Datatruck Raises $12M Series A to Accelerate AI-Native TMS for Carriers
9/25/26, 9:58 PM
What Is Dry Van Trucking and How Carriers Make It Pay
Almost every lane has dry van freight posted on it. Dry van trucking is hauling freight in a fully enclosed, non-temperature-controlled semitrailer, most often 53 feet long, for goods that only need protection from weather and theft. This guide is for the carrier running that freight, not the shipper buying it, because the easiest freight to find is also the hardest to profit on.
Key takeaways
|
What Is Dry Van Trucking
A dry van is an enclosed box with no refrigeration unit, no open deck and no tank. The shipper typically loads it through the rear doors and seals it.
That simplicity makes it the default truckload trailer. The American Trucking Associations reports trucks moved about 72.7% of US freight by weight in 2024.
The Dry Van Trailer Specs a Carrier Actually Needs
Many online spec sheets come from trailer dealers and present numbers as federal standards. Here is what the FHWA size and weight standards actually set.
Weight. 80,000 lb gross vehicle weight on the Interstate, 20,000 lb per single axle and 34,000 lb per tandem, subject to the bridge formula.
Length. States must allow semitrailers of at least 48 feet. The 53-foot dry van is the common size states permit, not a federal requirement.
Width. 102 inches on the National Network.
Height. No federal limit. States set it, usually 13 ft 6 in to 14 ft.
Weight matters most at booking. Payload is what the gross limit leaves after the rig is weighed, so know your tare.
What Dry Van Freight Looks Like
Dry van freight needs a roof and a lock, not a thermostat. Typical loads include:
Palletized consumer packaged goods
Shelf-stable food and beverage
Paper and packaging
Retail and e-commerce freight
Household goods and electronics
Non-hazmat industrial parts
Some loads cube out before they weigh out, others the reverse, so know whether the trailer or the scale is your limit.
Dry Van vs Reefer vs Flatbed From the Carrier Side
Most trailer comparisons are written for shippers. The carrier's question is where each one costs money.
Trailer type | Equipment cost profile | Typical freight | Driver skill and securement burden | Rate volatility | Where the margin leaks |
Dry van | Lowest, with no reefer unit, tarps or straps | Palletized and boxed dry goods | Lowest. Shipper loads and seals | Tracks the broad truckload market | Deadhead from consumer markets, unpaid detention, thin lanes |
Reefer | Higher, with reefer fuel and washouts | Temperature-controlled food, pharma, produce | Temperature monitoring and claims exposure | Seasonal around produce and holidays | Detention (56.2% of stops, per ATRI), reefer fuel, rejected loads |
Flatbed | Straps, chains, tarps and the time to use them | Steel, lumber, machinery, building materials | Highest. Driver secures and tarps the load | Tied to construction and industrial cycles | Securement time, weather, damage claims, seasonal lulls |
The reefer figure is ATRI's 2023 detention data. Pay is a separate question, covered in our flatbed trucking guide and our breakdown of reefer trailers and their freight.
Why Carriers Start in Dry Van Trucking and Why Margins Stay Thin
The trailer is the cheapest of the three to run, with no securement or temperature risk and freight on nearly every lane.
The catch is that everyone else has the same advantages. More trucks bid on every load, and what a dry van lane pays per mile follows the broad market.
Costs do not wait for rates. ATRI put 2025 truckload cost at $2.21 per mile, up from $2.13, and the truckload operating margin at 0.4%, as Transport Topics reported. At that margin, a few empty miles or one unpaid wait decides the week.
Four Levers That Decide Dry Van Trucking Profit
If the market sets the rate, the carrier controls what happens around it.
Loaded-mile percentage. Loaded miles divided by total miles. Empty miles burn fuel and hours with no revenue, so track deadhead miles by lane, not just by week.
Detention. ATRI found drivers were detained at 39.3% of stops in 2023, and fewer than half of detention invoices get paid. Clean timestamps get detention time billed and collected.
Drop and hook versus live load. A preloaded trailer turns a long dock wait into a quick swap. The trade-off is what a trailer pool costs.
Lane choice and density. Steady two-way freight often beats a higher-paying lane that strands the truck, which is why load boards ranked by freight type matter.
Dry van load check before you book
|
Where Datatruck Fits
A rate confirmation never shows the empty miles to the next load or three hours at the dock. Datatruck is a TMS for carriers built around per-truck economics, showing profit per load and per truck with deadhead and detention counted. That is how a dry van fleet sees which lanes pay, the idea behind profit per truck as the KPI most fleets ignore and spotting unprofitable lanes in a carrier network. The decision stays yours.
FAQs
How much weight can a dry van carry?
A dry van rig can gross 80,000 lb on the Interstate, so cargo weight is what remains after the tractor and trailer are weighed, per FHWA.
What is the difference between a dry van and a reefer?
A reefer has a refrigeration unit that holds a set temperature, while a dry van has no temperature control. Reefers cost more to run and face more detention, per ATRI.
Is dry van trucking profitable?
Dry van trucking can be profitable, but margins are thin. ATRI put the 2025 truckload operating margin at 0.4%, so profit comes from loaded miles, detention recovery and lane choice.
What is the standard dry van trailer size?
The 53-foot trailer, 102 inches wide, is the most common size. Federal law requires states to allow at least 48 feet and leaves height to the states, usually 13 ft 6 in to 14 ft, per FHWA.
To see which of your dry van lanes actually pay, book a Datatruck demo.