Let’s be honest. When most people think of dry van trailers, they think of the most basic trucking option available. The vanilla when it comes to freight transportation. And while that’s true, they’re everywhere (just drive down the highway and see dozens of big rectangular boxes pass you), it’s a little misnomer to say that they’re basic.
Dry vans carry an unbelievably expansive array of freight from consumer electronics worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to bulk shipments of paper towels. They move more than just “regular” freight. They carry almost anything that doesn’t require refrigeration or specialized handling. It’s honestly impressive when you start to pay attention to what actually goes in these trailers.
The Environmental Protection Factor
Here’s where dry vans are far more intricate than people give them credit for – a factor of complete environmental protection. We’re not just talking about rain covering your boxes here and there. We’re talking about protecting freight from debris kicked up on the road, exposure to weather, changes in temperature, dust, lack of security from prying eyes on the way to the destination, and, yes, even sun exposure.
This ultimately matters more than shippers realize. A pallet of high-end consumer electronics isn’t just expected to arrive at its destination; it’s expected to look pristine with no signs of rain damage or mishaps in transit. Retailers will reject shipments if they look like they’ve been through the trenches, even if what’s on the inside is fine.
Thus, the enclosed nature provides security, too, that open or flatbed options cannot offer. When those doors close, no one is accessing that freight until it’s received. For those items with the need for theft protection (like iPads and TVs) or sensitivity (like luxury handbags), it’s worth paying extra for this peace of mind. Companies who ship anything, from pharmaceuticals to designer clothes to industrial components, rely on this layer of security as part of their supply chain strategy.
Why Capacity Is Not Created Equal
One would think that a dry van is a dry van and that’s it – but it’s not true, and this surprises new shippers quite often. Standard dry vans are 53 feet long; however, the cubic measurement (internal dimensions) differs based on wall depth, floor reinforcement and door dimensions and placement. A van that has maxed-out cubic capacity may possess weight limitations. Another may be able to handle heavier pallets but let some cubic space down.
Shippers who work with carriers in-the-know are savvy. When businesses need consistent transportation options for products that need to stay clean and protected from the elements, working with dry van trucking professionals helps ensure proper equipment without trying to shove square pegs into round holes.
Additionally, with weightier shipments, weight distribution is critical. A truck may legally haul 45,000 pounds of cargo in a single load, but the way it sits on the floor matters just as much for drivability and fuel efficiency. Experienced carriers know how to load dense materials versus lightweight bulky freight. There’s a difference between 20 pallets of paper products as opposed to 10 pallets of industrial machinery.
The Temperature Control Myth
Dry vans are not temperature-controlled; however, that doesn’t mean temperature isn’t an issue at all. With metal boxes in both summer and winter weather, a freight sitting on a 100-degree day in a parking lot is going to be exposed to well over 100 degrees, sub-zero temperatures can occur during overnight freight.
Most products can handle this. Some can’t: chocolates melt; some adhesives become useless; electronics have temperatures in which they can operate; candles warp.
Professional carriers consider this, they route differently to avoid drastic temperature exposure when necessary; they schedule pickups/deliveries during days they can expect warm days or cold nights; for literally temperature-controlled cargo that needs an in-between, some carriers offer insulated dry vans that protect better than an average dry van.
The Importance of Proper Loading Strategy
Anyone can toss boxes into a trailer; loading it properly is an entirely different skillset. Improper loading wastes space and increases the potential for damages, and even safety hazards if freight shifts during transport.
The most reputable carriers load as though they’re playing Tetris, with physics involved. Heavy items go on the bottom; weight distributes evenly from front to back; vulnerable cargo gets positioned away from the doors where it can’t be crushed upon unloading; tall stacks become stabilized; access is provided for early-discharge items.
This is about more than packing more boxes in a tighter space, this impacts freight damage ratio. A truck full of crushed corners and fallen pallets or shifted cargo costs everyone money: claims for the carrier; unhappy customers for the shipper; returns and damaged goods for receivers.
The Flexibility Factor
Without requiring specialized equipment, dry van trailers are capable of accommodating an overly expansive variety of shipping needs, need tiles? No problem; bottles of water? Sure thing; furniture? Can do, retail clothing? Absolutely, manufacturing parts? All day long.
This flexibility makes dry vans the backbone of retail supply chains and e-commerce fulfillment as well as manufacturing logistics, companies can rely on one type to fulfill many lines instead of developing relationships with specialty carriers who can perform niche tasks.
This same concept applies among the entire logistics network for efficiency. Warehouses have set processes for dry van loading and unloading; docks are at the right heights; forklifts access through the doors; teams know how to do what they need to do quickly because everyone is working with standardized equipment/procedures.
When To Avoid Dry Van Services
Of course, dry vans cannot accommodate certain needs, for example, oversized freight that can’t fit through doors or food products that require refrigeration (temperature sensitive). Likewise, heavy machinery and construction materials often require flatbeds for easier access; liquids need tankers.
Knowing when dry van makes sense versus when it does not is part of creating an effective supply chain, making people fit things into a dry van because that’s what’s available creates problems, just as failing to consider dry van equipment when it actually would have been the best choice due to preconceived notions that something fancier was required.
The Cost Element
Dry van pricing fluctuates based on capacity, fuel prices, seasonal demands and travel frequency, but they generally cost less than specialty equipment as it’s more common across the board and provides more bang for its buck (a carrier can take your shipment one way and a completely different one coming back).
That said, the cheapest option isn’t always the best. A driver charging less may very well cut corners where it matters most, maintenance, driver qualification and insurance behind proper loads go a long way, when cargo gets damaged or deliveries are late those savings go out the window.
Reputable carriers charge fair assessments based on investments made into equipment, qualified drivers and insurance needs, on-time deliveries, consistent communication efforts, professional claims handling when necessary, consistency makes it worth to pay a reasonable premium over the cheapest option available.
The Modern Reality
Dry vans, nowadays, are less about hooking up your trailer and getting on the road – modern dry van operations involve technology like GPS tracking for real-time visibility; electronic logs for hours-of-service compliance; digital documentation for pickups/deliveries.
The most reputable carriers add technology into the mix as a way to make transporting predictable, shippers can see where their cargo is at all times; receivers get concrete time frames instead of abstract ones; issues arise before they turn into disasters when there’s visibility from afar.
This transforms dry van shipping from basic commodity-type transactions into strategic business advantages for those who fail to see transportation as anything but another expense miss out on opportunities while those who cultivate effective carrier relationships understand logistics data effectively can outperform other companies with the same products.
Dry van trailers may look like ordinary cubes, they’re transporting extraordinarily high volumes of diverse freight every day, understanding what they can do from advocating for carriers who maximize those efforts offers relative ease for reliable, efficiently moving cargo through the supply chain.
