Tropical Yards uses a 14-foot dump trailer to deliver tropical plants and bulk coquina shell across all of Northeast Florida. Unlike pickup truck deliveries, our dump trailer carries significantly more per trip, deposits material directly where you need it, and handles both bulk landscaping materials and large container plants in a single load. Delivery starts at $250.
Understanding the physical capabilities of our delivery trailer helps you plan your order efficiently. Here are the key specifications that matter for landscaping deliveries in Northeast Florida.
Trailer length: 14 feet of usable bed space. This allows us to carry long-frond palms, tall ornamental grasses, and multiple layers of container plants in a single trip. A standard pickup truck offers 6–8 feet of bed length — less than half the capacity.
Coquina shell capacity: Up to 5 cubic yards per load. Five cubic yards of coquina shell weighs approximately 7,500 to 9,000 pounds depending on moisture content. Our trailer and tow vehicle are rated and maintained to handle this weight safely. A pickup truck with a bed capacity of 1,500–2,000 lbs maxes out at roughly 1 cubic yard of coquina shell — you'd need 5 pickup trips to match one of our trailer loads.
Plant capacity: For small 1-gallon plants, we can carry 80–120 per load. For 3-gallon containers (the most popular size for hibiscus, bougainvillea, and shrubs), we typically fit 40–70 plants depending on their canopy spread. For large 25-gallon palms, expect 8–15 per trip. The trailer's open design allows plants to be arranged by size and weight for optimal loading.
Dump mechanism: A hydraulic lift raises the front of the trailer bed, causing material to slide out the rear gate. For coquina shell deliveries, this is extremely efficient — the entire load is deposited in seconds, exactly where the trailer is positioned. The dump spot can be aimed at a driveway apron, along the edge of a garden bed, or at the entry to a backyard gate.
Gate and clearance: Our trailer gate opens fully to allow plants to be unloaded by hand after bulk material is dumped. For mixed loads (plants + coquina), the shell goes first via dump, then plants are hand-unloaded. Total unloading time for a typical residential delivery is 15–30 minutes.
Many landscape suppliers use pickup trucks for plant and material delivery. While that works for small orders, there are significant advantages to dump trailer delivery — especially for the quantities most homeowners actually need for a real landscaping project.
Our dump trailer handles everything Tropical Yards offers. Here is a complete view of what can be included in a single delivery order.
| Item | Type | Max Per Load | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coquina Shell | Bulk material | 5 cubic yards | Deposited by dump mechanism |
| Palm Trees (small) | Plant | 15–25 trees | 7–15 gallon containers |
| Palm Trees (large) | Plant | 8–15 trees | 25–100 gallon containers |
| Hibiscus | Plant | 40–70 plants | 3 gallon containers typical |
| Bougainvillea | Plant | 30–50 plants | 3–5 gallon; canopy varies |
| Shrubs & Hedging | Plant | 40–60 plants | 3 gallon; great for hedge lines |
| Tropical Foliage | Plant | 50–80 plants | Elephant ear, bird of paradise, etc. |
| Flowering Plants | Plant | 80–120 plants | 1–3 gallon accent plants |
| Mixed Load | Both | Varies | Shell + plants in one delivery |
Call for availability — most deliveries within 1–3 business days. Monday–Saturday, 7AM–5PM.
Delivery fees are charged per trip, not per yard or per plant. This structure rewards larger orders — the more you put on the trailer, the more value you get out of the flat delivery fee.
| City | County | Delivery Fee Per Trip | Max Coquina Per Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Augustine | St. Johns | $250 | 5 cubic yards |
| Ponte Vedra / Ponte Vedra Beach | St. Johns | $275 | 5 cubic yards |
| Nocatee / World Golf Village | St. Johns | $250 | 5 cubic yards |
| Palm Coast | Flagler | $300 | 5 cubic yards |
| Flagler Beach | Flagler | $300 | 5 cubic yards |
| Ormond Beach | Volusia | $350 | 5 cubic yards |
| Daytona Beach | Volusia | $375 | 5 cubic yards |
Multiple loads to the same address receive a 10% discount on the second and subsequent delivery fees.
Getting the most out of a single dump trailer trip takes a little planning. Here are strategies our most experienced customers use to maximize value per delivery.
