ALL VEHICLES > 53 FT DRY VANS
53 Ft Dry Vans
If you have a large load to move door-to-door as fast as humanly possible, a 53’ dry van might be the best solution. Hooked up behind semi-tractors, dry vans ply the length and breadth of North America. Use the information provided below to decide if one is right for your express freight needs.
Palletized and loose cartons and boxes
Automotive and aerospace components, like castings, forgings, circuit boards, wiring harnesses, and plastic moldings
Urgently needed packaged items, including consumer products, electronics and glassware
Packaging materials: Examples include glass and paper.
Raw materials stored and moved in cages, bins and similar containers, but not bulk materials.
Machine parts: For example, pumps, manifolds, filtration systems, motors, generators, and conveyors.
Liquids in drums or tanks and secured to pallets.
Capabilities
A dry van is a sturdy, enclosed trailer, typically white, designed to be towed by a heavy-duty truck or semi-tractor. It connects to the tractor unit via a fifth-wheel coupling—a slanted flange plate that securely locks onto the kingpin located beneath the front of the trailer. This setup allows for easy maneuvering and enables the tractor to detach from the trailer, facilitating efficient loading and unloading operations. The dry van’s design makes it an essential tool for transporting goods securely, protecting cargo from external elements like weather and debris. Its versatility allows it to accommodate a wide range of freight, from packaged consumer goods to industrial materials.
Capacity
With 53' of interior length, the dry van provides the most enclosed cargo volume of any standard road vehicle in use in North America. Many thousands are at work every day, traversing interstate highways and major roads while laden with anything from automotive or machine parts to electronic components and packaging materials. Most modern dry vans incorporate air suspension technology. This provides better shock absorption than leaf springs, which helps ensure delicate items arrive undamaged. These innovations, combined with their versatility and capacity, make dry vans a backbone of the freight industry, capable of handling a diverse range of cargo reliably and efficiently.
Transport
Dry vans shine in medium- and long-haul shipping thanks to their spaciousness, efficiency, and swiftness, positioning them as the top pick for freight traveling between cities or across state lines. They thrive running between hubs, factories, warehouses, and distribution centers—places with room to maneuver—but their bulk makes them ill-suited for narrow urban roads or “last mile” delivery tasks. Where they truly dominate, however, is in medium- and long-range transport, offering the quickest way to shuttle goods from point A to point B.
Loading
Dry vans are loaded and unloaded by backing them up to loading docks (having first opened the rear swing-out doors). Given their interior length, these are usually loaded by fork truck, with their floors being engineered to be strong enough to take this weight. The top of a dry van is 13’6” from the road. Because of this, low bridges and underpasses can preclude taking some routes: efficient route planning is an essential component of every expedited freight service.
Safety
The sturdy, sealed build of dry vans offers top-notch protection, shielding cargo from rain, dust, and other outside elements on the move. This makes them perfect for hauling diverse items like store merchandise, boxed foods, and industrial supplies. Their uniform design also slots effortlessly into most supply chain setups, aligning with loading docks and logistics networks. Pair this adaptability with their knack for managing big loads smoothly, and it’s clear why dry vans rank among the most widely used trailers in freight transport.
Tracking Technology
Dry vans operated by ExpeditedFreight.com come fitted with advanced real-time tracking systems. This allows us to pinpoint each truck’s location throughout its trip, delivering two key advantages:
Customers receive consistent updates and precise arrival times. Plus, if weather or traffic shifts, our team can adjust the route to keep deliveries on schedule.
Our Streamlined Process
Single point of contact
Work with the same expeditor during your shipment’s entire process–no annoying call centers!
shipment-to-vehicle matching system
We carefully match the size and weight of your shipment to the right vehicle.
Vetted & exclusive carriers
We work with vetted, experienced carriers, so you get one vehicle for the entire delivery process exclusive.
real-time monitoring & alerts
Our GPS tracking technology lets us know exactly where your shipment is at all times.
Types of Vehicles
53' DRY VAN
SPRINTER VAN
BOX TRUCK
STRAIGHT TRUCK
HOT SHOT TRUCK
FULL FLATBED
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