Less weight. Easier mobility. Less downtime. Lower logistics cost.
Recycled HDPE mats weigh 27–43% less than comparable timber mats, don't rot or soak up water, and come back to us when you're done with them. Here are the numbers.
Less weight
Lighter than comparable timber mats, depending on size. A 5" × 8' × 14' HDPE mat weighs about 1,360 lb; a comparable timber mat, about 2,400 lb.
Easier mobility
Lighter mats are faster to load, place and move between sites. HDPE doesn't absorb water, so a wet mat weighs what a dry one does. Timber gets heavier as it soaks.
Less downtime
Service life, versus 6–18 months for timber in Gulf Coast and Sun Belt conditions. No rot, swelling or splintering, so fewer mats to replace and fewer roads to rebuild mid-job.
Lower logistics cost
25–43% fewer truckloads per delivery than timber, depending on the mat, and timber needs a new delivery every time it wears out. Run your own numbers in the calculator below.
3-ply access mat
Digging mat
ProFlex mat
Every size, with truckloads
| Mat size | Recycled HDPE | Comparable timber* | Lighter by | HDPE per truck | Timber per truck* |
|---|
Both loads stop at the truck's weight limit. Lighter HDPE mats put more mats on each load, so the same job ships on fewer trucks.
Specifications by mat
| Recycled HDPE mat | Size (approx.) | Weight | Per truck |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-ply 8' × 14' | 5" × 8' × 14' | 1,360 lb | 35 |
| 3-ply 8' × 16' | 5" × 8' × 16' | 1,670 lb | 28 |
| Digging 4' × 16'Notched, lift notches at both ends | 8" × 4' × 16' | 1,620 lb | 29 |
| Digging 4' × 18'Notched, heavy duty | 8" × 4' × 18' | 1,965 lb | 24 |
| ProFlex 8' × 14'Solid top and bottom, no gaps | 6" × 8' × 14' | ~2,600 lb | 18 |
| ProFlex 8' × 16'Solid top and bottom, no gaps | 6" × 8' × 16' | ~3,000 lb | 16 |
Sizes are approximate trade sizes. ProFlex weights are estimates; your quote confirms them. Recycled content can show specks, flecks and shade variation, which are cosmetic. Request the full technical data sheet with your quote.
Composite figures are published specs and list prices for the leading 7.5'–8' × 14' × 4" panels, October 2026. Hardwood timber is compared on the home page under Do the math.
Same truck. 10 more mats.
Every flatbed stops at its weight limit. Lighter recycled HDPE mats put more mats on each load. Then timber does it all again every time the mats wear out.
Timber keeps coming back on trucks.
How we calculate: weights and mats per truck are GroundUp's own shipping figures, for our recycled HDPE mats and for regular mixed-hardwood timber mats of the same size: 3-ply 8' × 14' timber at 2,400 lb (20 per truck), 8' × 16' at 2,600 lb (17–18 per truck; we use 18), and 8" × 4' digging mats at 2,600 lb (16') and 2,700 lb (18'), 18 per truck. HDPE digging figures are for notched mats; chains add about 30 lb per mat. Timber is bought at the start and again each time it wears out, counted in whole purchases over ten years. Freight is estimated road miles from our Winnie, TX yard at $3.64 per mile (DAT national flatbed average, Oct 16, 2026), 500 miles without a ZIP, and assumes timber travels the same distance. Dollar figures are cash over ten years. Run the Numbers also shows what that spending is worth today, the way a finance team would value it (8% a year). CO₂ counts the round trip at 6 mpg and EPA's 22.4 lb per gallon; a typical car emits about 10,140 lb a year. Excludes any HDPE buy-back offer and used-timber resale. Planning estimates, not a quote.
When you're done with your mats, we buy them back. Depending on their condition, we resell them, re-rent them, or grind them up and make new mats.
* How we calculate: weights and mats per truck are GroundUp's own shipping figures, for our recycled HDPE mats and for regular mixed-hardwood timber mats of the same size: 3-ply 8' × 14' timber at 2,400 lb (20 per truck), 8' × 16' at 2,600 lb (17–18 per truck; we use 18), and 8" × 4' digging mats at 2,600 lb (16') and 2,700 lb (18'), 18 per truck. HDPE digging figures are for notched mats; chains add about 30 lb per mat. Timber is bought at the start and again each time it wears out, counted in whole purchases over ten years. Freight is estimated road miles from our Winnie, TX yard at $3.64 per mile (DAT national flatbed average, Oct 16, 2026), 500 miles without a ZIP, and assumes timber travels the same distance. Dollar figures are cash over ten years. Run the Numbers also shows what that spending is worth today, the way a finance team would value it (8% a year). CO₂ counts the round trip at 6 mpg and EPA's 22.4 lb per gallon; a typical car emits about 10,140 lb a year. Excludes any HDPE buy-back offer and used-timber resale. Planning estimates, not a quote.