Combine plants and coquina in one trip. This is the single biggest way to stretch your delivery fee. Instead of ordering coquina shell on one trip and plants on another — paying the delivery fee twice — combine everything into one order. We load coquina at the front of the trailer and position plants around and behind it. One fee, one trip, everything delivered at once. This is especially valuable for customers in Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach where the delivery fee is higher.
Order a full load. Our 5-cubic-yard capacity for coquina means the delivery fee per yard is lowest when the trailer is full. A single yard of coquina delivered to Daytona Beach costs $375 in delivery on top of $145 in material — $520 total. Five yards delivered to Daytona costs $375 in delivery on top of $725 in material — just $75/yard in effective delivery cost versus $375/yard. For large projects, fill the trailer.
Plan all your plant purchases at once. If you know you want palm trees along your driveway, hibiscus in your front beds, and bougainvillea on your fence, order them all in one delivery. A mixed load of large palms and accent plants fills our trailer efficiently and delivers your entire landscape transformation in one morning.
Coordinate with your landscaper. If you're working with a landscaper or landscape crew, schedule the delivery for the morning they arrive. We can deliver directly to the job site with the crew present to direct placement. This saves time on your landscaper's labor clock and ensures plants go exactly where they'll be installed.
Prepare your property before delivery day. Clear vehicle access to the dump zone, confirm there are no overhead obstructions (wires, overhanging branches) where we'll be backing in, and have a general idea of where you want material placed. The faster we can position and dump, the smoother your delivery goes. Most residential deliveries take 15–30 minutes from arrival to departure.
Complete guide to ordering coquina shell delivery — pricing by city, coverage area, how it works, scheduling. $145/yard delivered across NE Florida.
Details on how we transport tropical plants, what sizes we deliver, plant care after delivery, and everything to know about ordering plants delivered to your home.
General delivery information, scheduling policies, access requirements, and answers to the most common questions about our delivery service.
A dump trailer is a tow-behind trailer with a hydraulic lift bed that raises at one end, sliding the load off the back in a controlled dump. For landscaping, this means bulk materials like coquina shell are deposited exactly where you want them — no manual shoveling required. A 14-foot dump trailer also carries 3–5x more material per trip than a standard pickup truck, which translates to fewer trips and lower total cost for large projects.
Our dump trailer holds up to 5 cubic yards of coquina shell per load. Five cubic yards covers approximately 500 square feet at 3 inches deep — enough for most standard residential driveways or large landscaping projects. For projects requiring more than 5 yards, we schedule additional trips. The second delivery to the same address receives a 10% discount on the delivery fee.
Yes — this is one of the best uses of our dump trailer service. We can load coquina shell alongside container plants in a single trip. The coquina goes at the front of the trailer (the dump end), and plants are loaded and secured in the remaining space. Everything arrives in one delivery, and you pay only one flat delivery fee. Call us with your full order — plants and coquina — and we'll load accordingly.
Our trailer is 14 feet long and requires approximately 10 feet of horizontal clearance and adequate overhead clearance (no low branches or wires where we're backing in). Most residential driveways accommodate our trailer without issue. If your property has a narrow gate, circular driveway, steep grade, or very soft ground, let us know when you call — we'll advise on placement options and whether we can get the trailer where you need it.
We position the trailer so the dump end is aimed at your target zone — typically a driveway entrance, garden bed edge, or specific corner of your property. We can usually place the dump pile within 5–10 feet of where you need it. For precise spreading or placement in multiple spots, the material can be moved with a wheelbarrow or shovel after dumping. We don't spread or rake — that's typically done by you or your landscaper after delivery.
The delivery fee is flat regardless of how much you put on the trailer. Ordering a full 5-yard load of coquina shell costs the same delivery fee as ordering 1 yard — making the effective per-yard delivery cost 80% lower with a full load. If you know you'll need coquina shell in the future (for a second garden bed, driveway extension, or new pathway), it's almost always more economical to order the full load now rather than paying delivery again later.
Yes — we deliver to residential and commercial properties throughout Northeast Florida. Landscaping contractors, property managers, and HOAs use our dump trailer service for multi-property deliveries. Call 772-267-1611 to discuss commercial delivery scheduling and wholesale pricing on larger plant and coquina shell orders.