The term dry van trailer refers to a semi-trailer that is completely enclosed and provides full protection to the cargo against bad weather e.g. rain and snow.
Dry van trailers are typically used to transport cargo that needs to be protected from the elements.
A typical dry van rental ready to load goods!
There are many companies across the United States that offer dry van trailer for rent, of different sizes; from 40, 48 to more popular 53′ dry van specs and models!
This page will give you the answers to all your questions about dry van trailer rentals.
A dry van trailer is simply a semi trailer that is complete (as opposed to being a flatbed or having an open roof).
They are perfect for transporting boxed freight, loose freight, and palletized freight.
They offer full protection to loads against weather elements. Ever seen a refrigerated semi-trailer?
A dry van trailer is like one. The only difference is that it is not temperature controlled.
The Complete 53 Dry Van Dimensions
Here are the complete dimensions of a 53 dry van:
| Inside Dimensions: 53′ L x 8’6″ W x 9′ H Total Width: 8’6″ Total Height: 13’6″ Loading Capacity: 44,000 lbs. Empty Weight: 33,000 – 36,000 lbs. Door Opening: 9’2” H x 8’2” W Dock Height: 4’2” Payload Capacity: 55,000 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: 65,000 lbs. |
How Much Does It Cost To Rent Dry Van Trailer?
how much does it cost to rent a 53 foot dry van trailer? It depends with the model of the trailer and its size.
Newer model dry van trailer rental prices more to rent than older model trailers. Bigger size dry van trailer for rent also cost more to rent than standard or small trailers.
Driving a 53′ dry van is fun and profitable!
However, with the above information in mind, you should be prepared to pay about $1,000 a month to rent an old dry van rental. A new trailer will cost about $1,500 to rent every month.
How Much Does A 53 foot Trailer Cost?
It depends with the age of the trailer and the model. A relatively old 53 foot trailer will cost about $3,000, while a new one can cost as much as $10,000.
Remember, a trailer does not have an engine. So once you purchase one, you will have to combine it with a semi-truck to make a semi-trailer.
How Much Weight Can A 53′ Dry Van Carry?
A dry van trailer that is 53 feet in length (popularly called 53 dry van models) can carry approximately 52 standard pallets. This is often less than 43,000 pounds in weight.
Therefore, when you are loading a standard dry van trailer (even a 53 feet dry van), you should try not to exceed about 43,000 pounds because if you do, it might be unsafe and you could face heavy fines if caught.
How Much Does A Box Trailer Cost?
A standard 28 feet by 102 inches dry van trailer box trailer goes for about $22,000 in major cities across the United States. This is the cost of a new dry van trailer box. A used one can cost about half of this and it is what you should go for if you want to save money.
How Much Is A 53″ Trailer Rental?
The average monthly rental price for a 53″ trailer is between $600 and $750 depending on your location.
53′ Dry Van Trailers for Sale By Owner – Pros and Cons
A 53’ dry van trailer for sale has its merits and demerits. Some are listed below.
Pros
Cons
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The Trailer Types, Models and Specs
A dry van trailer is a semi trailer that is completely enclosed to protect its cargo from external elements. It is perfect for carrying loose, boxed, and palletized freight.
Unlike reefer trailers, dry van trailers are not ideal for carrying temperature-sensitive stuff.
This is because their trailer walls are often not well-insulated and they do not have a refrigeration unit.
There are several types of dry van rental currently available on the market. They include:
- Straight trucks
Straight trucks are also known as box trucks.
The truck simply has the no semi-trailer design – there is only one chassis on which both the driver’s cab and the box container are fixed.
Straight trucks are available in various sizes. The most popular straight truck or box truck on the market is the 24-foot box truck.
This box truck is 24-foot long, 8-foot high, and 8-foot 6 inches wide. It is perfect for cross-town deliveries.
- 28 Footer
The 28 foot dry van trailers are longer than most straight trucks.
In fact, it is quite rare to find a straight truck longer than 26 feet. 28-foot trailers are 28 feet long, 8 feet high, 
and 9 feet wide.
They are perfect for LTL shipments.
A typical 28″ dry van trailer for rent will have enough space for fourteen pallets.
