Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Short-load surcharge
$120
Cost of small order (with surcharge)
$615
Cost if rounded to full minimum
$1,485
Extra $ to round up to a full load
$870
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How to use this
- 1Enter yards you actually need (yd³).
- 2Enter plant's full-truck minimum (yd³).
- 3Enter short-load fee ($/yd³ under).
- 4Enter base mix rate ($/yd³).
- 5Read your short-load surcharge on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Ready-mix plants price against a full truckload — typically 9 to 11 cubic yards — because dispatching a truck, driver, and batching time costs roughly the same whether it's full or half-empty. Order less than that minimum and most plants tack on a short-load fee, commonly $15-$25 per yard under the minimum, which can add hundreds of dollars to a small footing, sidewalk, or shed-pad pour. This calculator compares your actual order against the plant's stated minimum, computes the short-load penalty, and shows what it would cost to simply round up to the full minimum load instead — often the cheaper move if you have any use for the extra concrete (a walkway, a few fence-post footings, filling low spots). Defaults reflect 2026 US national ready-mix averages; get your plant's actual minimum and per-yard-under fee before finalizing a small pour, since both vary significantly by market and by how far the plant has to drive.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Yards you actually need: 3 yd³
- Plant's full-truck minimum: 9 yd³
- Short-load fee: 20 $/yd³ under
- Base mix rate: 165 $/yd³
Results
- Short-load surcharge: $120
- Cost of small order (with surcharge): $615
- Cost if rounded to full minimum: $1,485
- Extra $ to round up to a full load: $870
What each field means
Inputs
- Yards you actually need (yd³)
- The yards you actually need used in the calculation, measured in yd³. Starts at 3 yd³ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0.25–15 yd³.
- Plant's full-truck minimum (yd³)
- The plant's full-truck minimum used in the calculation, measured in yd³. Starts at 9 yd³ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 4–12 yd³.
- Short-load fee ($/yd³ under)
- The short-load fee used in the calculation, measured in $/yd³ under. Starts at 20 $/yd³ under so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–60 $/yd³ under.
- Base mix rate ($/yd³)
- The base mix rate used in the calculation, measured in $/yd³. Starts at 165 $/yd³ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 100–260 $/yd³.
Results
- Short-load surcharge
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost of small order (with surcharge)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost if rounded to full minimum
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Extra $ to round up to a full load
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Is it ever cheaper to order more concrete than I need?
Often yes. If the surcharge on your short order is close to the cost of the extra yardage to reach the plant minimum, rounding up gets you leftover concrete for footings, a small pad, or filling void space instead of just paying a penalty for nothing in return.
Can I split a short load with a neighbor or another trade?
Yes — this is common for small residential pours. Coordinating a shared truck with a neighbor's footing or another contractor's small job on the same street can eliminate the short-load fee entirely by hitting the plant's minimum together.
Does every plant charge a short-load fee the same way?
No. Some charge a flat fee (e.g., $75 flat under 5 yards), others charge per yard under the minimum, and some waive it for jobs within a certain radius of the plant. Always ask for the exact short-load policy when getting a quote.
Is bagged concrete cheaper than a short ready-mix load for tiny jobs?
For pours under about 1 cubic yard, bagged concrete mixed on-site is usually cheaper once you factor the short-load fee, even though the per-yard material cost of bags is higher. The crossover point is typically around 1-1.5 yards depending on local surcharge rates.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Short-Load Concrete Surcharge Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/short-load-concrete-surcharge
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/short-load-concrete-surcharge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Short-Load Concrete Surcharge Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Short-Load Concrete Surcharge Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/short-load-concrete-surcharge) (2026).