Hauling some gravel - how much is too much?


scoob8000

15+ Year Member

Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Messages
65
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3,101
City
Pittsburgh, PA
Vehicle Year
1988
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Manual
Probably a stupid question.

I need to get some gravel for the driveway, but I have no idea what I should be able to safely load in the bed of the truck (lbs).

I asked the folks at the landscaping place, but they had no idea either.

1988 2WD, stock suspension.
 
I had 2 scoops from a 1 yard size bucket in my truck for 1 trip. Bed completly filled with stock suspension last summer. The back end was saggin really good. Looked like I had no suspension. My 3.0 handled it just fine. You should be able to hold 1 yard of gravel or the entire bed full or untill your rear suspension cant hold anymore.
 
Just be careful when hauling. I would do this on the safe side and take 2 or more trips depending on how much you need and how far you need to drive.
 
Dont go over a thousand pounds at the absolute most. I had 1000lbs of concrete in the bed of my 96 2wd ext cab and the braking was very light and the steering was very floaty.

Gravel is about 1600kg/cubic meter. That is approximately 100lbs per cubic foot.

You can figure out how much is safe from there.
 
Check out the owner's manual if it's got one. I'm willing to bet you have a payload limit of around 1200-1300lbs or so. When you load it, load it evenly in the bed so you're not taking weight off the front end. Failing that, load it towards the front.
 
Crushed stone is about 2500#/yard. If you have a 6' bed it will hold a yard if it's a bit below level. A 7' bed will hold about 1 and 1/3 yard or 1 1/2 heaped. It's easy to get 3,000# in the bed if you don't watch it.

I get it delivered. I got ten tons for $180 a few weeks ago--they spread it too. My gravel drive sucks up about a ton every ten feet in the spring. I push some off with the plow etc and it's a hill that washes down. But that might give you an idea.
 
I went to get a yard or gravel a while back and the guy asked if my truck would take a yard. Without thinking I told him it could take a yard of mulch... to which he said that gravel weighs 2600 lbs/yard....

I took half a yard and made 2 trips and even that was a little iffy.
 
Me and my dad hauled a full ton of river rock in his 89 2wd shortbed 2.3 and a dozen more trips averaging 1800LBs, held up fine, just watch your stopping distances.
 
Thanks for the replies!

I kind of had 1000lbs in the back of my mind, just thought it sounded good. :)

So if I tell them I can take a half ton, I imagine they could figure out the yardage from that depending on the type of gravel I get.

Will,
Thats that we've been doing too. I forget how many yards the truck brings in, but it usually sets us back $250-300. The place I called today quoted me $32 a yard. About right, plus I think a bed full is about all the more I need right now anyway.

Thanks
Mike
 
a good rule of thumb is to look under your truck while the tractor is pouring and tell him to stop when the axle starts to get close to the bump stops.if you aren't bottoming out its not too much weight.
 
rickcdewitt said:
a good rule of thumb is to look under your truck while the tractor is pouring and tell him to stop when the axle starts to get close to the bump stops.if you aren't bottoming out its not too much weight.
Click to expand...

Good tip! Thanks!
 
Here's a full yard in my truck, of 3/4" crush. I scaled it at 2100lbs, and this is what my truck looks like, with 2 full length AALs.

Hauling some gravel - how much is too much?
Hauling some gravel - how much is too much?
 
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