17 Dump Truck Industry Statistics, Trends & Analysis

In Europe, these trucks may be referred to as “tipper trucks.” Industry statistics from tipper trucks are reported within the dump truck industry.

Dump trucks are manufactured in several different sizes. The standard dump truck is built with an open-box bed, which is hinged at the rear. These trucks use a hydraulic ram to lift the front of the bed, which allows the materials contained within the bed to be placed on the ground behind the truck.

Important Dump Truck Industry Statistics

#1. Dump truck services is an industry in the United States which is valued at $17 billion. From 2012-2017, the industry achieved an annualized growth rate of 1.8%. (IBIS World)

#2. About 15,000 firms are currently active in the U.S. providing dump truck services. They provide about 100,000 direct employment opportunities at current service levels. (IBIS World)

#3. For many years, the largest dump truck in the world was built by Caterpillar. It was the Model 797B, which stands 25 feet high and is nearly 50 feet in length. The MSRP of this dump truck is $5 million. (Wonderopolis)

#4. A popular heavy-duty dump truck, the BelAZ 75710, stands 13 feet tall. Each tire for this dump truck retails for $42,000. (Wonderopolis)

#5. There are currently 107 manufacturers actively creating components for dump trucks in the United States today. The total value of the manufacturing segment of the industry is $1 billion. (Research and Markets)

#6. The average manufacturer of dump trucks will produce 500 or fewer units over a 12-month period. Only 6 manufacturers are capable of producing more than 1,000 dump trucks over the course of a year. (Research and Markets)

#7. The actual cost of a standard dump truck varies based on the features and size of the truck desired. Most standard dump trucks can be purchased for $150,000 or less. (Tiger General)

#8. Used dump trucks are much more affordable, with some refurbished trucks selling for around $15,000. A good used dump truck with several top features may still sell for around $100,000. The average price of a used dump truck in the U.S., however, is about $35,000. (Tiger General)

#9. The maintenance costs for a dump truck are quite high. Over a 7-year life cycle for a standard dump truck, the estimated cost of operations is more than $700,000. Even the tires of a standard dump truck cost at least $1,000 for most models. (Tiger General)

#10. Most dump trucks consume a lot of fuel, even for the smaller models. At best, a dump truck will get about 6 miles per gallon. (Tiger General)

#11. The United States accounts for 63% of the medium-duty and heavy-duty truck production in the United States. (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

#12. The sales of Class 8 trucks, which includes dump trucks, decreased by 23% from 2015 to 2016. Just under 200,000 trucks were sold in 2016, which equals figures from 2012. (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

#13. Freightliner sells the most heavy-duty trucks in North America, with more than 75,000 trucks sold in 2016. (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

#14. Most heavy-duty trucks supply their own diesel engines as part of the manufacturing process. Freightliner is a notable exception to the rule, as they receive 58% of their diesel engines from Cummins and 41% from Detroit Diesel. (Ward’s Automotive Group)

#15. Cummins provides over 40% of the diesel engines to the heavy-duty truck industry in North America. Mercedes-Benz is the second-most popular provider, with more than 15% of the market. (Ward’s Automotive Group)

#16. On a 4% upslope, the average heavy-duty truck gets just 2.9 miles per gallon, which is a rate that is 60% worse than flat terrain. On a downslope of equal grade, these trucks get over 23 miles per gallon, which is 221% better than flat terrain. (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

#17. The ideal weight for fuel consumption with a dump truck is at 37,000 GVW when using a diesel engine. (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Dump Truck Industry Trends and Analysis

Dump trucks are typically used in the construction and mining industries. Their primary use is for off-road purposes, which limits the availability of larger trucks for some companies. For that reason, the number of new dump trucks which are required each year within these industries is somewhat limited.

Because the maintenance costs of a dump truck are rather high, only companies with a specific need for this asset will actively pursue a purchase. That limits the consumer growth opportunities for this industry dramatically when compared to other industries.

That means the growth of the dump truck industry is highly dependent upon infrastructure projects. Proposals within the United States to spend up to $1 trillion on infrastructure projects through 2028 creates the potential for strong growth within this industry. Until a budget is passed which authorizes this funding, however, the overall industry will continue to grow at annual rate between 1-2% each year.