# Transporting Drywall



## jburchill (Oct 3, 2010)

Hello, I need to buy about 30 sheets of 4x8 1/2 inch drywall. I don't want to buy them in the town I live in cuz its 7 bucks a sheet. I'm thinking about borrowing my dad's truck and going to home depot or lowes to get it at 5 bucks. The trip would be 120 miles round trip. And for cost of traveling doesn't make to much of difference since I need to go there anyways.

I haven't measure yet, but I'm assuming it would fit in the truck bed, with the tailgate down. I am worried about them sliding out the back while driving. i have ratchet tie downs, but would those damage the sheets? 

Anyone have suggestions on this?


----------



## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

You are going to drive 120 miles to save $60. Low estimate of cost per mile is 50 cents or $60. Save the time and have it delivered.


----------



## G-Mo (Feb 16, 2009)

rjniles said:


> You are going to drive 120 miles to save $60. Low estimate of cost per mile is 50 cents or $60. Save the time and have it delivered.


OP says he has to do the drive anyway, thus it's moot.


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

drywall 4x8x 1/2" weighs 54 lbs. per sheet--30 sheets X 54= 1620 lbs.

That's a heavy load---how heavy duty is your dads truck?


----------



## jburchill (Oct 3, 2010)

He has a dodge laramie 3/4 ton. Good point on the weight of the drywall. I'll probably just get it in town I am thinking. Less hassle in the end I guess. Probably worth it..

Thanks for the help!!!


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I've got a 3/4 ton van (old and well taken care of) 30 sheets is a lot for that truck--120 miles?

No.:laughing: Have fun---Mike---


----------



## oldrivers (May 2, 2009)

it will work but id reinforce those tailgate supporter cable things unless he has those metal ones.


----------



## nateshirk (Mar 11, 2011)

Just for the record, I picked up about 48 Sheets (8 or 10 of them were 10 footers), pulled them in a trailer (rated for 3000lbs.) with a 98ish F-150 with a triton V-8. Not sure of the rating of the truck, but it handled it pretty well. And you can take those "separator" type of things that are in between so many sheets to protect it from the tie down straps.


----------



## MikeKy55 (Nov 4, 2009)

In the last three months I hauled 38 sheets of 5/8ths one trip and 56 sheets of 1/2 in. another. My truck is a 86 1/2 ton Chevy 4X4 and it did fine. The thing that always worried me most was stopping ability. This one is fine, but my last truck had drum brakes and it was a bit nerve racking. I was only hauling this about 10 miles.


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

rjniles said:


> You are going to drive 120 miles to save $60. Low estimate of cost per mile is 50 cents or $60. Save the time and have it delivered.


Absolutely and if they chew it up, they will pay for replacing it. 

And definitely make sure the truck is up for it and not just the engine and transmission. Make sure springs/shocks/struts and steering are in great shape with a heavy load or you could lose control over it if that much in the bed starts swaying around. And remember you have the extra weight. I used to deliver building materials all over the SF Bay Area in all kinds of trucks and realize people thought I had the same capacity to stop as with the truck empty or something.


----------



## n0c7 (May 15, 2008)

We did 32 1/2" 4x8 sheets in a 93 Explorer a few years ago and I'm surprised we didn't blow a shock as there was a lot of strain on the suspension but we only had about a mile to go. They will not slide due to the weight but you also have to worry about weather(rain/snow).

I don't think it's worth the hassle in this case.


----------

