How much does a grab lorry hold?

A 6-wheel grab typically carries around 12–13 tonnes and an 8-wheeler around 15–16 tonnes, depending on the material's moisture and density. Wet clay weighs far more per cubic metre than dry hardcore, so tonnage rather than volume is what fills the load.

Is grab hire better than a skip?

For soil, clay, hardcore and concrete above about 10 tonnes, yes. A grab loads itself, clears more per visit and leaves nothing standing on the road between exchanges. Skips still make sense for mixed waste, staged renovation work and sites where waste accumulates slowly.

Can the grab bring aggregate back in?

Yes — that is the most efficient way to run a dig. The lorry arrives loaded with MOT Type 1, 6F5 capping, ballast or bedding stone, tips it where you need it, then loads your arisings for the return leg. One movement, one booking.

What can't go in a grab load?

Grab loads are for inert and non-hazardous arisings: soil, clay, subsoil, hardcore, concrete, brick and stone. Timber, plastics, plasterboard, tyres, asbestos and general mixed waste need a different route — tell us what is in the pile and we will book accordingly.

Do I need WAC testing before a grab load leaves site?

If the soil is going for disposal rather than recovery, the receiving facility needs it classified. Where history or visual evidence suggests contamination, we sample and run WAC analysis first so the material is routed correctly and the cost is known before the lorries roll.

How much notice do you need?

Most areas can be covered next working day, and often same day for straightforward inert loads. Programmes with several loads a day are better booked in advance so the fleet is allocated to your site.

Services · Grab Hire

Grab hire that clears the dig and brings the stone back.

6-wheel and 8-wheel grab lorries for muck away, hardcore and site clearance across the UK — loading themselves, reaching over walls, and returning loaded with MOT Type 1, 6F5 capping or bedding stone on the same booking.

•6-wheel, 8-wheel and extended-reach grabs
•Two-way loads — muck out, aggregate in
•Licensed tips and recovery facilities, transfer notes on every load
•WAC testing arranged where soil needs classifying first

Get a grab hire quote

Book a grab

Tell us the material, rough tonnage, site access and postcode — and whether you want stone on the return leg.

Why contractors use grabs

No loading plant needed

The grab arm loads itself, so you don't tie up an excavator or banksman waiting for lorries. Ideal where standing plant time is the expensive part of the job.

Two-way loads

The same vehicle can arrive loaded with MOT Type 1, 6F5 capping or bedding stone and leave with your arisings — one movement instead of two.

Faster than skip exchanges

Above roughly 10 tonnes of soil or hardcore, a single grab load clears what several skip exchanges would take, and the road stays clear between visits.

Duty-of-care paperwork

Waste transfer notes on every load, licensed carriers, and recovery figures on request for site reporting.

Classified before it moves

Where soil is suspect, we sample and WAC test it first so the load leaves site to the right facility and the disposal route is priced properly.

Nationwide coverage

Grab lorries booked through our haulage network across England, Scotland and Wales, coordinated from one point of contact.

Vehicles and payloads

Payloads are indicative and depend on the material. Wet clay and saturated subsoil reach the weight limit well before the body looks full.

Vehicle	Indicative payload	Reach	Best for
6-wheel grab	Around 12–13 tonnes	Roughly 6m grab reach	Tight urban streets, driveways and restricted access sites
8-wheel grab	Around 15–16 tonnes	Roughly 6–7m grab reach	Housing plots, groundworks and steady muckaway programmes
8-wheel grab with extended arm	Around 15 tonnes	Extended reach over walls and hedgerows	Rear gardens, verges and sites with no plant on the ground
Grab and tipper combination	Multiple loads per shift	Grab loads out, tipper loads in	Bulk dig programmes where muck out and stone in run together

Site access checklist

•Around 3m width and a firm surface for the vehicle to stand on — grabs are heavy when loaded.
•Clear overhead — no low cables or branches over the working position.
•Muck within reach of the arm, or stockpiled where the arm can reach it before the lorry arrives.
•Stockpiles free of timber, plastic, plasterboard and rebar; contamination changes the disposal route.
•Somewhere to stand legally — where the vehicle sits on the highway, tell us in advance so we can plan the visit.
•For rear gardens or long reaches, mention it up front so we send the right arm rather than a wasted journey.

Grab, tipper or skip?

Grabs win where the muck is spread out, access is tight or there is no plant to load with. Tippers and artics win on long-haul bulk tonnage from one loading point. Skips win on mixed waste and slow-accumulating renovation work. Tell us the job and we'll say which is cheapest per tonne.

Tipper & artic hire →Skip hire →Muckaway →

Grab hire FAQs

How much does a grab lorry hold?: A 6-wheel grab typically carries around 12–13 tonnes and an 8-wheeler around 15–16 tonnes, depending on the material's moisture and density. Wet clay weighs far more per cubic metre than dry hardcore, so tonnage rather than volume is what fills the load.
Is grab hire better than a skip?: For soil, clay, hardcore and concrete above about 10 tonnes, yes. A grab loads itself, clears more per visit and leaves nothing standing on the road between exchanges. Skips still make sense for mixed waste, staged renovation work and sites where waste accumulates slowly.
Can the grab bring aggregate back in?: Yes — that is the most efficient way to run a dig. The lorry arrives loaded with MOT Type 1, 6F5 capping, ballast or bedding stone, tips it where you need it, then loads your arisings for the return leg. One movement, one booking.
What can't go in a grab load?: Grab loads are for inert and non-hazardous arisings: soil, clay, subsoil, hardcore, concrete, brick and stone. Timber, plastics, plasterboard, tyres, asbestos and general mixed waste need a different route — tell us what is in the pile and we will book accordingly.
Do I need WAC testing before a grab load leaves site?: If the soil is going for disposal rather than recovery, the receiving facility needs it classified. Where history or visual evidence suggests contamination, we sample and run WAC analysis first so the material is routed correctly and the cost is known before the lorries roll.
How much notice do you need?: Most areas can be covered next working day, and often same day for straightforward inert loads. Programmes with several loads a day are better booked in advance so the fleet is allocated to your site.

What we need to quote

Send these five things and a price comes back within one working day — no site visit needed in most cases.

1Site postcode, and the delivery or collection window you're working to
2Material and tonnage — or the area and depth, and we'll work the tonnage back
3Access: whether an 8-wheeler can get in and tip, whether a grab has to reach over a boundary, or whether it has to be bulk bags
4Anything overhead or restrictive — cables, low gates, weight limits, permit or bay suspension
5Whether material is going out as well as coming in, so we can price it as one two-way movement

Build an RFQ Work out tonnage first

Everything you need to spec, price and move material — tools, services and the exact material pages they relate to.

One vehicle, both directions.

Send us the material, tonnage and postcode and we'll come back with the right grab and a delivery window.

Request a quote Work out your tonnage