Which is better a truck delivery of soil or doing it yourself.
The yard is about 6400 sq ft
What kind of pickup truck does he drive?
A 2003 Ford F-150 XL.
How much can the pickup carry?
The truck bed is 80 inches long, 69 inches wide, and 20 inches tall.
How much is the delivery charge?
$30 per truckload on top of the soil cost. Each truckload can deliver up to 18 cubic yards.
How much does the topsoil cost?
$18 per cubic yard (sold in 1/4 yard increments).
How far is the soil store?
It is 9 miles away. It takes about 20 minutes to drive there. Keep in mind he needs to return 9 miles as well.
What gas mileage does the pickup truck get?
It averages 17 miles to the gallon.
What is the current gas cost?
Assume it's $3.79/gallon.
Area to cover is 3500 SQ FEET with a 4 inch layer of topsoil or .33 =1156 cubic yards
Volume of truck 80/36=2.22*69/36=1.92*20/36=.555=2.34 cubic feet
1156 cubic feet / 2.34 cubic feet= 494.01 or 494 truck loads * gas 4.01= 1981.00
on large mac truck load holds 18 cubic yards *27 cubic feet =486 cubic feet per truck load.
1156 cubic feet / 486 cubic feet =2.37 truck loads for yard
Soil cost is $30.00 per truck load plus $18 per cubic yard and there is 18 cubic yards per load
18*18= $324 + $30.00= $354.00 per truck load $354.00 8 2.37 loads= $838.98 total cost for the delivery.
gas 9/17=.53*3.79per gallon = 2.00 * 2 trips =4.01 per trip
Not sure this is right please check thank you
However, I will give you a start. Convert all to cubic yards. Even so, there are several problems in making a comparison. Here are some examples:
Knowing the size of the yard = (80/3)^2 sq yards is not really helpful, because you don't know the depth of the soil that will be applied.
Since the soil will probably be in a mound in the back of the truck, minimum pickup volume in cubic yards = 80/36 * 69/36 * 20/36 = ?
The mileage will be < 17 with the added load of soil.
To determine whether a truck delivery of soil or doing it yourself is better, we can compare the cost and effort involved in each option.
First, let's calculate the amount of soil needed for the yard. Since the yard is 6400 sq ft, we need to determine the depth of the soil required. Assuming a common depth of 6 inches for topsoil, we can calculate the volume of soil needed.
Volume = Area x Depth
Volume = 6400 sq ft x 6 inches
Volume = 38400 cubic ft
Next, let's convert the volume into cubic yards since soil is usually sold in cubic yards. Since there are 27 cubic ft in a cubic yard, we divide the volume by 27.
Cubic Yards = Volume / 27
Cubic Yards = 38400 cubic ft / 27
Cubic Yards ≈ 1422.22 cubic yards
Now that we know the amount of soil needed, let's compare the cost of truck delivery vs. doing it yourself.
Truck Delivery:
The delivery charge is $30 per truckload, and each truckload can deliver up to 18 cubic yards of soil. Since we need approximately 1422.22 cubic yards, we divide it by 18 to determine the number of truckloads required.
Number of Truckloads = Cubic Yards / 18
Number of Truckloads ≈ 1422.22 / 18
Number of Truckloads ≈ 79.01
So, we need around 79 truckloads.
Cost of Delivery = Delivery Charge x Number of Truckloads
Cost of Delivery = $30 x 79
Cost of Delivery ≈ $2370
Cost of Soil = Price per Cubic Yard x Cubic Yards
Cost of Soil = $18 x 1422.22
Cost of Soil ≈ $25599.96
Total Cost = Cost of Delivery + Cost of Soil
Total Cost ≈ $2370 + $25599.96
Total Cost ≈ $27969.96
Doing It Yourself:
To calculate the cost of doing it yourself, we need to account for the gas expenses.
Distance Traveled = 2 x Distance to Store
Distance Traveled = 2 x 9 miles
Distance Traveled = 18 miles
Gas Used = Distance Traveled / Gas Mileage
Gas Used = 18 miles / 17 miles per gallon
Gas Used ≈ 1.06 gallons
Gas Cost = Gas Used x Gas Price
Gas Cost = 1.06 gallons x $3.79 per gallon
Gas Cost ≈ $4.02
Total Cost = Cost of Soil + Gas Cost
Total Cost ≈ $25599.96 + $4.02
Total Cost ≈ $25603.98
Based on cost alone, the truck delivery option costs approximately $27969.96, while doing it yourself costs approximately $25603.98. Therefore, doing it yourself is relatively cheaper in this case.
However, it's important to consider other factors such as the effort required to haul and distribute the soil, as well as any time constraints or physical limitations you may have.