Such truck will also have a payload capacity of 22,500 pounds.
- 53 Dry Van
53 foot dry van trailers are the most popular dry van trailers on American highways.
A typical 53-foot trailer will measure 53’feet long, 8 feet and 6 inches high, and 8 feet and 6 inches wide.
In terms of floor space, 53 foot trailers typically accommodate about 26 standard pallets. Lastly, in terms of weight such trailers have a payload capacity of 45,000 pounds.
There are 48-foot dry van trailers but they are not very common on American roads. A typically dry van trailer for rent has a deck height of about 4 feet. This perfect for easy loading and unloading of freight.
Why? Because this is the standard dock height in the US so it means vehicles with this deck height are easy to drive into and out of using a forklift.
Dry Van Trailers for Sale, Rent or Lease: Which is Better and Why?
It is sometimes difficult to decide whether you want to buy something for sale, rent it, or lease it.
The case is the same when that something is a dry van trailer. Each of the three options could be best for you depending on several reasons.
Generally, you should only opt to buy a dry van if you have plenty of money lying around and you don’t care about things like maintenance or upgrading.
This is because this big rig cost you a lot of money to acquire, and it will mean you have to take care of maintenance costs yourself (when you lease such costs are often taken care of by the leasing company).
It will also means it will be a little bit difficult for you to upgrade the truck to a new one if you are purchasing it 
on credit.
Because it is much easier to upgrade a truck that you are leasing than one that you are buying.
The main benefit of buying a dry van trailer is that you are free to modify it as you please.
But this is not really a significant benefit. If you do not have a lot of money lying around you should opt to rent or lease a dry van.
Why Renting and Leasing Better?
Generally, it is a good idea to rent a dry van if you want it for a short period. For example, if you want to use it few days or a few weeks, it is a great idea to rent rather than lease one or buy one.
Renting a dry van for a couple of days or a couple of weeks will never cost as much money as buying it or leasing it.
As both buying and leasing often involve paying a huge deposit and committing to pay a significant amount monthly for a certain period.
If you want to use the vehicle for two, three, four, or five years, you should lease it. Leasing is almost always a better option than purchasing a dry van trailer for sale.
This is because it is cheaper to lease than to buy. It is also because it is much easier to upgrade to a new model or size when you are leasing one than when you are buying one.
Another reason why leasing is a better option than buying is the maintenance/ servicing factor.
When you lease a dry van trailer, you can expect free servicing/maintenance from virtually any truck leasing company.
When you buy a big trailer, you have to take care of all the maintenance/servicing costs, which can be expensive.
So the best option between buying, renting, and leasing a truck is leasing if you want a truck for long term use or renting if you a truck for short term use.
New and Used Dry Van: Which Should I Lease or Rent?
As mentioned above, if you want a dry van for short term use, you should rent it. 
If you want for long term use, you should lease it.
There is no sense in leasing a used rig.
It will probably be cheaper to lease but if you want a vehicle that is going to serve you well without any breakdowns or inconveniences, you are better of leasing one that is new.
Questions about Rent Dry Van Trailer
Which top companies offer dry van rentals in America?
There are many companies that offer dry van trailer rentals across the United States.
The best ones include Ryder, XTRA Lease, Premier Trailer Leasing, COOP, and Great Western Leasing. Several of these companies deserve a special mention.
The Ryder Company, for instance, is one of the best trailer rentals companies in the United States. The company’s main office is in Miami and it is involved in various logistics and transportation businesses.
The company has dry van trailers for rent in many locations across North America, as well Xtra lease trailer rental cost is very fair!
How much can a dry van haul?
It depends with the size of the van and the number of axles. The bigger the size of the van, the more weight it can carry and haul.
Furthermore, two axle or multi-axle trailers tend to carry or haul more weight than single axle trailers.
Which are the best new and used models for sale?
The best new and used dray van trailer models on the market include the 2023 Great Tandem Dry Van, the 2022 ATRO Dry Van Trailer, the 2022 Wabash National Dry Van, the 2023 Great Dane Champion, the 2023 Fruehauf 53’ Dry Van, and the 2023 De Lucio USA DL5000.
