to keep a load within the machine's rated operating capacity. Never exceed your machine's rated capacity.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between struck and heaped bucket capacity?
Struck capacity is material level with the bucket rim; heaped (SAE rated) capacity includes the cone of material above it. Enter the rated heaped capacity and let the fill factor adjust for the material.
What is a bucket fill factor?
It is the percentage of the bucket's heaped capacity that is actually filled, and it depends on the material: free-flowing sand and gravel 100 to 110 percent, common earth 85 to 100, blasted rock 70 to 90, and large boulders 60 to 75.
Where do the material densities come from?
Public loose and bulk-density tables. Real weight varies with moisture and compaction, so treat the result as a planning estimate.
How many cubic metres are in a cubic yard?
Use either and pick the matching unit. One cubic yard is about 0.765 cubic metres.
Why does the material choice change the weight so much?
Weight is volume times density, and densities range widely (wood chips near 280 kg/m3 versus wet sand near 1,900 kg/m3). The same bucket can be light or overloaded depending on what it carries.