"One unit of jalli is how many tons?" and "you quote per ton, the other fellow quotes per unit, which is cheaper?" are the same question. This page answers it with the numbers we use at the weighbridge, so you can convert either way and compare quotes on the same footing.
What "1 unit" (யூனிட்) actually means
In the Chennai and Tiruvallur trade, a unit (யூனிட்) is a volume, not a weight. One unit is 100 cubic feet (cft), which is 2.832 cubic metres; Maharashtra calls the same quantity a "brass". A heaped tractor trailer is roughly two and a half to three units; a small "unit lorry" in city retail is about two to two and a half.
A unit is measured by eye on the lorry body, and lorry bodies are not standard. That is why the tonnage of "one unit" varies from dealer to dealer, and why we sell by the weighbridge tonne (MT). First, the conversion itself.
1 unit of jalli = how many tons?
The conversion depends on the loose bulk density: what a cubic metre weighs tipped loose, with air gaps, not compacted. For crushed granite blue metal (கல் ஜல்லி) that is about 1.45–1.60 tonnes per m³. So:
The two formulas behind every number on this page:
- MT per unit = loose density (t/m³) × 2.832
- cft per MT = 35.31 ÷ loose density (t/m³)
A flat "5 tonnes a unit" is the trade rounding up; "1.5 tonnes" is a cubic metre, not a unit. The supportable answer for coarse aggregate is 4.1 to 4.7 MT depending on size and moisture.
Units to tonnes for every material
Finer material packs tighter, so sand and dust weigh more per unit than jalli. The ranges below are loose (as-delivered) densities; the material slugs link to the product pages with full specs.
| Material | Loose density (t/m³) | MT per unit (100 cft) | cft per MT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6mm chips | 1.45–1.55 | 4.1–4.4 | 22.8–24.4 |
| 12mm jalli (அரை ஜல்லி) | 1.45–1.55 | 4.1–4.4 | 22.8–24.4 |
| 20mm jalli (முக்கால் ஜல்லி) | 1.45–1.60 | 4.1–4.5 | 22.0–24.4 |
| 40mm jalli | 1.50–1.65 | 4.25–4.7 | 21.4–23.5 |
| 53mm road metal | 1.50–1.65 | 4.25–4.7 | 21.4–23.5 |
| Crusher dust (கிரஷர் டஸ்ட்) | 1.60–1.75 | 4.5–5.0 | 20.2–22.1 |
| M-Sand (எம் சாண்ட்) | 1.60–1.75 | 4.5–5.0 | 20.2–22.1 |
| P-Sand (பி சாண்ட்) | 1.55–1.70 | 4.4–4.8 | 20.8–22.8 |
| GSB (loose, as supplied) | 1.60–1.80 | 4.5–5.1 | 19.6–22.1 |
| WMM / WBM aggregate (loose) | 1.45–1.60 | 4.1–4.5 | 22.0–24.4 |
Two notes. GSB and WMM are supplied loose but usually paid for against compacted volume; compacted density is about 2.1–2.25 t/m³, so one compacted m³ needs roughly 1.2–1.3 loose m³ of supply (see our road-base explainer). And washed sand is heavier when wet, hence the wider sand ranges.
Why we sell by weighbridge tonne, not by unit
We weigh every load. The lorry is weighed empty and full on the weighbridge at the Perindesam works; the difference is the net tonnes on the weighbridge slip and GST invoice that travel with the load. You pay for what the scale reads, not for what a heaped body looks like.
A per-unit sale works the other way. The seller counts the body as, say, "4 units" because it is a 400 cft body. But:
- Tipper bodies range from about 14 to 24 m³ and the nominal size is not always the struck volume. A body sold as 4 units can measure less.
- Material settles in transit. A heaped load at the crusher is a flatter load 80-odd km later; the weight has not changed, but by eye the load looks smaller.
- There is no document to check. A weighbridge slip can be reconciled against your invoice and your site register; a shout of "four units" cannot.
The one thing tonne pricing can hide is water. Washed M-Sand and P-Sand carry moisture, and that moisture is on the scale, so ask that sand come from a drained stockpile rather than straight off the washer. For jalli, moisture is negligible. GST is 5% under HSN 2517 either way, and the invoice quantity is in MT, which is also how the AP e-transit pass and any e-way bill (needed when an inter-state consignment exceeds ₹50,000) are written.
Lorry loads in tonnes and units
Buyers plan in loads (லாரி லோடு), so here is how the common vehicles convert. Payloads are legal carrying limits, not what an overloaded truck can be made to carry. The unit figures are the payload divided by 4.3 MT per unit for 20mm jalli and by 4.75 for M-Sand.
| Vehicle | Legal payload (MT) | Units of jalli | Units of M-Sand | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tractor trailer | 6–7 | 1.4–1.6 (sold as 2.5–3 heaped) | 1.3–1.5 | Village sites, short leads |
| 6-wheeler tipper (16 T GVW) | 9–12 | 2.1–2.8 (sold as 2–2.5) | 1.9–2.5 | City retail, narrow streets |
| 10-wheeler tipper (28 T GVW) | 16–20 (18 typical) | 3.7–4.7 (about 4.2 at 18 MT) | 3.4–4.2 (about 3.8 at 18 MT) | Our standard load to Chennai, Ponneri, Gummidipoondi, Tiruvallur, Avadi |
| 12-wheeler tipper (31 T GVW) | 22–25 | 5.1–5.8 | 4.6–5.3 | RMC plants, highway packages |
| 14-wheeler tipper (35 T GVW) | 26–28 | 6.0–6.5 | 5.5–5.9 | Bulk road works |
| 16–18 wheel tip-trailer | 32–40 | 7.4–9.3 | 6.7–8.4 | GSB/WMM bulk, ports, industrial yards |
The tractor row is the whole argument for the weighbridge in one line: sold as "two and a half to three units" heaped, weighed at 6–7 MT, which is about one and a half units of solid volume.