Others are, the 53FT 2005 WABASH trailer, the 2019 KENWORTH T270, the 2010 MANAC 94248342, the 2001 GREAT DANE 7311TJWA, the 2020 PITTS TRAILERS HD35, and the 2020 HYUNDAI TRAILER.
Where can we get large fleet of dry van to lease?
There are so many companies across the United States involved in the leasing of dry van trailers.
They include Premier Trailer Leasing, XTRA Lease, Ryder Dry Van Trailer Leasing, Northeast Trailers, Big Blue Trailer Leasing and the Great Western Leasing and Sales.
Which companies offer best dry van rental services?
Many companies offer good dry van rental services. However, a few stand out because of the special features they offer and high ratings from satisfied customers.
They are; USA Truck, KSM Carrier Group, Yellow Freight system, Pilot Freight Services, and Schneider.
Dry van trailer for rent in Canada Vs US?
There are slightly fewer dry van trailer rental locations in Canada than in the USA. This is, of course, explainable by the fact that USA has a bigger population, economy, and transportation industry.
The conditions for renting a dry van trailer are relaxed and flexible in Canada compared to the USA.
How can I order 53 dry van trailers for sale by owner?
There are many websites online where you can see 53-foot dry van trailers for sale. The sites include trailersusa, mylittlesalesman, maximinc, trailertrader.
You can visit any of these websites to find the dry van trailer you want and then contact the seller to order it.
Links, contact addresses, and phone numbers are also made available for negotiations.
What is average 53 dry van weight both loaded and empty?
The average 53-feet dry van trailer weighs between 33,000 and 37,000 pounds when empty. When it is loaded, it will weigh between 75,000 and 80,000 pounds.
Of course, the actual dry van trailer weight when empty and when loaded will depend on the design and the materials used.
Is 53′ dry van height uniform for all models?
No, it is not. The dry van trailer height is not uniform for all 53’ dry van trailers.
These trailers may have the same length but this does not mean that they have a uniform height. The height varies slightly from trailer to trailer.
How does XTRA lease trailer rental cost work?
XTRA Lease has an inventory of over 90,000 trailers for lease and for rent. The company has about fifty locations across the country.
To know how much it will cost you to rent or lease a trailer from XTRA Lease you simply have to enter your details and the trailer type you need to get a quote.
However it averagely cost about $700 per month. After the lease, you get a chance to own the trailer.
How different is open top trailer rental?
The open top trailer rental is quite different from the dry van trailer.
It is less expensive to rent an open top trailer as it doesn’t protect the cargo from bad or harsh weather conditions. The type of goods or properties moved with open top trailers are cars.
Dry van trailer leasing from Ryder Vs XTRA?
To lease a trailer at XTRA, you’d have to pay a substantial rent which costs about $700 per month. After the lease, you get a chance to own the trailer. While at Ryder, it costs about $1149 per month to get a lease.
Is used 53 dry van trailers for sale worth it?
Buying a used 53 dry van trailer could be worth it. Its worth depends on the state of the van in question.
A dry van trailer on the verge of ruin is definitely not worth it and would turn out to be a liability, but a used dry van trailer in great condition would be an asset that would earn the buyer more money.
What is 53 foot reefer trailer rental price online?
To rent a 53 foot reefer trailer over the internet, it would cost about $1,000 for an old one and about $1,500 for a new one – per month! The rental price for such a trailer is generally between $300 and $400 a week.
The exact cost will depend on your location, the company you are renting from, the travel distance, and the charge per hour.
Why is it called a dry van?
A dry van trailer is called a dry van because it is fully enclosed. In other words, it protects your fright and keep them dry from rain and snow.
Food items, electronics, and other products are typically transported in dry vans to protect them from rain, snow, dirt, and dust.
Which dry van trailer is the best?
The HT HY-Cube from Hyundai Translead is regarded as the best dry van trailer on the market by transportation and logistics experts.
This is mainly because it is spacious, extremely durable, and can be double decked.
Many parts of this trailer are corrosion resistant. This contributes to its durability and ensures it can be used for many decades before being put out of service.
Other important features of this amazing trailer include a design that prevents dishing and an extra deep base rail that features rivet guards.
