Waste & recycling / Bulky pickup
Plan bulky pickup loads
Check the trip count against both usable vehicle space and payload.
Work plan
Pickup loads
Enter waste cubic metres.
How it works
Put in your numbers
Use your own rates, times and measurements.
See your answer straight away
It works it out as you type.
Copy or print it
Send it on, or keep it with the job.
What it covers: Compare vehicle space and payload to plan trips.
Free to use. No sign-in needed.
How to work out how many loads a bulky waste pickup needs
Bulky waste such as furniture, appliances and garden waste can fill a vehicle before it gets heavy, or get heavy before it looks full. You need to check both. This planner compares the estimated volume and weight with the vehicle's usable space and payload, and the tighter limit decides the number of loads.
- Estimate the volume of the waste in cubic metres. Measure the pile's length, width and height and multiply them, or add up rough sizes of the larger items.
- Estimate the weight in kilograms. Use weights from similar past jobs, or ask the customer about heavy items such as appliances, soil or rubble.
- Enter the vehicle's usable space in cubic metres. This is the space you can actually fill, not the full body size.
- Enter the payload limit in kilograms from the vehicle's ratings, after allowing for crew, tools and equipment on board.
- Check the results. The planner shows the loads needed by volume and by payload and names the limiting factor. Plan your trips from the higher of the two.
- Add a price per load, covering the trip and disposal, and choose your currency if you want the cost for all loads.
Tips and common mistakes
- Do not plan by volume alone. Wet green waste, soil and broken concrete can reach the payload limit well before the vehicle looks full.
- Bulky items rarely pack tightly. Chairs, frames and mattresses leave gaps, so be cautious with usable space.
- Confirm actual weight, securement and vehicle ratings before loading, and check the rules where you work on load limits and covering loads.
- If the result is just over a whole number of loads, see whether items can be broken down to fit before you add a nearly empty trip.
Questions
How do I estimate the volume of a pile of rubbish?
Measure the length, width and height of the pile in metres and multiply them together. A pile 2 metres long, 1.5 metres wide and 1 metre high is 3 cubic metres. Bulky items stack poorly, so round up rather than down.
How many trips will I need for a bulky waste job?
Divide the waste volume by the usable space, and the waste weight by the payload limit. Round each answer up to a whole load. The larger of the two is the number of trips you need.
What is the difference between payload and usable space?
Usable space is how much room you can fill in the vehicle body. Payload is how much weight the vehicle can safely carry under its ratings. A load can fit the space and still be too heavy, so check both.
How do I price a bulky waste pickup by the load?
Set a price per load that covers the trip, crew time and disposal charges, then multiply it by the loads the job needs. Enter that price in the planner to see the cost for all loads. Use your own rates and disposal charges.
What if I do not know how heavy the waste is?
Use weights from similar jobs you have done, or weigh a sample where you can. If the job includes dense material such as soil, rubble or wet garden waste, plan cautiously and confirm before loading.
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