For ready-mix concrete producers, existing Cart-Away operators, former Ernest Industries/ShortStop owners, and entrepreneurs researching short-load concrete delivery solutions
More Than 30 Years Helping Operators Build Successful Short-Load Concrete Businesses – Announcing Short-Load Trucks, Skids, and Roll-Offs
At Cart-Away Concrete Systems, we’ve spent more than 30 years helping entrepreneurs, ready-mix producers, and concrete businesses succeed in the growing short-load concrete market. During that time, we’ve watched one of the ready-mixed concrete industry’s biggest challenges become one of its greatest opportunities.
Short-load concrete is broadly defined as the delivery of ready-mix concrete in quantities of less than five yards. Although these deliveries are smaller than traditional ready-mix loads, millions of yards of concrete are produced each year to supply these projects. Brands like ShortStop, Ernest Industries, MixRight, and others have worked in this space over the years. Some have succeeded, while others have left the business.
As market leaders, Cart-Away and U-Cart have assisted hundreds of operators throughout North America in successfully serving these small-load concrete projects. We’ve watched short-load concrete become big business over the past three decades. In fact, the Cart-Away business model has helped create millionaires in many communities around the nation. The Cart-Away concrete niche is proven and well supported by seasoned suppliers, making it a trusted solution for businesses looking to capitalize on this growing market.
Why Short-Load Concrete Trucks Have Become a Major Opportunity
Not every concrete project requires a full-sized ready-mix truck. Contractors, municipalities, utility companies, landscapers, and homeowners frequently need smaller quantities of fresh concrete delivered efficiently and economically. Meeting that demand has created one of the biggest opportunities in the ready-mixed concrete industry.
Delivery of short-load concrete is accomplished using scaled-down versions of traditional ready-mixed concrete trucks. These concrete delivery units typically have capacities ranging from one to five yards and provide an efficient way to deliver fresh concrete where larger trucks simply aren’t practical.
Today, thousands of towable concrete trailers and small delivery trucks transport these short loads of ready-mixed concrete to job sites across the country. These units allow operators to efficiently serve contractors, municipalities, and homeowners while filling an important niche within the ready-mix industry.
A Changing Market Creates New Opportunities
The short-load concrete industry recently experienced a significant change with the closure of Ernest Industries.
For years, Ernest Industries’ ShortStop trucks filled the important three-to-five-yard truck niche within this $9 billion market. Their small truck-mounted concrete mixers gave operators the ability to make ready-mixed concrete deliveries using vehicles that did not require a commercial driver’s license. With Ernest Industries now out of business, a noticeable hole has been left in the small concrete mixer truck market.
Many ShortStop operators across the country are now scrambling to find replacement parts and dependable product support for the equipment they rely on every day. Filling that void and helping support these operators has become the current goal of Cart-Away and U-Cart.
Supporting the Next Generation of Short-Load Truck Mixers
Since Ernest Industries shut down, our engineering team and partners have worked overtime to develop truck-mounted three-five yard concrete mixers capable of supporting the same market previously served by ShortStop truck mixers.
Building short-load ready-mix trucks has become a major focus for Cart-Away and U-Cart. Our skid mixer truck-mounted concrete mixers are designed to keep this important segment of the short-load concrete industry viable well into the future.
We believe ShortStop truck owners deserve the same level of service and support that trailer-based ready-mix operators have enjoyed for years.
Ernest Industries and the ShortStop small truck mixers served contractors, municipalities, and ready-mixed concrete producers who depended upon these units to save time while operating profitable businesses. Those operators still deserve dependable equipment, quality service, and long-term support.
Cart-Away Concrete Systems has helped shepherd the short-load ready-mixed concrete industry for decades, and we intend to step up and help ShortStop concrete mixer owners continue serving their customers successfully. New product lines are now available to help fill the gap left by Ernest Industries while supporting the businesses that rely on short-load concrete delivery every day.
Why Small Truck Mixers Continue to Make Sense
Selling short loads of concrete remains one of the most profitable opportunities in the ready-mixed concrete industry. Like any successful operation, however, having the right equipment is critical.