All the amazing highlights of the HT HY-CUBE dry van trailer show why it is the bestselling trailer for one of the leading trailer manufacturers in North America.
What pays more dry van or flatbed?
A flatbed pays more. Owning a flatbed and operating it will pay you more money than owning and operating a Dry Van.
This is because there is always plenty of cargo that can be carried on flatbeds. In contrast, dry van operators can sometimes go for a week or more without work.
What is a food grade dry van?
A food grade dry van is a trailer that can be used to transport food. Most food items in the USA is transported via road.
Because of this, the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) established regulations to ensure that only the right trailers that meet set conditions are used for transporting food.
The main purpose of doing this was to protect U.S. food supply from contamination. Generally, the regulations ensure that only very clean and sanitary trailers are used for food transport.
What is dry van transportation?
Dry van transportation is the most common form of cargo transportation on U.S. highways.
It involves the use of dry van trailers (enclosed trailers) so as to protect cargo from weather elements such as the rain and the snow.
Does Home Depot sell enclosed trailers?
Yes, it does. Home Depot sells a variety of utility trailers including the WERX WX612 and the WERX WX610. WerX trailers are enclosed trailers manufactured in the United States for hauling golf carts, ATVs, and motorcycles.
They are also used by small businesses to transport small freights or tools. They are also used to move kids to university.
How many pallets can you fit in a 53 foot trailer?
You can fit 26 pallets in a 53-foot trailer. The pallets must be standard size. In other words, they should measure 48 by 40 by 48 inches. Standard pallets with these measurements can fit easily in a 53 foot trailer when they are well packed in two lines.
How fast can you drive with a trailer attached?
In most states, the law states that you should not drive faster than 55 mph (miles per hour) when driving a tractor with a trailer attached.
Most states require you to drive trailers not faster than 55 mph because driving them faster than this speed will make them difficult to manoeuvre.
How much can a dry van haul?
It depends. The popular 53-foot dry van trailer is big enough to haul cargo 45,000 pounds if weight.
This is a massive weight and it is the reason why dry van trailers are preferred by medium size and large size businesses to transport goods. The trailer can also haul 26 standard pallets, or 45,000 pounds in weight.
Do reefer loads pay more than dry van?
Yes, they do. This is because reefer loads are often perishables and need to be urgently transported from one point to the next.
In contrast, dry van loads tend to be non-perishable and can, therefore, be delivered at a slower pace. Because reefer loads need to be transported fast, they generally pay more.
Is a box truck considered a dry van?
A box truck is an enclosed truck. It is a special type of a dry van because a dry van is simply an enclosed cargo compartment. Box trucks are typically smaller than dry van trailers.
For this reason they are preferred by small businesses. Dry van trailers have plenty of space and, therefore, they are preferred by big businesses.
What does Van mean in trucking?
In trucking, a van is not simply a van. A van is a cargo-carrying compartment in a truck.
When the cargo-carrying part of a truck is fully enclosed, it is known as a dry van. Probably the most popular type of dry van is the 53-foot dry van trailer.
How high is a 53 dry van?
The typical 53 dry van is 53 feet long and 9 feet high. So if you are looking for a massive dry van to transport goods for a transport company or a big business, this dry van should be big enough for you. It is certainly big enough for twenty-six standard pallets.
Can you wash out a dry van trailer?
Yes, you can. Just because a dry van trailer is called a dry van trailer does not mean it cannot be made wet. All try van trailers can be washed to clean them thoroughly.
However, you should note that the typical dry van trailer has a wooden floor. So when you wash it with water, you should leave its doors open for a while so that it can dry completely.
Does Lowes sell cargo trailers?
Yes, it does. The company sells enclosed cargo trailers.
You can buy a 16-foot double axle trailer, a 12-foot single axle trailer, or a 10-foot single axle trailer.
So if you need to buy a small cargo trailer you should consider looking for one at your local Lowes store. All these trailers are enclosed.
Conclusion
Dry vans are perfect for transporting and delivering goods. They are enclosed so they protect goods from getting damaged.
The most popular type of dry van is the 53-foot dry van and the best way to get one to use is to lease it because leasing is more beneficial than buying.
A large completely enclosed semi-trailer!
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