18 cube tipper truck for hire
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The 18 cube tipper
An 18 cube tipper is a four-axle truck with two steering axles at the front, two driven axles at the back, and a tipping body of 14 to 19 m³. We send it with a driver for bulk carting on open sites and long runs.
| Spec | Figure |
|---|---|
| Axles | Four (8x4): two steering at the front, two driven at the back |
| Body | Up to 19 m³ (scoop body) |
| Gross vehicle mass (GVM) | 33,000 kg |
| Front axle rating | 15,000 kg (two axles of 7,500 kg) |
| Rear axle rating | 18,000 kg |
| Empty (tare) | About 11,200 kg |
| Overall length | Over 9 m (9,257 mm on the maker's sheet) |
| Width (before mirrors) | 2.59 m |
| Turning circle | About 22.3 m across |
| Ground clearance | 358 mm, on mining-type tyres |
| Hire price with driver | R3,300–R4,000 a day with operator |
It carries more per trip than a 10 cube (about 17 t), but how much more depends on the material, because the legal mass, not the body, sets the load.
Legal payload: what the road traffic regulations allow
Regulation 236 of the National Road Traffic Regulations says a truck's permissible maximum mass is the lowest of three limits. For an 18 cube they work out like this:
| Limit | Rule | For a typical 18 cube |
|---|---|---|
| Axle limits (reg 240) | 15,400 kg on a pair of steering axles; 18,000 kg on a tandem of two dual-wheeled axles | 33,400 kg |
| The maker's rating (reg 239) | The truck may not exceed its gross vehicle mass | 33,000 kg |
| Bridge formula (reg 241) | 2,100 × the distance from the first to the last axle, in metres, plus 18,000 | 33,120 kg at 7.2 m; 31,650 kg at 6.5 m |
- The bridge formula catches short trucks. To use the full 33,000 kg, the first and last axles must be at least 7.2 m apart. A truck with 6.5 m between them is held to 31,650 kg, whatever its maker allows.
- Take off the truck's own mass. At 33,000 kg less about 11,200 kg empty, the load is about 21.8 t. At 31,650 kg it's about 20.5 t. That's why we quote about 20–22 t.
- Loads are kept to the legal mass. Overloaded trucks are fined and held at weighbridges, and the delay lands on your job. Weighbridge tickets come on request.
Cubes per legal load, by material
How many cubes go on before the truck reaches 20–22 t. Loose material weights are from Caterpillar's reference tables; rubble from the Kansas health department's volume-to-weight factors.
| Material | t per loose cube | Cubes per legal load | Tons per load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | 0.95 | 18 (full) | about 17.1 t |
| Rubble, clean (concrete, brick, soil) | about 1.07 | 18 (full) | about 19.3 t |
| Sand, dry | 1.42 | about 14–15 | 20–22 t |
| Soil or gravel, dry | 1.51 | about 13–14 | 20–22 t |
| Crushed stone, or wet soil | 1.60 | about 12–14 | 20–22 t |
| Clay | 1.66 | about 12–13 | 20–22 t |
| Sand, damp | 1.69 | about 12–13 | 20–22 t |
| Sand, wet | 1.84 | about 11–12 | 20–22 t |
Where the 18 cube wins: light, bulky loads. With topsoil it carries 18 cubes against a 10 cube's ten, almost twice as much per trip. With stone or sand it carries about 4–6 t more than a 10 cube, which still adds up over a long haul. More conversions: how many cubes in a ton.
Access: what an 18 cube needs on site
- Room to turn: a turning circle of about 22.3 m. On most house plots and narrow sites it has to reverse in, so plan a straight run to the tipping spot.
- Gates and streets: 2.59 m wide before mirrors and over 9 m long. A gate of about 3.5 m or more and a street without tight corners make it easy.
- Firm ground: loaded, it puts about 33 t on four axles. Haul roads on site must be firm and drained; after rain, soft ground stops it before it stops a smaller truck.
- Overhead: the cab is about 3.5 m high and the raised body far higher. Check for wires and branches over the tipping spot.
- Tip on level ground. Tipping on a slope can roll the truck.
- Road limits: some farm and municipal roads and small bridges carry posted mass limits below a loaded 18 cube. Tell us the route if you know of one.
Where the access won't take it, two 10 cube tippers do the same work. Send a photo of the gate and the tipping spot and we'll confirm.