Ernest Industries established itself as a leader in the small truck mixer market through its ShortStop brand. Their three-yard truck mixer became a popular alternative to large ready-mix trucks for servicing short-load concrete deliveries.
These smaller trucks continue to offer important advantages.
Because they are easier to maneuver and better suited for confined job sites, they make it possible to efficiently deliver fresh concrete where larger ready-mix trucks may struggle to operate. As demand for short-load concrete continues, the need for dependable three-yard truck mixers remains just as strong.
U-Cart’s Short-Load Truck Mixer Solutions
To help meet this growing demand, the U-Cart division of Cart-Away now offers a short-load concrete mixer truck through its skid mixer truck mount systems.
These three-five-yard truck mixers are designed to be mounted onto the frame of a medium-duty truck chassis, providing operators with a flexible and dependable concrete delivery solution.
In addition to traditional truck chassis, U-Cart’s three-five-yard truck mixers are finding a foothold with hook-lift and roll-off systems that have become increasingly popular over the past several years.
Hook-lift manufacturers including:
- Stellar
- SwapLoader
- Ampliroll
offer systems capable of using three-to-five-yard concrete mixers for hook-lifting applications.
Likewise, roll-off manufacturers including:
- Galbreath
- Benlee
- DownEaster
provide roll-off solutions that are compatible with U-Cart skid mixers, allowing short-load concrete delivery trucks to operate using these versatile truck systems.
These compatibility options provide operators with greater flexibility while expanding their concrete delivery capabilities.
Expanding an Existing Cart-Away Operation
For businesses already operating a Cart-Away trailer-based ready-mix system, adding a truck-mounted mixer presents an excellent opportunity for growth.
Cart-Away ready-mix batching plants can be adapted to load these smaller truck mixers without much difficulty.
Adding short-load truck deliveries allows operators to expand their customer base by serving customers who don’t have access to a towing vehicle but still need fresh short-load ready-mixed concrete.
Cart-Away locations can enter the truck delivery market previously created by Ernest Industries by using a U-Cart skid mixer mounted to a medium-duty truck.
One of the biggest advantages is that the startup investment remains relatively small because the batching equipment needed to load ready-mix ingredients is already in place.
Rather than investing in an entirely new operation, existing Cart-Away businesses can build upon what they already have.
That means expanding with:
- Existing material batching equipment
- An established customer base
- A recognized brand within the community
- Proven operational experience
The opportunity becomes even greater because those resources are already working for your business.
Build on the Opportunity
The opportunity to grow within the short-load concrete market has never been stronger.
Demand for smaller concrete deliveries continues across contractors, municipalities, ready-mixed concrete producers, and homeowners. While Ernest Industries helped establish the three-yard truck mixer market through its ShortStop brand, the industry’s needs continue long after their closure.
At Cart-Away Concrete Systems and U-Cart, we’re committed to helping existing ShortStop owners find dependable equipment and ongoing support while providing businesses with new opportunities to expand into truck-mounted short-load concrete delivery.
If you’re already operating a Cart-Away batching plant, you have an even greater advantage. Your material batching equipment is already capable of loading ready-mix ingredients, your customer base is already established, and your brand is already recognized within your community.
The startup investment is small because your batching equipment is already in place. The opportunity is big because you already have customers and a strong reputation. Now is the time to take the next step!
Use the head start created by Ernest Industries and the ShortStop concrete trucks to build a stronger short-load concrete success story. Contact Cart-Away Concrete Systems to learn how our proven equipment, dependable support, and decades of experience can help you continue growing your business.
What We Offer
- We can provide you the mixer and the truck
- We can mount the mixer to your truck
- We can sell you just the mixer for you to mount to your truck
- Mini batch plants to load trucks and trailers.
Popular Sizes
We can also Provide
- 6-Yard Skid or Roll-Off
- 7-Yard Skid or Roll-Off
- 8-Yard Skid or Roll-Off
- 9-Yard Skid or Roll-Off
All models feature 15″ drum inclination and ≤ 0.5% residual material.
If now is the time to get into the short-load truck space, please give us a call. We would love to help get you set up.