Our dispatches go out on a contracted fleet of 10-wheeler tippers scheduled from the weighbridge. The works are on the Chennai–Tirupati corridor, approximately 82 km by road from Gummidipoondi, 85 km from Ponneri, 67 km from Tiruvallur and 90 km from Madhavaram in North Chennai. At that lead, a full legal 10-wheeler load spreads transport per tonne thinnest.
Worked conversions
These are the sums we do on the phone. All use the mid-range densities from the table.
50 MT of 20mm jalli is how many units and loads?
50 ÷ 4.3 = about 11.5 units (11 to 12 depending on density). At 16–20 MT per 10-wheeler that is three loads of about 17 MT each. Fifty tonnes is also the indicative bulk-order minimum on our pricing page, so "three tippers" is a handy way to picture it.
A 1,000 sq ft, 5-inch RCC slab
The slab is about 11.8 m³ of concrete. An M20 nominal mix needs roughly 15–16 MT of 20mm (about 3.5 units, one 10-wheeler) and about 8 MT of M-Sand (about 1.7 units, a 6-wheeler with a little to spare). The full breakdown is in our 1,500 sq ft house guide.
"Send me 5 units of M-Sand"
5 units × 4.5–5.0 MT = 22.5–25 MT: one 12-wheeler, or a full 10-wheeler (about 18 MT) plus a 6-wheeler. When you order in units we confirm the tonnes back to you before dispatch so there is no argument at the gate.
Going backwards: a "2-unit" 6-wheeler of M-Sand
200 cft = 5.66 m³ × 1.60–1.75 = 9–10 MT. If the weighbridge slip reads 7.5 MT, you received about one and a half units, not two. This is a common short-supply pattern in small-load sand, and it is invisible unless somebody weighs.
Comparing a per-unit quote with a per-tonne quote
Divide the dealer's per-unit price by the tonnes in a unit for that material, then add the same things to both sides (transport, royalty at actuals, 5% GST) before you compare.
| Material | Divide per-unit price by | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 20mm / 12mm / 6mm jalli | 4.1–4.5 | ₹5,000 per unit = about ₹1,110–1,220 per MT |
| 40mm / 53mm | 4.25–4.7 | ₹4,500 per unit = about ₹960–1,060 per MT |
| M-Sand / crusher dust | 4.5–5.0 | ₹6,000 per unit = about ₹1,200–1,330 per MT |
| P-Sand | 4.4–4.8 | ₹7,000 per unit = about ₹1,460–1,590 per MT |
To go the other way, multiply. Our indicative ex-works rate for 20mm is ₹660 per MT (excluding royalty, transport and 5% GST), which is ₹2,700–2,970 per unit equivalent at the gate; M-Sand at ₹780 per MT is ₹3,500–3,900 per unit equivalent. Those are gate figures, not delivered figures: transport at the leads above adds most of the difference. The current rate list and delivered-cost estimator live on the pricing page, and ex-works vs delivered explained walks through the full delivered price.
For context, publicly listed Chennai delivered quotes in Aug–Sep 2026 ranged roughly ₹850–1,400 per MT for 20mm and ₹1,050–1,500 per MT for M-Sand (about ₹4,500–6,700 per unit); the spread is mostly small-load retail versus bulk. Whatever you are quoted, ask which unit it is in and whether the tonnes will be on a weighbridge slip.
Rule of thumb to remember: jalli is about 4.3 tonnes a unit, sand and dust about 4.75, and a legal 10-wheeler is 18 tonnes, so roughly four units of jalli or a little under four units of sand.
Working out quantities for a pour or a road package? Use the estimator on the pricing page to convert units to tonnes to loads with an indicative delivered cost for your area, or send the site pin and material list through get a quote. You can also WhatsApp or call +91 90039 03003 and we will confirm the tonnes, the number of tippers and the papers with each load.
Quick answers
How many tons is 1 unit of 20mm jalli?
One unit is 100 cft (2.832 m³). At a loose bulk density of 1.45–1.60 t/m³, that is roughly 4.1–4.5 MT of 20mm blue metal. Use 4.3 MT as a working average.
1 unit of M-Sand is how many tons?
Washed M-Sand has a loose density of about 1.60–1.75 t/m³, so one unit weighs roughly 4.5–5.0 MT. Wet sand sits at the top of that range.
How many units in a 10-wheeler lorry load?
A 10-wheeler tipper carries a legal payload of 16–20 MT, about 18 MT typically. At 18 MT that is roughly 4.2 units of 20mm jalli or 3.8 units of M-Sand; a full 20 MT load is closer to 4.7 and 4.2 units.
How do I convert a per-unit price to a per-ton price?
Divide the per-unit price by the tonnes in a unit for that material: 4.1–4.5 for 20mm jalli, 4.5–5.0 for M-Sand. A ₹5,000 per unit jalli quote is about ₹1,110–1,220 per MT.
How many cft in 1 ton of blue metal?
About 22–24 cft for 20mm aggregate and about 20–22 cft for M-Sand or crusher dust. The formula is 35.31 divided by the loose density in t/m³.