A loader is a heavy equipment machine that is primarily used to load materials, such as asphalt, demolition debris, dirt, gravel, logs, raw minerals, recycled material, rock, sand, and wood chips into or onto another type of machinery, such as dump trucks and conveyor belts.
A loader consists of a large front mounted square bucket, which can be used to scoop up loose material from the ground, such as dirt, sand or gravel, and move it from one place to another. A loader is commonly used to move a stockpiled material from ground level and deposit it into an awaiting dump truck or into an open trench excavation.