Concrete mixer trucks (truck mixers, transit mixers) · geometric drum volume vs rated mixed-concrete capacity, rating plate, mixing and agitating speed, revolution counters, blade wear, water system accuracy, ASTM C94 delivery limits, chassis
A concrete mixer truck carries a rotating drum on an inclined axis, driven from the truck chassis, that mixes or agitates ready-mixed concrete between the batch plant and the site and discharges it down a chute. The drum's helical blades push concrete to the bottom of the drum when turning one way and out to the discharge when reversed. This page covers the rotating drum as well. Ask three things first: the rated mixed-concrete capacity and the drum's geometric volume behind it, the mixing and agitating speeds on the rating plate, and the delivery rules (revolutions and time) your concrete specification sets.
Truck-mounted and semi-trailer drum truck mixers and agitators for ready-mixed concrete, and their rotating drums, blades, drives, water systems and revolution counters. Self-loading concrete mixers, which load and batch their own materials on site, have a separate page (self-loading concrete mixer); concrete pumps, which move concrete through a pipeline rather than carry it, are covered under concrete pump. Volumetric (auger) mixers, stationary mixers, batching plants and livestock feed mixer wagons are outside this page.
01
Liebherr's generation 05 truck mixer bodies show the gap between drum size and payload. The HTM 905 has a nominal filling of 9 m³ of compacted mixed concrete in a drum whose geometric capacity is 16 m³; the range runs from the HTM 805 (8 m³ nominal) to the HTM 1205 (12 m³ nominal), with semi-trailer versions at 9–12 m³. Liebherr states drum water capacity measured to DIN 459-1 at a minimum of 2 drum rotations per minute, and notes that real maximum filling depends on the concrete's consistency and rheology, road topology and driveability. [1]
New Jersey DOT's truck inspection procedure requires a fixed metal plate showing the manufacturer's capacity rating in terms of gross drum volume, which should not exceed 63 percent of the mixer's gross volume disregarding blades for truck (transit) mixers and 80 percent for agitator (central-mixed) trucks, plus the drum capacity in mixed concrete and the designated mixing and agitating speeds. The supplier must provide the manufacturer's design showing blade dimensions and arrangement, drum dimensions, gross drum volume and recommended rotation rates. [2] Pavement Interactive gives the same 63% and 80% fill limits, citing AASHTO, and says “A typical mixing truck” uses a 6.9–9.2 m³ (9–12 yd³) drum, limited by the loaded truck's gross vehicle weight. [6]
Editorial calculation: 9 ÷ 16.0 = 56% for the HTM 905 and 12 ÷ 20.4 = 59% for the HTM 1205, while 63% × 16.0 m³ = 10.1 m³, so compare quotations on rated mixed-concrete volume and ask for the geometric volume behind it. [1] [2]
Liebherr lists standard body assembly weights of 3,650 kg (HTM 805) to 4,440 kg (HTM 1205), with lightweight versions also listed, and offers different chassis and drive options and water tank volumes; its drums use a LICRO 500 special steel. [1] ISO 19711-1:2018 (12 pages, ISO/TC 195/SC 1, confirmed in 2024) defines terms and commercial specifications for truck- or semi-trailer-mounted truck mixers, excluding stationary and volumetric mixers. [7]
Give the supplier the rated mixed-concrete volume, required geometric drum volume, chassis make and axle configuration, gross vehicle weight limit where the truck will run, drive (PTO, hydraulic pump and motor, gearbox), drum steel and blade design, water tank and admixture tank volumes, chute length, discharge direction (rear or front), controls, revolution counter and slump monitoring options, and the inspection or certification the concrete producer needs.
