Industry experts say that every house, building, business, etc needs concrete work as much as twice in every ten years. Those jobs usually need something less than the nine yards that a barrel truck delivers.
If you had to take a full nine yards, you would have to pay too much and there would be waste.
However, there are a number of valuable additional reasons. For example, if you need one of the following, you may have to use a short load concrete supplier.
- Special color added to concrete
- Low Slump (this is valuable if the final surface is sloped and the concrete has to have the right amount of water so it doesn't just run off)
- Fiber added to the concrete to enhance ability to withstand cold
- Quick set concrete required (commonly used by utilities and government)
- High strength concrete required
The following are typical jobs which call for a short load concrete service company.
Concrete pads for:
- HVAC
- RV pads
- Boiler pad
- Spa pads
- Fence posts
- Flag poles
- Sidewalk Repairs
- Driveway repair
- Propane tank pads
- Curb repairs
- Retaining wall
- Playground equipment
- Pool steps
Convenience of Short Load Concrete Delivery
BEFORE:
You can just call and order as much or as little concrete as you need. The mobile concrete mixing truck shows up and starts making concrete as you need it. You are freed up from picking up the bags of concrete and probably a mixer too.
DURING:
You don't have to call on family and friends to help you mix the concrete, haul the heavy bags of concrete and clean up. Consequently, you don't have the payback problem of owing them the favor of helping them with their projects.
AFTER
When the concrete is poured and you have all you need, the machine simply stops making concrete. All the raw materials that weren't used, stay on the truck. You don't have to clean up the equipment or return unused concrete or bury excess concrete. There is no wasted concrete dumped at the job site. The truck just drives away.
The short load concrete truck carries separate bins which hold gray powder cement, aggregate and water. As you need concrete, an auger on the concrete delivery truck mixes the components as they come out of the truck. The operator can control the amount of water. The operator has precise control of how much concrete is made.
In addition, the operator can add other ingredients to make the concrete harder, such as a fiber mesh. Some trucks have the ability to add color, to make colored concrete patios. By controlling the amount of water, the operator can control the "slump", which is important when the concrete is sloped. If the concrete is too runny, it will run down hill and out of the form. If the slump is just right, the concrete will stay on an incline.
SHORT LOAD CONCRETE IS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN BUYING BAGS AND MIXING IT YOURSELF:
Suppose you need two yards of concrete. It takes 60 of the 60# bags to make one yard, so you would need 120 bags. The price per bag at the national home improvement companies is about 2.57 per bag. The concrete alone is over $300. Then you would need a mixer because you and your neighbors can't mix that much concrete by hand. Mixer rental cost is about $50 per day. Next you need to transport the concrete and mixer, meaning at least another $50 to rent a truck. We are now easily over $400. Getting two yards delivered by one of our members is almost always much cheaper than that.
| 1 Yard | 2 Yards | 3 Yards | Volume need to complete your job |
| 60 | 120 | 180 | Number of 60 lb Bags at 60 bags per yard |
| $154 | $308 | $462 | Cost of bags at $2.57 per bag (from major home improvement store) |
| $50 | $50 | $50 | Mixer Rent per day |
| $50 | $50 | $50 | Truck Rent to bring the bags home and return unused bags (assuming you get the job done in one day) |
| $254 | $408 | $562 | TOTAL COST (not counting aches and pains plus payback to neighbors and relatives for helping you) |
>>>>> This simple analysis does not factor in the excess time to clean the mixer, dispose of the paper bags, buy refreshments for your relatives and neighbors, wear and tear on your body, mistakes, etc.
MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN DELIVERY BY A NORMAL 9 YARD BARREL TRUCK:
An additional benefit is that you don't have to pay for nine yards when you only need a couple yards of concrete. Nine yards is the typical minimum job size of a normal ready mix concrete company. That is the normal capacity of a barrel concrete truck that you commonly see on the street. Secondly, they may have to dump what you don't use at your location making a big problem in most locations. If they don't dump the excess on your property, you will end up paying an extra fee to clean out the barrel truck of the excess.
CONCLUSION - SHORT LOAD CONCRETE DELIVERY IS LESS EXPENSIVE:
Using a Short Load Concrete service can be much more efficient in terms of cost and your physical labor. Short load concrete is delivered to you in one of three ways. The first is a volumetric truck, which mixes the concrete while it is being poured at your location. The second is a mini barrel truck which might hold three yards of concrete rather than nine years. The third way this job is completed is with a small barrel mixer mounted on a trailer.
We have no members of Short Load Concrete Companies of America in this area.
If you are a Short Load Concrete Company and would like to be listed here, either call David Murray at 800-239-3814 or click the link below.