Pickup truck, dump trailer or box truck: which hauler do you need

Hauling companies run three kinds of vehicles, and the vehicle decides both the price and whether the job fits in one trip.

Vehicle	Capacity	Best for
Pickup truck	2 to 3 cubic yards	A few items, small cleanouts, appliance pickups
Dump trailer	7 to 14 cubic yards	Yard waste, renovation debris, garage cleanouts
Box truck or dump truck	15 to 20 cubic yards	Whole-house cleanouts, estate jobs, commercial loads

How to estimate your pile

A cubic yard is a cube three feet on each side, roughly the size of a washing machine. A standard pickup bed holds about two of them level. If your pile would fill a single-car garage waist high, it is about 15 cubic yards and needs a box truck or two trailer trips.

Weight matters more than you think

A dump trailer rated for 14 cubic yards of leaves will not carry 14 cubic yards of concrete; the axle limit is reached at a fraction of the volume. Tell the hauler if the load includes dirt, brick, concrete, tile or roofing shingles so they send the right vehicle and quote by weight.

Price signals

• A pickup-truck hauler usually has the lowest minimum charge, often $75 to $125.
• A dump trailer is the most economical per cubic yard for yard and renovation waste.
• A box truck crew of two is the right call for anything that has to come out of the house.