How Many Bushels Fit in a Hopper Bottom Trailer? A North Dakota Grain Hauler's Capacity Guide
August 6, 2026 - 11:04:27 am
Quick Summary: A standard hopper bottom trailer holds between roughly 740 and 1,150 bushels of grain, with extended-wall configurations pushing past 1,500 bushels of volume. In practice, though, the 80,000 lb federal gross vehicle weight (GVW) limit — not cubic capacity — is what caps most loads at 900 to 1,000 bushels of corn or soybeans.
Harvest doesn't wait, and neither should the math on your trailer. Whether you're moving spring wheat off a Cass County section, hauling sugar beets in the Red River Valley, or running canola into an elevator near Minot, knowing exactly what your hopper bottom grain trailer can carry — legally, safely, and profitably — is the difference between a good year and a stressful one. This is a straight answer, ND numbers included.
How Many Bushels Fit in a Hopper Bottom Trailer?
The short answer: hopper bottom trailer capacity typically ranges from about 740 bushels on the small end to over 1,550 bushels on extended-wall units. Length is the biggest driver — most farm-service trailers run 24 to 42 feet, with wall heights of 66 to 72 inches as the standard and 80 inches on tall-wall models built for lower-density crops.
| Trailer Length | Typical Bushel Capacity | Standard Wall Height | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 ft | 740–800 bu | 66–72 in | Short-haul farm-to-elevator, single-hopper |
| 34 ft | 900–1,050 bu | 72 in | Mid-size operations, dual-hopper |
| 40 ft | 1,000–1,150 bu | 72–78 in | Standard commercial grain haul |
| 42 ft (extended) | 1,200–1,550 bu | 78–80 in | Lightweight crops (canola, sunflower, oats) |
Those numbers reflect volumetric capacity — how much grain the box physically holds. What you can actually load and drive down I-94 is a different question, and it comes down to weight.
The Bushel Weights That Really Determine Your Load
A bushel is officially a volume measurement — about 1.244 cubic feet — but the grain trade prices and regulates everything by weight. The USDA has assigned a standard test weight in pounds per bushel for every commodity, and this is what turns your trailer's cubic feet into a load number that matters to the DOT and to the elevator.
| Crop | Standard Test Weight (lb/bu) | Bushels to Reach 50,000 lb Net Payload |
|---|---|---|
| Corn (shelled) | 56 | ~893 bu |
| Soybeans | 60 | ~833 bu |
| Wheat (spring, durum, HRW) | 60 | ~833 bu |
| Barley | 48 | ~1,042 bu |
| Oats | 32 | ~1,562 bu |
| Sunflower (oil type) | 24–32 | ~1,562–2,083 bu |
| Flaxseed | 56 | ~893 bu |
Because North Dakota led the country in spring wheat and durum wheat production in 2024 — 57% and 64% of the national totals respectively, per USDA NASS — most Wallwork Truck Center customers are running 60-lb-per-bushel loads through most of their harvest window. That's the math that governs your daily plan.
Why Weight, Not Volume, Usually Caps Your Load
Under federal regulation, a commercial truck-and-trailer combination is limited to 80,000 lbs GVW on interstate highways. Subtract the weight of your tractor (typically 17,000–20,000 lbs for a Kenworth day cab with fuel and driver) and the empty weight of your hopper bottom trailer (13,000–15,000 lbs for a steel unit, less for aluminum), and you're left with a legal net payload in the neighborhood of 45,000 to 50,000 lbs.
At 60 lb per bushel — wheat or soybeans — that ceiling puts you at about 833 bushels, well below the 1,000-plus your box could physically hold. This is why most veteran grain haulers say the trailer "grosses out before it cubes out." The exception is low-density crops. Oats at 32 lb/bu and light-test sunflower at 24 lb/bu will actually fill a tall-wall hopper trailer to the roof line before hitting the axle limits — which is exactly why 80-inch extended walls exist.
