Cubic yard

Definition

27 cubic feet — a cube three feet on each side. The unit roll-off containers are sold in, and it measures volume only, never weight.

What else to know about cubic yard

Roughly two and a half cubic yards fill a heaped full-size pickup bed. This is why a "20 yard" container is about eight pickup loads of space and says nothing about what it can legally carry.

Related terms

  • Roll-off container — An open-top steel container delivered and collected by a truck that rolls it off rails onto the ground. Sized by internal volume in cubic yards, typically 10 to 40.
  • Tonnage allowance — The weight included in the rental price, in tons. A commercial term set by the hauler, not a property of the container.