What Is a Short-Load Fee and Minimum Order?
Ready-mix trucks are built for full or near-full loads. When your order is much smaller, the supplier still has to dispatch the truck, driver, plant batching time, and washout process. The short-load fee is how they recover that cost.
Most ready-mix suppliers set a minimum order somewhere around 3 to 5 cubic yards. Orders below that threshold often trigger a short-load fee, and very small jobs may not be worth scheduling at all unless they can be combined with another route.
| Order Size | Typical Supplier Response | Usually Best Option |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 cu yd | Often declined or heavily surcharged | Bag mix or trailer mix |
| 1 to 3 cu yd | Short-load fee is common | Compare ready-mix against bag labor |
| 3 to 5 cu yd | May still have minimum-charge pricing | Usually ready-mix if crew is ready |
| Over 5 cu yd | Normal dispatch range | Ready-mix almost always wins |
Why the Fee Exists
A concrete truck is a moving batch plant and delivery crew. The cost of the truck does not fall in half just because your slab does. The supplier still has to batch, drive, unload, return, and wash the drum. The short-load fee covers the part of the trip that is basically fixed regardless of your yardage.
When Bag Mix Is Smarter
If the job is a tiny pad, a couple of footings, or a few fence posts, bag mix can be more practical than paying for a truck that shows up half empty. The concrete calculator will show both ready-mix and bag counts so you can compare real quantities before calling the supplier. For post holes specifically, the post hole concrete calculator is even more accurate.
Other Delivery Charges to Watch
Short-load fees are only one part of the bill. You may also see waiting-time charges if the truck sits too long, fuel surcharges, Saturday delivery premiums, and overtime rates if the pour runs late. If you are close to the minimum order, ask the plant to quote the full delivered price rather than just the base cost per yard.
Practical Rule
Once you are solidly above 2 to 3 cubic yards, ready-mix becomes more attractive because the labor savings are enormous. Below that, do not assume the truck is cheaper just because the material price per yard looks lower. The fee structure is what decides the real winner.
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