Large plastic trash bags - heavy duty ones - is about all i can think of given all your limitations. Just fill them 1/2 full.

No friend or neighbor with a truck?

Dave

5 gallon buckets, or pay the extra to have it delivered? Maybe rent a truck. I think HD or u-Haul has them for $20 per day + miles. You could get all your truck-like errands done in one swoop! Nancy

If a newbie to the forum might offer something? HD actually rents trucks and vans by the hour - even less expensive, if there's one near you.
Lynn T

somewhere in the Soil forum is a thread about a guy who did just this last year or two in his little compact car.

Can you put a tarp down in your car and either have someone help lift the plastic bins into the car/trunk after they're filled and then when you get home shovel straight from the bins in the car to a wheel barrow or smaller bucket? If you rent a truck by the hour I suggest a tarp down so you save some time with clean up.

>> I need to get ... (about a yard or so) of compost
>> All I have for transportation is a small car with a trunk
>> ...large enough not to spend the entire day loading and unloading

The rule of thumb is one five gallon bucket holds 2/3 cubic foot. That's forty buckets and one bodacious trunk! In comparison, a full sized American pickup bed will hold 2 1/3 yards at the gunwales.

The good news is each five gallons of DRY compost could weigh less than about 8 pounds or so. Totes could be do-able if the stuff isn't too wet.

I would suggest you at least check around with some of your friends to see who may have a van or truck that could help you out. Two people and a larger vehicle would make the job much easier. Also consider using a wheelbarrow when you get home with full containers and put the wheelbarrow up to the trunk and tip the full containers into it.

You guys rock! I have the compost waiting on my parking pad for digging this weekend. Thanks, everybody!