18 cube tipper hire rates
All prices exclude VAT and include the driver. A day is normally an 8–9 hour working day.
| Hire period | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | R3,300–R4,000 |
| 5 days | R16,500–R20,000 |
| 22 working days at the day rate | R72,600–R88,000 |
| Monthly rate | about R42,000 |
Monthly hire
For work that runs a month or more, the monthly rate is far below the same days paid one at a time. The agreement sets out the driver's hours and shifts, the diesel basis (wet or dry), standing time, the deposit and the minimum term. We have few monthly price points, so the exact figure comes back on WhatsApp.
Cost per ton: an example
Say the truck does four loads a day on a 1.5 hour round trip. With stone at about 21 t a load, an 18 cube moves about 84 t a day, so the day rate works out at R39–R48 a ton. A 10 cube on the same run moves about 64 t, at R58–R82 a ton. On a monthly hire, 22 days of 84 t is about 1,850 t, or about about R23 a ton for the truck and driver, before diesel.
| Example quote (for illustration only) | Amount |
|---|---|
| 14–18 cube tipper, 5 days at R3,300–R4,000 a day with operator | R16,500–R20,000 |
| Transport both ways to Kriel | R4,480–R5,400 |
| Example total, excl. VAT | R20,980–R25,400 |
Jobs for an 18 cube tipper
- Topsoil: stripping a site and carting the topsoil to a stockpile or a farm.
- Rubble and demolition waste: about 19 t of clean rubble a load to the landfill. See demolition.
- Bulk fill and cut-to-fill on open sites, loaded by an excavator. See earthworks.
- Long runs: the further the tip or quarry, the more an extra 4–6 t a trip is worth.
Bigger than this on public roads is a 34 t side tipper, usually by the month. Off-road, on haul roads in pits and big earthworks, an ADT dump truck carries 22 to 55 t. Every tipper size is on tipper truck hire; booking works as on how it works.
WhatsApp us the job, the loads and the townQuestions people ask
How many tons does an 18 cube tipper carry?
About 20–22 t legally. A typical 18 cube (Tata Prima 3338.K or similar) is rated 33,000 kg gross and weighs about 11,200 kg empty, which leaves about 21.8 t. Where the bridge formula in the road traffic regulations sets a lower limit for the truck's axle spacing, the load is a little less.
How many cubes of sand fit in an 18 cube tipper legally?
About 14–15 cubes of dry sand (1.42 t a cube) and about 12–13 cubes of damp sand (1.69 t a cube). The body holds 18, but the legal mass runs out first. Topsoil and clean rubble are light enough to fill all 18 cubes.
Can I hire an 18 cube tipper by the month?
Yes. A 14–18 cube with a driver is about R42,000 a month, against R72,600–R88,000 for 22 days paid one at a time. The hours, shifts, diesel basis and standing time are written into the agreement. We have few monthly price points, so the exact rate comes back on WhatsApp.
How much space does an 18 cube tipper need?
A lot more than a 10 cube. A typical four-axle truck is over 9 m long and 2.59 m wide before mirrors, and needs a turning circle about 22.3 m across to turn round in one go. Most need to reverse in on a house plot. Send a photo of the access before you book.
What licence does an 18 cube tipper driver need?
A Code C driving licence, for goods vehicles over 16,000 kg gross, and a professional driving permit (PrDP). Every tipper we send comes with a driver who holds both.
Related
Sources we checked
- National Road Traffic Regulations, reg 115: drivers who must hold a professional driving permit
- Tata Prima 3338.K 8x4 leaflet (GVM, axle ratings, tare, dimensions, turning circle, 19 m³ body)
- Tata Prima 2528.K 10 m³ tipper leaflet (GVM and tare)
- National Road Traffic Regulations, reg 240: axle massload limits
- National Road Traffic Regulations, reg 241: massload carrying capacity of bridges (bridge formula)
- National Road Traffic Regulations, reg 236: permissible maximum vehicle mass
- National Road Traffic Regulations, reg 99: categories of driving licences
- Caterpillar earthwork volumes reference tables (loose material weights)
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment Policy 10-02, C&D waste volume-to-weight factors
Need a tipper truck?
WhatsApp us the job, the town and the dates. We confirm the machine, the start date and the price in writing before the machine moves.
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