You've got a pile of broken concrete to move and you're trying to figure out what it's going to run you. The honest answer depends on what kind of truck it fits in. Landfills price by the ton. Recycling yards, including SMSG, price flat by vehicle class. Which one wins depends on how heavy your load actually is.

This post walks through every common vehicle contractors and homeowners use to haul concrete in East Tennessee. For each, you get a real-world example, a comparison to landfill cost, and a note on how not to under- or oversize the trip.

SMSG Flat-Rate Table

Here's what our rates look like at 245 Brookdale Rd in Maryville.

| Vehicle | Capacity | Flat Fee | |---------|----------|----------| | Pickup truck | ½-¾ ton | $40 | | Single-axle trailer | Up to 6 yd | $80 | | 10-yard roll-off container | 10 yd | $100 | | Tandem trailer | 6-10 yd | $120 | | Single-axle dump | 10-14 yd | $140 | | Tandem dump | 14-18 yd | $170 | | Tri-axle / end dump | 18+ yd | $200 |

Compare that to a landfill charging roughly $60 per ton for C&D debris. On a small load the gap is real but manageable. On a full dump truck, the gap runs into four figures.

Now the walkthrough.

Pickup Truck: $40

The most common vehicle homeowners and small contractors bring. A half-ton or three-quarter-ton pickup with a bed full of broken chunks.

Real-world example: Roughly one patio's worth of concrete. A tear-out of a 10-by-12 slab at 4 inches thick weighs about 3,000 pounds, which fills a pickup nicely. Or the driveway apron you replaced last weekend, cut up into hauling-size pieces.

Landfill comparison: A pickup load runs about 1 to 2 tons of concrete. At $60/ton, you're looking at $60 to $120 at the landfill, plus any minimum-load or gate fee. SMSG saves you $20 to $80.

Tip on sizing: Don't overload the truck bed. Pickup suspensions rate for around 1,500 pounds of payload on a half-ton and 2,500 on a three-quarter. Concrete is heavier than it looks. If chunks are sticking above the bed rail, you're probably at capacity. Two trips at $40 each still beats one trip that costs you a suspension.

Single-Axle Trailer (Up to 6 yd): $80

Small dump trailers and utility trailers rated for 6 yards. Popular with landscapers and part-time demo crews.

Real-world example: A mid-size patio demo (roughly 200 to 300 square feet at 4 to 6 inches thick), a set of sidewalk sections, or a small retaining wall tear-out.

Landfill comparison: 6 yards of concrete is roughly 8 to 10 tons. Landfill cost: $480 to $600. SMSG flat fee: $80. Savings: $400 to $520. This is where the flat-fee model starts to really matter.

Tip on sizing: Trailer axles are rated conservatively. A 7,000-pound single-axle trailer can move about 3 to 4 yards of concrete before you're over the tire load rating. If your trailer is bouncing weird on the highway, you're overloaded. Check the trailer's GVWR before you load.

10-Yard Roll-Off Container: $100

The homeowner-and-small-crew workhorse. Ten-yard roll-off dumpsters are the standard container from most rental companies for concrete and heavy debris jobs — 12 to 14 feet long, 8 feet wide, roughly 4 feet deep. Heavy debris containers cap at 10 yards because a fuller box turns into an over-weight haul.

Real-world example: A driveway tear-out, a patio demo, a small foundation rip, or a bathroom-remodel container filled mostly with tile and thinset. Anywhere a customer rents a "small" or "heavy" roll-off for concrete-heavy debris.

Landfill comparison: 10 yards of clean concrete runs 13 to 16 tons. Landfill tip fee: $780 to $960. SMSG flat fee: $100. Savings: $680 to $860 per box, before you factor in the landfill's wait time.

Tip on sizing: Concrete-only roll-offs are almost always the 10-yard "heavy" size, not the taller 20-yard or 30-yard boxes for lighter debris. Overloading past the 10-yard fill line is where junk-removal drivers get denied by the transport company — most trucks won't pick up an over-height concrete roll-off because the axle rating won't handle it. Fill to the fill line; call for a swap if you have more.

