What dry van freight actually means
A dry van is a fully enclosed, non-temperature-controlled trailer — the plain rectangular box trailer you see most often on the highway. No refrigeration unit, no open deck, just a sealed, weatherproof container that protects freight from rain, road debris, and theft between pickup and delivery. It's the default equipment for the majority of freight moved in Canada, which is exactly why it's usually the most affordable option on your quote.
Standard dry vans run 53 feet long with rear swing doors, though shorter trailers and side-door configurations are available for specific dock setups. If your freight doesn't need cooling and isn't oversized or irregularly shaped, it almost certainly ships dry van.
When dry van is the right call — and when it isn't
Dry van is the right equipment for palletized or boxed goods, retail and consumer products, packaged dry food, paper and packaging, electronics, building materials, and general manufactured freight — anything shelf-stable that doesn't need climate control. If it can sit in a closed trailer at ambient temperature without spoiling, degrading, or shifting dangerously, dry van is the cheapest, simplest way to move it.
It's the wrong choice for two situations. Temperature-sensitive freight — food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, some chemicals — needs a reefer (temperature-controlled) trailer instead. Oversized, irregularly shaped, or loaded-from-the-top freight — machinery, steel, construction materials — needs a flatbed or specialized trailer. Matching equipment to freight is the single biggest lever on your rate, since paying for reefer or flatbed capability you don't need is pure waste.
Dry van pricing: FTL vs LTL
Dry van is the baseline equipment type, so it's also the reference point every other trailer type is priced against. Full truckload (FTL) dry van is priced as a live market rate per truck, driven mainly by lane, current capacity, fuel, and season — a good broker shops your load across a carrier network rather than quoting a single fixed list price.
Less than truckload (LTL) dry van is priced by weight, dimensions, freight class, and any accessorials like liftgate or residential delivery, and is the economical choice for roughly 1–10 skids that don't fill a trailer. As your shipment grows past that range, FTL often becomes the cheaper and faster option — see our guide on FTL vs LTL for exactly where that line falls.
Dry van capacity across Canada
Because dry van is the most common equipment on the road, it's also the deepest capacity pool — which means faster pickup and more competitive rates on almost every lane. Shipmate arranges dry van FTL and LTL freight from the Greater Toronto Area to every Canadian province and across the US border daily, with same-day pickup available throughout the GTA.
Whether you're moving a single skid or a full trailer of dry, non-perishable freight, request a free quote and a specialist will confirm exact pricing and transit time for your specific lane.
Ready to price your next load? Request a free estimate and a Shipmate specialist will respond with exact rates during business hours, or call (905) 508-6632.
Frequently asked questions
What is dry van shipping?
Dry van shipping uses a fully enclosed, non-refrigerated trailer to move freight that doesn't need temperature control — palletized goods, boxed retail product, building materials, and general manufactured freight. It's the most common and typically most affordable equipment type in trucking.
Is dry van cheaper than reefer or flatbed?
Usually, yes. Dry van is the baseline equipment type with the deepest capacity, so it's typically the lowest-cost option when your freight doesn't require temperature control (reefer) or open-deck loading (flatbed). Paying for capability you don't need is the most common way shippers overpay.
Do you offer dry van LTL across Canada?
Yes. Shipmate arranges dry van LTL and FTL freight from the GTA to every Canadian province and into the US, with same-day pickup available across the Greater Toronto Area. Request a free quote for exact pricing on your lane.