Which is better a truck delivery of soil or doing it yourself.

Area to cover is 3500 SQ FEET with a 4 inch layer of topsoil or .33 =1156 cubic yards

Your truck bed 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 help

1 answer

Most of it looks good - I've pasted your work below
--> with a few corrections

Area to cover is 3500 SQ FEET with a 4 inch layer of topsoil or .33 =1156 cubic yards
--> 3500 × (1/3) = 1166.67 cubic feet
-->1166.67 / 27 = 43.2 cubic yards

Your truck bed Volume of truck 80/36=2.22*69/36=1.92*20/36=.555=2.34 cubic feet
--> should be 2.37 cubic yards

1156 cubic feet / 2.34 cubic feet= 494.01 or 494 truck loads * gas 4.01= 1981.00
--> 43.2 cubic yards / 2.37 cubic yards = 18.2 or ~18 truck loads * gas 4.01 = 72.18

on large mac truck load holds 18 cubic yards *27 cubic feet =486 cubic feet per truck load.
--> math is correct, but might as well leave it as 18 cubic yards, since everything else is in cubic yards

1156 cubic feet / 486 cubic feet =2.37 truck loads for yard
--> 43.2 cubic yards / 18 cubic yards = 2.4 truck loads

Soil cost is $30.00 per truck load plus $18 per cubic yard and there is 18 cubic yards per load
--> ok

18*18= $324 + $30.00= $354.00 per truck load $354.00 8 2.37 loads= $838.98 total cost for the delivery.
--> 354.00 × 2.4 = $849.60

gas 9/17=.53*3.79per gallon = 2.00 * 2 trips =4.01 per trip
--> is this the cost per trip for the big truck? I noticed you also used 4.01 for the smaller truck - its gas should be cheaper per trip.

--> overall, good work. just be careful not to over-round answers that will be used in follow-on calculations; also be consistent with units.