When most people picture a concrete delivery, they imagine a big drum truck rotating as it drives from a plant to the site. That's traditional batched ready-mix. But there's another method — volumetric, or mobile, concrete — that changes how the material is made, delivered, and billed. For a lot of GTA projects, it's the better option.
Here's what volumetric concrete is, how it differs from a traditional ready-mix truck, and when it makes the most sense for your pour.
What is volumetric concrete?
Volumetric concrete is concrete mixed on-site, on demand, using a mobile truck that carries the raw materials — cement, aggregate, sand, and water — in separate compartments. The truck combines them in precise proportions right at your worksite, producing fresh concrete exactly when and where you need it, in the exact amount you use.
That last part is the key difference. Because mixing happens continuously as you pour, the concrete is always fresh, and the volume is measured as it's produced.
How is volumetric concrete different from a traditional ready-mix truck?
The two methods deliver concrete, but they work in fundamentally different ways:
Traditional batched ready-mix: Concrete is mixed at a central plant, loaded into a rotating drum, and driven to your site. The clock starts the moment it's batched — experienced crews know it typically must be placed within about two hours before it begins to set. You order a fixed volume in advance and pay for the full load, whether you use all of it or not.
Volumetric (mobile) mixing: Raw materials travel to your site unmixed. Concrete is produced on demand, so there's no travel-time clock counting down against a drum of already-mixed concrete. You get a larger, more flexible pouring window, and you pay only for what you actually use.
What are the advantages of mobile volumetric concrete?
1. Always fresh, never old or burnt. Because it's mixed on-site as you pour, the concrete never sits in a drum hardening on the drive over. You get consistent quality from the first load to the last.
2. Pay only for what you use. No paying for a rounded-up truckload. If your slab takes 4.3 cubic metres, that's what you pay for. For how that plays out in dollars, see our guide on how much concrete costs in Toronto.
3. A bigger pouring window. Without the two-hour batched-concrete clock, crews aren't racing the truck. That's especially valuable on complex or awkward-access sites.
4. On-site adjustments. Need to tweak the mix mid-job — a different strength, or an accelerator for a cold morning? Because mixing happens on-site, adjustments are possible in a way they simply aren't with a pre-batched drum.
5. Less waste. No leftover concrete to dispose of means lower cost and a cleaner site.
These benefits are a big part of why contractors choose Bathurst Ready Mix, and they build on the broader advantages of ready-mix concrete in general.
Is volumetric concrete right for my project?
Volumetric mixing suits a wide range of work — from a single residential driveway or slab to commercial, industrial, and municipal pours. It's particularly strong when:
You want to avoid paying for unused concrete
Your volume is hard to estimate precisely
Your site has tricky access or a longer placement time
You need flexibility in mix strength or additives on the day
It's the model we've used to serve Toronto and the GTA for over 20 years, covering more than 32 municipalities from Toronto and Scarborough to Vaughan, Markham, and Aurora.
Getting started with mobile concrete
Two things make your volumetric pour go smoothly: knowing your volume and choosing the right mix. Start with our concrete calculator or our guide on how much concrete you need, then browse mix options on the products page. From there, one call gets you a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Is volumetric concrete as strong as traditional ready-mix?
Yes. Volumetric concrete is mixed to the same engineered specifications and MPa strengths as batched concrete. Because it's mixed fresh on-site, quality and consistency are excellent from start to finish.
Is mobile concrete more expensive than a regular concrete truck?
Often it works out cheaper overall, because you pay only for what you use and avoid waste, disposal, and short-load penalties. The per-metre rate is only part of the total cost.
How much notice do you need for a volumetric concrete delivery?
It varies by season and project size. We serve the GTA 7 days a week with 24-hour emergency service — call (416) 656-1937 and we'll let you know availability for your area.
Can you mix different strengths of concrete in one visit?
Because mixing happens on-site, mobile trucks offer far more flexibility than a single pre-batched load. Tell us your project's needs and we'll advise what's possible.
See the mobile-mix difference on your next pour
Fresh concrete, mixed at your site, billed only for what you use. That's how we've done it across the GTA for two decades. Call (416) 656-1937 or request a quote through our contact page.