Dry Van
An enclosed trailer used for transporting general cargo that requires protection from the elements.
Definition
Dry van trailers are standard enclosed trucks used for shipping a wide variety of goods that do not require refrigeration or special handling.
Overview of Dry Van
A dry van is the most common equipment type in North American trucking — a fully enclosed, non-refrigerated trailer used to transport general freight that does not require temperature control or open flatbed access. Standard dry vans are 53 feet long, 8.5 feet wide, and approximately 9 feet high internally, providing roughly 2,000–2,500 cubic feet of cargo space and a payload capacity of approximately 44,000–45,000 lbs. The trailer is weather-protected, secure, and loadable via a rear swing door and dock-height rear opening. Dry van is the default equipment specification for consumer goods, industrial products, packaged food, retail merchandise, and thousands of other commodity freight types. Dry van freight moves in both truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) contexts. In TL, a shipper secures the full trailer for a single shipment — the freight moves from origin to destination without intermediate stops or consolidation with other shippers' cargo. In LTL, the carrier consolidates multiple shippers' pallets into a single trailer, routing through intermediate terminals and sorting freight by destination. For warehouse operations, dry van is the workhorse of both inbound replenishment and outbound distribution — most general merchandise, packaged goods, and industrial supply chains run almost entirely on dry van capacity. On WareMatch, dry van capability is a baseline expectation for most warehouse operators. Facilities serving consumer goods, retail, or general industrial clients need dock doors designed for standard 53-foot trailers, adequate dock levelers, and carrier relationships spanning dry van TL and LTL networks. The dry van freight market is the most liquid of any equipment type — large carrier networks (Werner, Schneider, JB Hunt, and hundreds of regional carriers) compete for dry van freight, providing shippers with pricing transparency and capacity availability that is generally superior to specialized equipment types.
Role
An enclosed trailer used for transporting general cargo that requires protection from the elements.
Focus
A dry van is the most common equipment type in North American trucking — a fully enclosed, non-refrigerated trailer used to transport general freight that does not require temperature control or open flatbed access. Standard dry vans are 53 feet long, 8.5 feet wide, and approximately 9 feet high internally, providing roughly 2,000–2,500 cubic feet of cargo space and a payload capacity of approximately 44,000–45,000 lbs. The trailer is weather-protected, secure, and loadable via a rear swing door and dock-height rear opening. Dry van is the default equipment specification for consumer goods, industrial products, packaged food, retail merchandise, and thousands of other commodity freight types. Dry van freight moves in both truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) contexts. In TL, a shipper secures the full trailer for a single shipment — the freight moves from origin to destination without intermediate stops or consolidation with other shippers' cargo. In LTL, the carrier consolidates multiple shippers' pallets into a single trailer, routing through intermediate terminals and sorting freight by destination. For warehouse operations, dry van is the workhorse of both inbound replenishment and outbound distribution — most general merchandise, packaged goods, and industrial supply chains run almost entirely on dry van capacity. On WareMatch, dry van capability is a baseline expectation for most warehouse operators. Facilities serving consumer goods, retail, or general industrial clients need dock doors designed for standard 53-foot trailers, adequate dock levelers, and carrier relationships spanning dry van TL and LTL networks. The dry van freight market is the most liquid of any equipment type — large carrier networks (Werner, Schneider, JB Hunt, and hundreds of regional carriers) compete for dry van freight, providing shippers with pricing transparency and capacity availability that is generally superior to specialized equipment types.
Example
See the definition above for context.
Benefits
- Highest carrier availability of any equipment type — the depth of the dry van market provides shippers with abundant capacity options for both contracted and spot freight.
- Weather-protected, secure enclosed trailer protects freight from rain, dust, and temperature extremes (though not extremes sufficient to require refrigeration).
- Standardized 53-foot trailer dimensions are compatible with the vast majority of dock configurations across the supply chain, simplifying carrier selection and transit planning.
- Broad shipper base creates efficient spot market rate discovery, making dry van cost benchmarking straightforward through load board data and broker rate tools.
- Versatility — dry van handles palletized, floor-loaded, and oversized-within-trailer freight without the specialized loading equipment or permits required for flatbed or heavy haul.
- LTL networks built on dry van equipment provide accessible, priced freight options for shipments too small for a full trailer, connecting virtually every zip code in North America.
FAQs
Q: What types of freight cannot move in a dry van?
A: Dry van is not suitable for freight requiring temperature control (fresh produce, pharmaceuticals, frozen food — these require reefer trailers); freight too large or heavy to fit within standard trailer dimensions or weight limits (use flatbed or heavy haul); hazardous materials that require segregation or ventilation beyond what a sealed trailer provides; or live animals. Most other general commercial freight moves dry van by default.
Q: How does dry van TL pricing work?
A: Dry van TL is priced per load, not per hundredweight. Contract rates are typically expressed in cost per mile (CPM) or total load cost negotiated for specific lanes. Spot rates fluctuate with market conditions — load-to-truck ratio is the primary driver of spot rate levels. Fuel surcharges (FSC) are applied on top of the base rate and adjust weekly based on DOE diesel price indices. Accessorial charges (detention, stop-offs, liftgate, etc.) are additional.
Q: What is the practical load capacity of a standard 53-foot dry van?
A: Maximum legal payload is governed by federal bridge law limits — approximately 44,000–45,000 lbs for a standard five-axle combination. A full trailer of standard GMA pallets can fit 26 positions in a single-stack configuration, or 52 positions double-stacked if the freight and trailer height allow. Floor-loaded freight (cartons stacked directly without pallets) can utilize the full cubic volume more efficiently than palletized freight.
Q: What is the difference between a dry van and a box truck?
A: A dry van refers specifically to a semi-trailer pulled by a tractor (Class 8 truck), typically 48 or 53 feet long. A box truck (also called a cube van or straight truck) is a single-unit vehicle where the cargo box is attached to the truck chassis — typically 12–26 feet long. Box trucks are used for local delivery, LTL final-mile, and smaller loads; dry vans are used for long-haul and regional freight requiring full trailer capacity.