Shipping business cargo often calls for a professional transportation service. Depending on your carrier or transportation service, your shipment might be transported via a flatbed or dry van trailer. While both trailer types can work, each has unique advantages and disadvantages.
Read on for critical information about the benefits and downsides of flatbed vs. dry van trailers. By the end, you'll know which you should choose for your next cargo shipment.
What Are Flatbed Carriers?
Flatbed carriers are what they sound like — flatbed trailers that don't have any walls or ceilings. Since flatbed carriers or trailers don't have tops or sides, carriers or shipping specialists can load these trailers from many different angles or orientations.
Most flatbed carriers are a little shorter than dry van trailers. They are typically 48 feet long and about 8.5 feet wide (though there are plenty of variations).
Depending on your needs, your transportation service may connect you to different flatbed trailer models to accommodate high freight capacities or irregularly shaped cargo.
What Are the Pros?
Flatbed carriers do have significant advantages to keep in mind when choosing between them and dry van trailers, such as:
- They can take a wide range of cargo and are very versatile, since transportation specialists can load freight from any direction
- Flatbeds are better for hauling oversized loads that are too big or irregularly shaped to fit inside a dry van carrier
- Flatbed trailers have higher maximum hauling capacities, as they can be rented or purchased with deeper wells or extended lengths
What Are the Cons?
However, flatbed trailers have their downsides, such as:
- All freight on a flatbed trailer is exposed to inclement weather, as well as dirt and debris kicked up from the road
- Flatbed freight is more vulnerable to theft compared to dry van cargo
- All flatbed freight drivers must take special care to secure their loads properly. There's a higher risk of goods being damaged in transit
- Flatbed freight requires specialized hauling and driving skills for maneuvering flatbed trailers, especially if the weather is bad or if the load is oversized
What Are Dry Van Carriers?
Dry van trailers or carriers, also sometimes called box trailers, are enclosed trailers used to haul freight while protecting it from inclement weather and other hazards. These are the most common types of trailers on the road; they are usually found being hauled behind semi-trucks.
Dry van carriers come in a variety of different types and styles. Some standard dry vans include plate dry vans, sheet and post dry vans, and custom spec dry vans.
Most dry van trailers are 53 feet long by 8.5 feet wide. Externally, dry van trailers are usually 13'6" high. Interior heights usually cap at 110 inches.
Part of the reason dry van trailers are used more often than flatbeds is that they are more standardized than other options.
The shipping industry has built more infrastructure to support these trailers, such as loading docks. Therefore, they are considered the default or go-to trailer type for most types of cargo.
What Are the Pros?
Dry van trailers have a lot of advantages and benefits. These include:
- Their enclosed designs protect freight from theft, inclement weather, or damage from dirt and debris on the road.
- Dry vans can better protect perishable or commercial goods, such as food, beverages, clothing, textiles, and plastic construction items.
- Dry van trailers are easily connected to loading docks, as those docks are usually the same height as dry van trailers. This simplifies and accelerates the loading and unloading processes.
- Many dry vans come equipped with liftgates. Liftgates can eliminate the need for a forklift or loading dock since they can be lowered to the ground to load or unload cargo using a motorized mechanism.
What Are the Cons?
That said, dry vans do have a few disadvantages to keep in mind, such as:
- They don't offer temperature control, so they aren't ideal for all cargo. Reefer trailers are needed for shipments that require temperature controls.
- Dry van floors can be vulnerable to moisture and rot, as they are usually constructed from wood.
- Dry van trailers are only loadable and unloadable from the back rather than from all sides like flatbed trailers.
Which Is Best: Flatbed or Dry Van?
Both flatbed and dry van trailers can be good choices depending on your needs, your budget, and the exact type of cargo you need to be shipped.
For example, flatbed trailers might be best if you need to haul an oversized load from place to place and it has strange dimensions. Flatbed trailers may also be best for quickly loading and unloading cargo.
On the other hand, a dry van trailer could be best for your business cargo needs if you want to protect your products from wind, dust, rain, and theft.
Dry van trailers are also ideal and superior to flatbed trailers if you want to make unloading your products faster and easier for your clients. This is particularly useful if you’re working with busy clients like retail stores.
Dry van carriers can back up their trucks into loading docks, making unloading the cargo much faster and more accessible for everyone involved.
How Can You Find the Best Company for You?
No matter which type of carrier you need, you also need a knowledgeable, experienced transportation company to provide you with the right equipment and connect you to skilled carriers.
When researching such a transportation company, make sure:
- They offer the carriers or equipment that you need for your cargo (i.e., flatbed and associated specialist drivers)
- They have an excellent reputation for on-time deliveries and intact cargo
- They offer cargo tracking and other logistics features
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are benefits and downsides to both flatbed and dry van trailers. If you're unsure which to choose, you should contact a trusted transportation service like RPM.
We're experienced, client-first, and end-to-end transportation professionals, offering both flatbed and dry van trailers for your needs. With our trusted carrier network, we're sure we can find the perfect hauler for your cargo — contact us today to learn more.
Sources:
Three Types Of Dry Van Dimensions To Consider In 2020 | Mickey Parts
What is the standard loading dock height? | Loading Dock Pro
What is Dry Van Shipping For Business? | Entrepreneurship Life