02
Pavement Interactive describes high-speed drum rotation of 12–15 rpm to mix concrete, saying this mixing “typically takes between 50 and 100 revolutions” depending on the mix and conditions, and low-speed rotation of about 2 rpm to agitate it in transit; truck mixers carry revolution counters and may have slump meters and digital water meters. [6] A 2024 Command Alkon presentation at the ACI Concrete Convention summarises ASTM C94's history: 70 to 100 revolutions for dry-batch initial in-drum mixing, introduced in 1935, is still required; a 300-revolution delivery limit introduced in 1955 was removed in 2013 and a 90-minute limit was removed in 2021. It lists 14.5 min and 4.26 L of fuel per truck load for dry-batch loading, mixing and adjustment against 11 min and 3.31 L for wet-batch. [5]
ASTM C94/C94M-24 covers ready-mixed concrete; its abstract states that mixers are stationary or truck mixers, agitators are truck mixers or truck agitators, and the purchaser's requirements govern where they differ from the specification. [4] Texas DOT's 2024 Item 421 requires each truck mixer to be certified by NRMCA or by a licensed engineer's sealed report showing it meets ASTM C94, a plate showing recommended operating speed and rated capacity for mixing and agitating, uniformity tests at full rated capacity, annual blade and fin wear inspection with repair at 10% or more wear, and at least 30 additional revolutions at mixing speed after jobsite water addition. [3]
Texas DOT's Table 14 sets the time from batching to start of discharge by concrete temperature: at 90 °F and above, 45 min without and 75 min with Type B or D admixtures; from 75 to below 90 °F, 60 and 90 min; below 75 °F, 90 and 120 min. [3] New Jersey DOT requires two non-resettable counters (mixing revolutions and total revolutions), treats a blade below 90 percent of its original height as excessively worn, and requires water measurement accurate within ±1 percent of mixing water capacity or ±1 gallon. [2]
Ask for the plate mixing and agitating speeds, the drum speed range of the drive, revolution counter type, water and admixture metering accuracy, and whether the truck holds NRMCA certification or will pass your agency's inspection.
03
Sany's website lists truck mixers; ask any supplier which parts of the truck it builds itself.
When requesting quotations, ask each supplier whether it builds the mixer body or the complete truck, for the rated and geometric drum volumes, chassis options, drive components, blade and drum steel, plate data and certification, and references from concrete producers.
04
The blade-wear and water-metering limits in this table come from New Jersey DOT's inspection procedure; the plate contents come from Texas DOT Item 421.
| Element | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Rotating drum | Inclined drum, helical blades. [6] | Geometric and rated volume. |
| Blades | Wear limit: 90% of original height. [2] | Blade design, steel. |
| Drive | Body works off chassis PTO. [1] | PTO, pump, motor, gearbox. |
| Water system | ±1% or ±1 gallon accuracy. [2] | Tank, meter. |
| Revolution counter | Mixing and total revolutions. [2] | Counter type. |
| Rating plate | Speeds and rated capacity. [3] | Plate data. |
| Chute | Pavement Interactive: discharge is “typically via a 3 – 6 m” chute. [6] | Length, rear or front. |
05
Five of the twelve fields — discharge rate, engine power, top speed, fuel tank and hydraulic pressure — are not stated in any source reviewed, so they come from the chassis and body data sheets.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Drum capacity (m³) | 8–12 m³ nominal; 6.9–9.2 m³ drum for “A typical mixing truck” (Pavement Interactive). [1] [6] | Rated and geometric volume. |
| Mixing speed (rpm) | 12–15 rpm mix; about 2 rpm agitate. [6] | Plate speeds. |
| Discharge rate (m³/min) | Not stated in reviewed sources. | Rate at slump. |
| Water tank capacity (L) | Volumes vary by option. [1] | Tank volume. |
| Gross vehicle weight (kg) | Limits drum size. [6] | GVW, axle loads. |
| Engine power (kW) | Not stated in reviewed sources. | Chassis engine. |
| Maximum speed (km/h) | Not stated in reviewed sources. | Governed speed. |
| Fuel tank capacity (L) | Not stated in reviewed sources. | Chassis tank. |
| Operating temperature (°C) | Discharge time falls as concrete temperature rises. [3] | Climate package. |
| Mixing drum tilt angle (°) | Inclined axis; angle not stated. [6] | Drum angle. |
| Hydraulic system pressure (MPa) | Not stated in reviewed sources. | Drive pressure. |
| Chassis model | Chassis options offered. [1] | Make, axles. |
06
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Capacity: [rated m³ mixed concrete; geometric drum m³] Chassis: [make; axles; GVW limit] Drive: [PTO; pump; motor; gearbox] Drum: [steel; blades; speeds on plate] Water: [tank L; meter accuracy] Delivery rules: [ASTM C94; agency spec] Quantity: [units]
2 companies list this product among what they make. Company figures are quoted from each company's own website; every card states where the relationship came from.
Its website lists truck mixers.
Product scope checked 2026-10-12
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New Jersey DOT's inspection procedure says the rating should not exceed 63% of the mixer's gross volume, disregarding blades, for truck mixers, and 80% for agitator trucks. [2]
Pavement Interactive gives 12–15 rpm for mixing and about 2 rpm for agitating in transit. [6]
A 2024 ACI presentation says those limits were removed in 2021 and 2013; 70–100 dry-batch revolutions remain. [5]
Sources checked 2026-10-11. Liebherr is a truck mixer maker; New Jersey and Texas DOT documents are agency specifications; ASTM and ISO pages give standard abstracts only; Pavement Interactive and the ACI presentation are technical references. Values for your truck must come from the supplier's data and plate.
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