Concrete mixer trucks are key equipment to ensure that concrete can be transported to the construction site in a timely and proper manner. As the construction industry continues to develop, the scale and complexity of construction projects are increasing, and the demand for concrete mixer trucks is becoming more and more diverse.
The rotary mixing system equipped in the mixer truck maintains homogeneous mixing speed during the whole transportation process, which effectively avoids the separation of concrete materials or premature coagulation, and ensures that the optimal fluidity and homogeneity are still maintained when arriving at the construction site, thus laying a foundation for the subsequent pouring operation.
adopts the mode of direct transportation of ready-mixed concrete, eliminating the need for on-site mixing, and can deliver 8-12 cubic meters of finished concrete in a single trip, significantly shortening the interval between work processes, which is especially suitable for large-scale projects such as commercial complexes with tight construction schedules.
The professionally designed mixer tank has a plastic performance of up to 4 hours, and with efficient transportation route planning, the service radius of the mixing plant can be extended to 50 kilometers, which meets the special needs of infrastructure projects in remote areas.
Compared with the traditional on-site mixing method, it can reduce more than 30% of labor input, and at the same time, avoid the waste of cement caused by on-site mixing (about 5-8%), which significantly reduces the project management cost.
The fully enclosed transportation process eliminates external pollution, and with the intelligent temperature control system ensures that the concrete strength meets the standard, which has been measured to improve the stability of compressive strength of the structure by more than 15%.
New generation mixer trucks are equipped as standard:
Automatic cleaning and recycling system
Anti-drip sealing device
The National VI emission engine
reduces dust emission by 60% and noise pollution by 40% during the whole construction process, which perfectly meets the environmental requirements of LEED certified projects.
| Aspect | Details |
| Design | Rotating drum mounted on a truck chassis; discharges concrete from the rear. |
| Capacity | 6–12 cubic yards (4.5–9 m³). |
| Mixing Method | Mixes concrete during transit to prevent settling. |
| Best For | Large-scale projects with centralized batching plants. |
| Advantages | – Cost-effective. – High capacity. – Widely available. |
| Disadvantages | – Requires space for rear discharge. – Limited maneuverability. |
| Fuel Efficiency | Moderate (consumes 8–12 L/km depending on load). |
| Maintenance | Regular drum cleaning and hydraulic system checks. |
| Aspect | Details |
| Design | Drum discharges from the front; improved operator visibility. |
| Capacity | 8–10 cubic yards (6–7.6 m³). |
| Mixing Method | Similar to transit mixers but with front-end control. |
| Best For | Urban construction sites with limited space. |
| Advantages | – Safer in tight spaces. – Faster unloading. |
| Disadvantages | – Higher initial cost. – Less common outside North America. |
| Fuel Efficiency | Slightly lower than rear-discharge due to added weight. |
| Maintenance | Focus on front discharge mechanism and drum seals. |
| Aspect | Details |
| Design | Mixes raw materials on-site; no pre-mixed concrete required. |
| Capacity | Customizable (produces concrete as needed). |
| Mixing Method | Precise batching with adjustable water-cement ratios. |
| Best For | Remote locations or projects requiring custom mixes. |
| Advantages | – Zero waste. – Flexible mix designs. |
| Disadvantages | – High upfront cost. – Requires skilled operators. |
| Fuel Efficiency | Low (idles frequently during mixing). |
| Maintenance | Complex (requires calibration of batching systems). |
| Aspect | Details |
| Design | Integrated loader, mixer, and dispenser; no separate batching plant. |
| Capacity | 3–6 cubic yards (2.3–4.6 m³). |
| Mixing Method | Loads aggregates/cement, mixes, and pours autonomously. |
| Best For | Small contractors or rural areas. |
| Advantages | – Saves labor/time. – Works without infrastructure. |
| Disadvantages | – Limited capacity. – Slower than transit mixers. |
| Fuel Efficiency | Moderate (varies with loading cycles). |
| Maintenance | Focus on loader arms and mixing drum. |
| Aspect | Details |
| Design | Compact version of transit mixer; smaller chassis. |
| Capacity | 1–4 cubic yards (0.76–3 m³). |
| Mixing Method | Same as standard transit mixers but scaled down. |
| Best For | Residential repairs or narrow-access sites. |
| Advantages | – Highly maneuverable. – Low operating cost. |
| Disadvantages | – Not suitable for large volumes. |
| Fuel Efficiency | High (consumes 5–7 L/km). |
| Maintenance | Simplified (smaller components, easier access). |
Standard rear-unloading mixer truck: RMB 0.8-1.5 million (6-10m³ capacity)
Front-discharge mixer: 1.2-1.8 million yuan
Mobile mixing plant model: 2-3.5 million yuan
Self-loading mixer trucks: RMB 900-1.6million
Mini mixer truck: RMB 500-1 million (1-4m³)
(1) Fuel consumption (calculated according to the current price of diesel):
Standard mixer truck: 1.5-2.5 RMB/km (full load)
Mobile mixer: 2.8-3.5 yuan/km (including equipment running fuel consumption)
Self-loading model: 2.0-3.0 yuan/km
(2) Maintenance cost:
Annual basic maintenance: 30,000-50,000 yuan (including lubricating oil, filters, etc.)
