On Florida paving, milling, and site-work projects above the $1M threshold, hauling capacity is often the single most schedule-critical resource on the job. A prime contractor can have the right paver, the right crew, and the right asphalt mix lined up – and still miss schedule because their hauling subcontractor’s fleet doesn’t have the dedicated trucks the project needs at the speeds the project needs.
Here’s how we think about fleet capacity when scoping our portion of a larger Florida project, and what general contractors should ask their hauling subcontractors before award.
Why fleet size matters
A tri-axle dump truck in Florida hauls 18-22 tons per load depending on net legal weight, body configuration, and material density. A typical haul cycle for an in-town project (3-5 mile one-way to the plant) runs 60-90 minutes plant-to-plant including load time, transit, and dump.
So a single truck can deliver 8-12 loads per day in optimal conditions – call it 160-260 tons.
For a 50,000-ton resurfacing project that needs to complete in 25 paving days, you need to deliver 2,000 tons per day average. That’s 8-12 dedicated trucks running full cycles. If your hauling sub only has 5 trucks available, you’ve already lost the schedule.
For an FDOT mainline project at 200,000+ tons over a 6-month window, the math gets more dramatic. Fleet capacity becomes the literal bottleneck.
What to ask a hauling subcontractor
Three questions general contractors should ask before awarding hauling sub-work on a $1M+ Florida project:
1. “How many tri-axle units do you own, and how many can you commit dedicated to this project?”
The first number is the marketing number. The second is the schedule-critical number. A hauling firm with 50 trucks may only be able to commit 8-10 to your project because the rest are committed elsewhere. That’s not a bad thing – but you need the actual commit number, not the headline number.
2. “What’s your driver count, and what’s your standby driver capacity?”
Trucks without drivers don’t move material. Florida’s commercial driver market has been tight since 2022 and remains so. A hauling sub with 30 trucks and 22 drivers is a 22-truck operation. Ask explicitly.
3. “How do you handle equipment breakdown on this project?”
A 25-truck operation will typically have 1-2 units down on any given day for maintenance, tire, or hydraulic issues. The mature hauling subs have spare capacity and a relationship network they can lean on. The marginal ones tell you nothing breaks down. The latter is a red flag.
Florida-specific capacity considerations
A few things specific to operating tri-axle hauling capacity in Florida:
- Summer heat affects equipment availability. Hydraulic systems, AC, and tire wear all spike maintenance demand June-September. Plan for 5-10% lower effective fleet utilization in summer than in winter.
- Hurricane season call-outs. FDOT IDIQ contractors get pulled to emergency repair work during named storms. If your hauling sub does emergency FDOT work, your project’s trucks may disappear for days at a time during a storm event. Confirm whether they have the capacity to staff your project AND emergency work simultaneously.
- Cross-county hauling. Florida’s permitting for cross-county heavy hauling is straightforward but adds time. If your project is in one county and the asphalt plant is in another, factor cross-county permit time into mobilization.
What VLJ brings to large-project hauling
VLJ Construction Services runs a 100+ tri-axle truck fleet operating across Florida. We support FDOT IDIQ work and large commercial projects simultaneously, with dedicated truck commitments on major contracts. Our dispatch team coordinates fleet allocation to keep dedicated-truck commitments stable even during seasonal surges and emergency call-outs.
For Florida primes scoping a $1M+ project with significant hauling component, we’re glad to walk through truck commitment scenarios in advance. Reach out to start the conversation.
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Related Resources
- Our Services – Tri-axle hauling, paving, milling, and concrete recycling across Florida.
- What Sets Top Road Construction Companies Apart
- The Value of Quality in Commercial Construction Projects
