NEWS

Critical Supply Solutions Inc operates using dry vans freights. Other trucking companies might use flatbeds or tankers. You might be wondering what exactly is a “dry van”. You want to make sure we meet your transportation needs in the safest way possible.

It pays to understand how the shipping process works at CSS.

The Advantages of Dry Vans

The dry van refers to the large rectangular tractors attached to commercial trucks. Sometimes it also references the whole vehicle.

Commercial trucking companies most commonly use dry vans over any other form of transport. They offer great flexibility concerning storage capacity, comes in different sizes, and provide comfort knowing your load is secure from theft and severe weather.

The wide spacing inside allows you to neatly store potentially dozens of pallets of various materials and good. In fact, nearly every industry uses dry vans from produce to the automotive world, electronics, and wholesale marketers. CSS specializes in freights of all kind (FAK), meaning we allow you to pool diverse goods into one dry van shipment to be billed as a single load.

You can think of dry van transportation like U-Hauls or Penske trucks, except they are much larger and more convenient for loading and unloading.

They can be as long as 52 feet and up to 8 feet wide. Legally, they can contain up to 45,000 lbs.

CSS specializes in freights of all kind (FAK), meaning we allow you to pool diverse goods into one dry van shipment to be billed as a single load

Dry vans are great because they can quickly be hooked and unhooked from the truck with a simple mechanism. This process allows the drivers inspect the load and begin or complete the delivery of the haul job very quickly. In about 20 minutes, our drivers will have left your premises to start a new load. Other transportation services cannot offer the same versatility.

Dry vans also give you greater security over flatbeds because of the enclosed aluminum box and secure locking of the door. The airtight metal casing protects against severe weather and roadside incidents. And, if latched adequately with a combination lock, thieves are going to have a tough time breaking through the huge, heavy door.

Commercial flatbed trucks, on the other hand, are not enclosed and exposed to weather.

Dry van trucks are easy to load and unload because the driver just needs to back into the storage docking space. The ramp is typically already deployed up to the tractor, so the unloaders just walk in and begin working.

The Disadvantages of Dry Vans

Dry vans aren’t for everyone. While extremely convenient and versatile, they don’t offer temperature control. So they would be ideal for shipping clothing or paper products, but not necessarily ice cream or flowers.

If you need your items maintained at a consistent temperature, you should look for a commercial refrigerated van for your needs.

Dry vans are not for transporting livestock. Animals need fresh air to breath. The dark enclosed space of a dry van would be torture to them.

You might not need the huge space afforded to you by a dry van transport. If you end up shipping less than a quarter full load of material, it’s possible you could save money by using smaller van services, like U-Haul. However, those services are not licensed as commercial driving companies under the DOT, meaning they couldn’t transport loads across state lines or on a weekly basis because of regulated hours of service and the new ELD mandate.

The dry van is the staple of the transportation industry and our main service. If you have any further questions about these kinds of vehicles, feel free to contact us anytime.