Key parts replacement:
Mixing blades: 800-1500 yuan/set (replaced 1-2 times a year)
Hydraulic system overhaul: 50,000-80,000 yuan/time (3-5 years cycle)
Transmission system maintenance: 20,000-30,000 yuan / year
(3) Labor cost:
Driver’s salary: 80,000-120,000 RMB/year
Auxiliary workers: 60,000-80,000 yen/year (self-loading models can be saved)
(1) Comparison of transportation efficiency:
Standard mixer truck: 4-6 trips per day (50km radius)
Mobile mixer truck: can improve efficiency by 30% (eliminating time spent traveling to and from the mixing station)
Self-loading model: suitable for small batch and multi-batch operation (daily average of 8-10 short trips)
(2) Equipment utilization rate impact:
Less than 200 days of work per year: leasing is recommended (monthly rental of 30,000-50,000 yuan)
200-300 days: consider used equipment
More than 300 days: better return on investment in new vehicles
(1) Highway project:
Typical demand: continuous pouring of roadway slabs (single-day demand of 800-1200m³)
Equipment configuration: 8-12m³ rear discharge mixer truck fleet (15-20 units)
Special Requirements: Retarder adding system is required (keep 6-8 hours workability)
(2) High-speed railway construction projects:
Application characteristics: bridge pier large volume concrete pouring
Technical program: mixer truck + pump truck joint operation mode
Case data: average daily consumption of 3000m³ for a single section of Beijing-Hungary Intercity Railway
5.2 Urban construction projects
(1) Ultra-high-rise buildings:
Challenge
Vertical transportation efficiency limitation
Solution
Adopt pressure-balanced mixer truck (maintain 2MPa tank pressure)
With tower-type fabricator to realize 300m+ height pumping.
(2) Subway construction
Typical working condition: narrow construction site
Equipment preference:
Short wheelbase mixer truck (turning radius <8m)
Electric mixer truck (to meet the emission requirements in the tunnel)
(1) Construction in extremely cold area:
Technical measures:
Double-layer thermal insulation tank (-30 ℃ environment to maintain more than 10 ℃)
Diesel heating system (to maintain the fluidity of hydraulic oil)
(2) Island construction projects:
Logistics program:
Mixer truck + transport ship intermodal transportation mode
Tank anticorrosion treatment (salt spray resistance over 2000 hours)
(1) Rural road construction:
Equipment selection:
3-5m³ mini mixer truck (adapting to 4.5m wide village road)
Self-loading mixer truck (to solve the sand and gravel material on the spot)
(2) Farmland water conservancy project:
Innovative application:
Mixer truck converted into mobile mixing plant (daily output 200m³)
Specialized chute unloading device for U-type channels
(1) Concrete demand dimension:
Calculation model: Peak usage = Maximum pouring area × thickness × 1.1 loss factor
Case: 50,000 square meters basement floor (thickness 0.5m) need to configure 10 sets of 10m³ trucks
(2) Construction environment dimension:
Evaluation elements:
Site passability (minimum turning radius)
Environmental requirements (PM2.5 real-time monitoring)
Electricity support (electric vehicle type charging facilities)
(3) Material Characteristics Dimension:
Specialty concrete suitability:
Self-compacting concrete: need to increase the mixing blade angle
Fiber concrete: strengthen the torque of drive system
(4) Schedule pressure dimension:
Contingency program:
Prepare 20% backup vehicles
Rental of mobile mixing plant as backup
| Evaluation Criteria | Weight | Standard Mixer | Front-Discharge | Volumetric | Self-Loading |
| Initial Cost | 15% | 90 | 80 | 60 | 85 |
| Operational Efficiency | 25% | 85 | 90 | 95 | 80 |
| Site Adaptability | 20% | 75 | 95 | 85 | 90 |
| Special Concrete Compatibility | 15% | 80 | 85 | 95 | 75 |
| Environmental Compliance | 10% | 85 | 90 | 80 | 85 |
| Personnel Requirements | 15% | 90 | 85 | 70 | 60 |
| Total Score | 100% | 83.5 | 87.5 | 82.5 | 79.5 |
When choosing a concrete mixer truck, you should further conduct in-depth research and consult industry experts. Different projects have different needs. Only by fully understanding the characteristics of various mixer trucks and making choices based on actual conditions can you ensure the smooth progress of the construction project. If necessary, you can contact the experts of EPDAS professional concrete mixer truck supplier for more personalized advice to achieve the best benefits for your project!
