Muck Haulage Trips Calculator

Plan truck trips, timing, and costs for removal. Compare capacities, routes, and fleets with confidence. Download shareable outputs for teams onsite, fast and clear.

Inputs

Input mode

Choose volume-based or mass-based planning.

Bank volume (m³)

In-situ volume before excavation (bank measure).

Mass (t)

If using mass mode, enter total excavated mass.

Density (t/m³)

Used to convert mass to bank volume.

Swell factor

Loose volume = bank volume × swell factor.

Truck capacity (m³)

Heaped or rated capacity, before fill factor.

Fill factor (0–1)

Accounts for underfill, spillage, and safety limits.

Contingency (%)

Adds buffer trips for delays and variability.

Cycle time (minutes/trip)

Load + travel + dump + return + queue.

Work hours per day

Shift duration for haulage operations.

Utilization (%)

Accounts for breaks, traffic, and minor stoppages.

Number of trucks

Fleet size available for muck removal.

Cost per trip (optional)

Enter a unit cost per trip (leave zero if unused).

Cost per fleet-hour (optional)

Applies to each truck-hour for the entire fleet.

Trip rounding

Controls how trips are converted to whole numbers.

CSV PDF

Example data table

Scenario	Bank vol (m³)	Swell	Truck cap (m³)	Fill	Trucks	Cycle (min)	Trips needed	Days
Tunnel heading	2500	1.25	10	0.90	3	18	365	2.58
Deep cut	8000	1.20	14	0.92	5	22	748	2.63
Constrained access	1200	1.30	8	0.85	2	28	229	2.35

Examples assume 10 hours/day and 85% utilization.

Formula used

Bank volume from mass: V_bank = Mass / Density
Loose volume: V_loose = V_bank × Swell
Effective truck capacity: C_eff = C_truck × Fill
Trips (base): Trips_base = V_loose / C_eff
Trips with contingency: Trips = Trips_base × (1 + Contingency)
Trips per truck per hour: TPH = (60 / Cycle) × Utilization
Fleet trips per day: TPD_fleet = TPH × Hours × Trucks
Estimated days: Days = Trips / TPD_fleet

Use realistic cycle time and utilization to avoid optimistic schedules.

How to use this calculator

Select Input mode: bank volume or mass with density.
Enter swell, truck capacity, and fill factor for your material.
Set cycle time, work hours, utilization, and the number of trucks.
Add contingency if access, traffic, or loading conditions vary.
Click Calculate to see trips, days, and export options.

Accurate trip planning reduces greatly delays, fuel, and risk.

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Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.