Tandem Trailer (6-10 yd): $120

Bigger dump trailers or pintle-hitch tandem-axle trailers. Contractor territory.

Real-world example: A garage-slab tear-out, a full residential driveway rip, or two or three days' worth of small demo jobs collected on one run.

Landfill comparison: 10 yards of concrete is 13 to 16 tons. At $60/ton that's $780 to $960 at the landfill. SMSG flat fee: $120. Savings: $660 to $840.

Tip on sizing: If you're bringing a heaping load, watch the trailer height. Yards and landfills often have overhead cables or gate clearances around 13 feet. A heaping tandem trailer with concrete chunks sticking up can catch. Load flat with a slight crown.

Single-Axle Dump Truck (10-14 yd): $140

Small commercial dump trucks. Popular with grading and site prep contractors.

Real-world example: A full residential foundation tear-out or a commercial parking pad demo. About 12 to 14 yards of chunks piled in an 8-foot dump bed.

Landfill comparison: 12 yards is roughly 16 to 20 tons. Landfill: $960 to $1,200. SMSG: $140. Savings: $820 to $1,060.

Tip on sizing: Single-axle dumps are usually rated around 26,000 pounds GVW. Your body weight plus payload has to stay under that. Overloading is where operators get pulled at the scales. If you're near max, run a lighter load and make two trips.

Tandem Dump Truck (14-18 yd): $170

Heavier trucks, dual rear axles. This is the workhorse of demo and haul contractors.

Real-world example: A commercial slab demolition, a large multi-day tear-out, or a full curb-and-gutter rip on a subdivision project.

Landfill comparison: 16 to 18 yards is 21 to 27 tons. Landfill: $1,260 to $1,620. SMSG: $170. Savings: $1,090 to $1,450.

If you're doing this weekly, that gap compounds fast. See the SMSG vs landfill full cost breakdown for what a year of dumps looks like.

Tip on sizing: Tandem dumps can go over 33,000 pounds. Concrete gets you to max weight before you fill the box. A heaping load of dirt might be fine. A heaping load of concrete is over your rear-axle rating. Load to weight, not to volume.

Tri-Axle or End Dump (18+ yd): $200

The biggest units contractors regularly bring to a yard. Tri-axles with lift axles, end dumps behind semis, and belly dumps on occasion.

Real-world example: Major road demo, a bridge deck removal, or a big-box commercial site tear-out. 20 yards and up.

Landfill comparison: 20 to 25 yards is 27 to 37 tons of concrete. Landfill: $1,620 to $2,220. SMSG: $200. Savings can top $2,000 per load.

Tip on sizing: Long trucks need turning room. Call ahead to any yard before you show up with a semi and end dump. We have room for tri-axles and end dumps at 245 Brookdale Rd, but calling first at (865) 999-0857 still saves you time on your first visit.

Which Truck Should You Bring?

Two rules of thumb.

Bring the truck that fits the load, not the load that fits the truck. Contractors get in trouble when they try to squeeze a job into whatever's parked out back. If you've got 4 yards of chunks, a pickup with two runs beats a half-empty dump truck one time.

Under-loaded flat rate is still a good deal. Even a half-full pickup at $40 beats messing around at the landfill scale. Don't wait a week to fill the bed. The flat fee doesn't get cheaper by waiting.

Where Landfills Get Expensive Fast

The $60/ton number is the starting point. Real landfill invoices often include:

Minimum load fees ($25 to $50 even if you're empty)
Gate and scale fees
Fuel and environmental surcharges (5 to 10 percent)
Weekend or after-hours upcharges
Extra fees on contaminated loads

Every one of those turns a $200 landfill visit into a $260 landfill visit. Flat-fee pricing skips all of it.

Ready to Save?

At the gate in Maryville, the drop-off process is simple. Pull in, tell the office your vehicle class, dump in the designated area, and roll out.

Address: 245 Brookdale Rd, Maryville TN
Phone: (865) 999-0857
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am to 5pm, Sat 8am to 12pm

Bookmark the pricing page for current rates.

What Does It Cost to Dump Concrete by Truck Size? Full Rate Table