Equipment Selection Tool

Pick a job's bank volume, material, time and machine, and the tool recommends an excavator/loader + dump-truck fleet: machine and truck counts, bucket passes, production checks, the match factor and the project duration — with a fleet flow diagram.

⭐ Free to run · Balance … EP

① The job

Volume to move — bank (BCM, m³)

Material

Swell % (editable)

Job efficiency E (0–1)

Load factor LF = 1/(1+swell/100); loose volume LCM = BCM·(1+swell/100). E = 0.83 is a 50-min working hour.

② Available time → required production

Working hours / day

Number of days

Available hours = hours/day × days. Required production P_req = Volume ÷ available hours (BCM/h).

③ Primary machine

Type

Size (bucket, heaped m³)

Bucket capacity q — heaped (m³)

Cycle time Cm (s)

Bucket fill factor K (0.85–1.0)

Choosing a size pre-fills q, Cm and K — override any of them for your actual machine. Loose volume per pass = q·K (LCM).

④ Hauling truck

Truck payload — loose volume (LCM, heaped m³)

Truck capacity (LCM, m³)

Truck travel time

Haul distance one-way (km)

Loaded speed (km/h)

Empty (return) speed (km/h)

Haul time = dist/loaded-speed; return time = dist/empty-speed (converted to seconds).

Dump + maneuver (s)

Spot time at loader (s)

🚜 Recommended equipment spread

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Loader–hauler selection

Primary machine

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Trucks (fleet)

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Fleet production

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Required P_req

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Project duration

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Match factor MF

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Production summary

Quantity	Value	Unit

Worked solution

📋 Indicative values — tap to view & adjust

⚠️ Indicative only. These swell %, fill factors K, and cycle times Cm are typical starting points — adjust them to your actual machines & site, and confirm against manufacturer (e.g. Caterpillar Performance Handbook) and course data before using on a real job.

Edit a cell to change the default the form pre-fills. The job efficiency is also editable here.

Material	Swell %	Fill factor K

Machine / size (m³)	Cm (s)	K hint

Default job efficiency E