Construction & estimating · Site operations
Truck and loader fleet balance calculator
Truck cycle time, trucks needed to keep the loader busy, fleet production and hours to move a volume.
Standard: Cycle time · match factor · production
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Inputs in the worked example
The live calculator starts with these values; change any of them and every result, check and diagram updates instantly.
| Input | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Volume to move (bank) | 12000 | m³ |
| Truck capacity | 10 | m³ |
| Haul distance | 2500 | m |
| Loaded speed | 25 | km/h |
| Empty speed | 35 | km/h |
| Load time | 3 | min |
| Dump time | 1.5 | min |
| Spot and delays | 1 | min |
| Loader bucket | 3.5 | m³ |
| Bucket fill factor | 0.9 | |
| Loader cycle | 0.6 | min |
| Efficiency (50-min hour) | 0.83 |
Worked example — results
| Result | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Truck cycle | 15.79 | min |
| Trips per truck-hour | 3.15 | |
| Production per truck | 31.5 | m³/h |
| Loader output | 261.5 | m³/h |
| Trucks to match loader | 9 | |
| Fleet production | 261.5 | m³/h |
| Hours to complete | 45.9 | h |
Method, formulas and assumptions
- Cycle = load + haul + dump + return + spot
- Trucks = ⌈loader output / truck output⌉; fleet = min(trucks × truck output, loader)
- Rates and productivities are example inputs. Replace them with supplier, plant-hire and crew figures for your site.
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For preliminary design and education. Check every result against the current standard and your own engineering judgement before use.