Truck types and load capacity in India
What each truck is called, how long the body is, and roughly how much it carries.
Three ways the same truck gets named
Half the confusion on a booking call is that two people are naming the same truck differently. There are three systems in use, and everybody mixes them.
- By wheels — "dus tyre", "chaudah tyre". This is the most common way, and it tells you roughly how heavy the truck can go.
- By body length — "bees feet", "battis feet". This tells you how much will fit, which is a different question from how much it can weigh.
- By model — "407", "709", "Ace". These are old Tata model numbers that became generic names for a whole size class, whichever company made the truck.
Truck capacity chart
Take this as the starting point for a quote, not as the final word. The figure that actually governs the load is on the vehicle's own papers.
| Common name | Wheels | Body length | Approx. payload | Typical load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Ace / chhota hathi | 4 | 7 ft | 0.75 – 1 ton | City delivery, parcel, e-commerce |
| Pickup (Bolero, Dost, Intra) | 4 | 8 – 9 ft | 1 – 1.7 ton | Local and last-mile |
| LCV 407 | 6 | 9 – 14 ft | 2 – 3 ton | Short haul, FMCG distribution |
| 709 / 14 ft LCV | 6 | 14 – 17 ft | 3.5 – 5 ton | Part load, godown to godown |
| 6 wheeler (Taurus, 1109) | 6 | 17 – 19 ft | 7 – 9 ton | Regional full load |
| 10 wheeler | 10 | 20 – 24 ft | 15 – 16 ton | The everyday long-haul truck |
| 12 wheeler | 12 | 24 ft | 20 – 21 ton | Heavy full load |
| 14 wheeler | 14 | 24 – 26 ft | 24 – 25 ton | Heavy full load, steel and cement |
| 32 ft single axle trailer | 14 | 32 ft | 15 – 18 ton | Bulky but light — bales, foam, pipes |
| 32 ft multi axle trailer | 18 | 32 ft | 22 – 26 ton | Bulky and heavy together |
| 40 ft trailer / container | 18 – 22 | 40 ft | 25 – 30 ton | Containers, export and import |
| Low bed / semi low bed | 18 and above | Varies | 30 ton and above | Machinery, transformers, ODC |
Payload figures are approximate and vary by make, model year and body. The number that counts is on the vehicle's registration certificate — gross vehicle weight minus unladen weight — and axle-load norms, permit conditions and state rules can bring it below that. Check the RC before you commit a load, every time.
Body types, and what each one is for
The chassis decides how much weight. The body decides what kind of goods can go on it at all.
| Body type | What it is | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Open body | Flat deck with low side rails | Steel, cement bags, machinery, pipes |
| Half body | Short sides, open top | Sand, gravel, scrap, bricks |
| Full body / high side | Tall sides with a sheet over the top | Bagged goods, bales, cartons |
| Closed container | Sealed box body with shutter or doors | FMCG, electronics, parcel, anything pilferable |
| Tarpaulin (taripal) | Open body with a sheet roped over the load | Anything that must stay dry on the way |
| Tipper | Hydraulic body that tilts to unload | Sand, stone, coal, construction material |
| Tanker | Cylindrical tank for liquids | Diesel, oil, chemicals, milk, water |
| Bulker | Pressurised tank for dry powder | Cement, fly ash, food grain |
| Car carrier | Multi-deck open frame | Cars and two-wheelers |
| Reefer | Insulated body with a cooling unit | Fruit and vegetables, pharma, frozen goods |
| Low bed trailer | Deck sitting close to the road | Tall or very heavy machinery |
Weight or space — a truck fills up in one of two ways
This is the part that costs people money. A 32 ft single axle trailer carries less weight than a 10 wheeler, but holds nearly twice the volume. Load steel on it and it is full at 15 ton with half the deck empty. Load cotton bales on a 10 wheeler and the deck is full at 9 ton with weight to spare.
So before quoting, ask which of the two will run out first. Dense goods — steel, cement, tiles, marble — fill up by weight, and you want wheels. Bulky goods — bales, foam, plastic moulding, furniture, pipes — fill up by space, and you want feet. Quoting a per-ton rate on a load that fills up by space is how a trip loses money while looking full.
What to check before you hand over the load
Most of a transport dispute starts with something on this list that nobody looked at.
- RC — payload, and whether gross weight minus unladen weight actually covers your load
- Permit — national or state, and whether it covers the route you are sending it on
- Fitness certificate and insurance, both in date
- PUC certificate
- Driver's licence class — a heavy vehicle needs the heavy endorsement
- Whether the body suits the goods, not just the weight
- GPS or at least a reachable phone number on the driver
Why the truck type belongs on the bilty
Write the truck type and the vehicle number on the LR at pickup, not afterwards. When a party argues about a short delivery or a damaged load six weeks later, the truck type on that paper is what tells you whether the goods could even have been loaded the way they say.
TransportMaster keeps each truck with its type and capacity once, so the trip entry picks it up on its own and the type prints on the bilty without anybody typing it again.
Frequently asked questions
How much load does a 10 wheeler carry?
Roughly 15 to 16 ton, with a body of 20 to 24 ft. It is the most common long-haul truck in India. The exact payload is on that vehicle's registration certificate and axle-load norms can reduce it, so confirm before loading.
How much can a 32 ft trailer carry?
It depends entirely on the axles. A 32 ft single axle carries about 15 to 18 ton; a 32 ft multi axle carries about 22 to 26 ton. Both have the same deck length, so people quote them as the same truck and get it wrong.
What is the difference between a 6 wheeler and a 10 wheeler?
A 6 wheeler has two axles and carries roughly 7 to 9 ton on a 17 to 19 ft body. A 10 wheeler has three axles and carries roughly 15 to 16 ton on a 20 to 24 ft body — about double the weight for a slightly longer deck.
What does 14 wheeler mean?
It counts the tyres on the ground. A 14 wheeler is usually a four-axle rigid truck or a single-axle trailer, carrying in the range of 18 to 25 ton depending on which of the two it is.
Which truck should I book for a 10 ton load?
A 10 wheeler, if the goods are dense. If the 10 ton is bulky and will not fit in 22 ft, a 32 ft single axle holds the volume at that weight. Work out which runs out first — the weight or the space.
Is the payload on the RC the same as what the truck can hold?
No. The RC gives the legal limit. What fits on the deck can be more or less than that. Loading above the RC payload is an overload offence regardless of whether the truck manages it.
What is the difference between an open body and a container truck?
An open body is a flat deck, loaded from the side or the top and covered with a tarpaulin if needed. A container is a sealed box body. Open body is cheaper and takes odd shapes; a container protects against rain and pilferage, which is why FMCG and electronics move in one.
How to work out a freight rate · Trip management — trucks, trips and drivers · Lorry receipt (LR) — what the number means
Keep every truck with its type and capacity — free for 15 days