North Dakota's Farm Product Weight Exemption: 10% More During Harvest
Here's the piece that changes the math for ND farmers every year. The Farm Product 10 Percent Weight Exemption Permit, issued by the North Dakota State Highway Patrol, lets a properly registered vehicle run 10% over legal axle weights — with GVW not to exceed 105,500 lbs — when hauling harvested product from field to first point of storage or first point of sale.
Key details:
- Valid window: July 15 through November 30 each year
- Cost: $50 per 30-day period
- Sugar beets and potatoes: covered year-round from any point to storage, at the same 105,500 lb ceiling — a real advantage for Red River Valley beet producers
- Combination Harvest/Winter permit: $250, extends coverage through March 7
- Spring restrictions: overweight permits are generally not issued during posted spring load limits, no matter what
That 10% ceiling of 105,500 lbs, subtracting a typical 30,000-lb tractor-and-trailer tare, gets your legal payload up around 73,000–75,000 lbs — roughly 1,220 bushels of corn or 1,240 bushels of wheat per load. Over a season, that's the difference between 15 and 18 loads to move the same crop. Worth $50.
Matching Trailer Length and Configuration to Your Operation
Length and hopper count both matter. A 24-foot single-hopper is easier to spot at an on-farm bin site and unloads through one gate — fast if you're feeding a leg auger, slower if you're waiting on it at the elevator. A 34- or 40-foot dual-hopper doubles unload speed and gives you more payload flexibility, but it needs more room to turn and more truck to pull it comfortably at Bakken-country wind speeds.
Steel construction — like the Demco steel hopper trailer line — is heavier but tolerates a season of rock chips and grain-cart bumper contact better than aluminum. Aluminum saves 2,000–3,000 lbs of tare weight and buys you back that payload directly, at the cost of a higher sticker price. For most ND fleets, steel is still the practical default.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bushels of corn fit in a 40-foot hopper bottom trailer?
Volumetrically, a 40-foot hopper bottom trailer with 72-inch walls holds roughly 1,000 to 1,150 bushels of corn. Under the standard 80,000 lb GVW limit, you'll load closer to 893 bushels of shelled corn at the 56 lb/bu standard weight before the scale stops you. With North Dakota's harvest exemption at 105,500 lbs, that ceiling rises to roughly 1,220 bushels.
Do I need a permit to haul heavier during harvest in North Dakota?
Yes — the Farm Product 10 Percent Weight Exemption Permit must be purchased through the ND State Highway Patrol before you exceed standard axle or GVW limits. It runs $50 for 30 days, is valid July 15 through November 30, and lets a properly registered vehicle carry up to 105,500 lbs GVW. The permit must be carried in the truck to be valid.
What's the difference between a single-hopper and double-hopper trailer?
A single-hopper trailer has one dump gate underneath and works well for shorter (24–28 ft) units in on-farm and short-haul use. A dual-hopper trailer — typical of 34-ft and longer units — unloads through two gates for faster elevator turns and better weight distribution across the tandem axle. Dual-hopper units are the standard for commercial grain hauling in North Dakota.
How much does an empty hopper bottom trailer weigh?
An empty steel hopper bottom grain trailer typically weighs between 11,200 and 15,000 lbs, depending on length and specification. Aluminum units run 2,000–3,000 lbs lighter, which directly increases your legal payload under the 80,000 lb GVW cap.
Find the Right Hopper Bottom Trailer at Wallwork Truck Center
Grain-hauling capacity isn't a spec sheet exercise — it's whether your fleet moves the crop before the elevator closes or the freeze sets in. Wallwork Truck Center stocks Demco steel hopper bottom trailers and other agriculture-grade equipment across seven locations in North Dakota and Minnesota, with parts and service coverage that matches the demands of a real harvest schedule.
Browse current new trailer inventory or the Demco lineup online, or stop by our Fargo, Grand Forks, or Bismarck location to talk through the right hopper bottom trailer capacity for your operation. Financing is available through Wallwork Financial to fit around your farm's cash flow cycle.