Truck Count Calculator
Work out how many haul trucks a mine or quarry needs to hit a target production rate. Enter the tonnes-per-hour you are chasing, the truck payload, the truck cycle time and the fleet availability, and the tool returns the whole number of trucks required plus how much each truck moves per hour and the spare capacity the rounded-up fleet gives you.
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Before you rely on this: First-pass guide only. Verify safety-critical or regulated work against the relevant standards, your project requirements and a qualified professional.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the target production rate in tonnes per hour that the pit needs to deliver.
- Enter the truck payload (average tonnes carried per load) and the truck cycle time in minutes for one full load–haul–dump–return loop.
- Optionally set the truck availability percent (defaults to 85%); read off the trucks required, the per-truck hourly rate and the spare capacity.
How it works
Trips per truck per hour = (60 / cycle time) × (availability / 100). Multiply by payload to get tonnes per truck per hour. Trucks required = target production ÷ tonnes per truck per hour, rounded UP to the next whole truck. Spare capacity = trucks × per-truck rate − target production, the extra tonnes/hour the fleet can move above target.
Worked example
Worked example. Target 1000 t/h, payload 100 t, cycle 25 min, availability 85%. Trips = (60/25) × 0.85 = 2.04 per hour. Per truck = 100 × 2.04 = 204 t/h. Trucks = ceil(1000 / 204) = ceil(4.9) = 5. Spare = 5 × 204 − 1000 = 20 t/h.
Common mistakes
- Using only the haul time instead of the full cycle time (load, haul, dump, return, queue and spot) — this understates cycle time and the truck count.
- Ignoring availability, which treats trucks as running 60 minutes every hour; real fleets lose time to refuelling, breakdowns and shift changes.
- Rounding the truck count down — you cannot run 4.9 trucks, so you always round up to meet the target.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use availability or utilisation here?
This field is a simple productive-time factor. If you have separate availability and utilisation figures, multiply them (as decimals) and enter the combined percent so the per-truck rate reflects real on-bench working time.
Why is my spare capacity so large?
Rounding up to a whole truck can leave a big buffer when the per-truck rate is high relative to the target. A large spare means the fleet is oversized for that rate — you may be able to run fewer trucks or lift the target.
Related tools
- Haulage Cost Estimate Calculator
- Plant Utilisation Calculator
- Mining Rate Required Calculator
- Capital Cost per Tonne Calculator
- Shovel Truck Match Factor Calculator
- Fleet Productivity Calculator
Explore more in Mining, Quarry, Earthworks, Drill & Blast.
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
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