Super ten dump truck (super 10): what the name means, how it works and what it hauls
Steve Woods · Truck Dispatcher, TruckSprint
Steve Woods is a truck dispatcher with 9 years of experience in trucking. He reviews every guide we publish. How we research and update guides.
Updated October 2026
Quick answer
A super ten dump truck ("super 10") is trade slang, not a legal term. Most often it means a ten-wheel tandem dump truck pulling a dump trailer, like a transfer or pup, which can gross up to 80,000 lb on the Interstate with enough axle spacing and needs a Class A CDL. Some people use it for a straight truck with extra axles instead.
Source: 23 CFR 658.17 (Bridge Formula); 49 CFR 383.91 · checked 2026-10
Ask three dump truck owners what a super ten dump truck is and you may get three answers. I'm Steve Woods, a truck dispatcher at TruckSprint with 9 years in trucking. No regulation or maker defines "super 10", so this guide shows the setups the name gets used for, how each works, what it can legally haul, and how to decide if it's worth it.
The setups people call a super 10
| Setup | Axles | How it dumps | License |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ten-wheeler with a transfer trailer | 3 on the truck + 2 or 3 on the trailer | Truck dumps, trailer box rolls into the truck body, truck dumps again | Class A |
| Ten-wheeler with a pup trailer | 3 + 2 or 3 | Truck and pup each dump their own body | Class A |
| Straight truck with lift and booster axles | 4 to 6 on one truck | One body, one dump | Class B |
The common thread is a ten-wheel tandem, the most common dump chassis, set up to carry more legal weight than it can alone. When you buy, hire or quote one, ask for the axle count and spacing instead of the name. The straight-truck versions are compared in tri-axle vs quad vs quint, and every setup is on the types of dump trucks chart.
How a transfer dump works
- Load both bodies at the pit: the truck's and the trailer's.
- At the drop, the truck dumps its own body and lowers it.
- The trailer's box rolls forward on rails into the empty truck body.
- The truck dumps again, the empty box rolls back onto the trailer, and the rig heads back.
A pup trailer is simpler: a short dump trailer with its own hoist that dumps where it stands. A transfer box can dump into tight spots where a trailer can't back in, which is why transfers are popular for long hauls into crowded job sites.
How much a super 10 can haul legally
On the Interstate, the federal Bridge Formula sets gross weight from the number of axles and their spread, up to the 80,000 lb cap:
| EXAMPLE combination | First to last axle | Interstate gross |
|---|---|---|
| Tandem dump truck alone | 20 ft | 51,000 lb |
| Truck + 2-axle trailer (5 axles) | 51 ft | 80,000 lb |
| Truck + 3-axle trailer (6 axles) | 45 ft | 80,000 lb |
Source: 23 CFR 658.17, Bridge Formula, rounded to the nearest 500 lb · checked 2026-10
Each tandem group is also limited to 34,000 lb and each single axle to 20,000 lb, and every group of axles inside the rig must pass the formula. Payload is the legal gross minus the rig's empty weight from a scale. EXAMPLE: at 80,000 lb gross and 40,000 lb empty, a transfer carries 20 tons, against about 12 tons for an EXAMPLE tandem alone at 51,000 lb.
Off the Interstate, states set their own limits, and some give dump combinations more weight under state tables or grandfather rules. Ask your state's size and weight office before you load past federal numbers.
Cycle time: more tons, more minutes
A transfer adds a second dump and the transfer itself at every drop. Whether that pays depends on the haul. EXAMPLE, same pit and site:
| EXAMPLE | Tandem alone | Truck with transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Legal payload | 12 tons | 20 tons |
| Round trip | 60 min | 70 min (10 extra minutes to transfer and dump twice) |
| Tons per hour | 12.0 | 17.1 |
On this EXAMPLE the transfer moves about 43% more tons per hour. On a 15-minute haul with long waits at the pit, the extra minutes weigh more, and the gap shrinks. Our dump truck cycle time guide and loads per day calculator run your own numbers.
What a transfer setup costs
TruckPaper's Dump - Transfer Trucks category listed 51 trucks on October 27, 2026. The 40 used ones with a price asked a median of $81,500, with the middle half from $61,750 to $109,900. That's a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide; prices for straight trucks by setup are in how much a dump truck costs.
Source: TruckPaper.com, Dump - Transfer Trucks category (our count and quartiles) · checked 2026-10
Budget for more than the price: a second body and hoist to maintain, trailer tires and brakes, and the Class A CDL for every driver.
Who should run a super 10
- Good fit: long hauls of heavy aggregate paid by the ton, steady work from one pit or plant, drivers with a Class A.
- Poor fit: short hauls, tight residential sites, hourly work, and new drivers who only hold a Class B; see how to become a dump truck driver.
TruckSprint no longer dispatches dump trucks. If you also run a 26 ft box truck, our desk can keep it loaded.
Sources
- 23 CFR 658.17 (Bridge Formula, axle limits), eCFR
- 49 CFR 383.91 (CDL classes), eCFR
- TruckPaper.com, Dump - Transfer Trucks category, read October 27, 2026