Truck Types / Dry Van
Dry Van Dispatch
The highest-volume freight in America — retail, food and general commodities in 53-ft boxes. We keep vans loaded at $2.40+/mi through high-density corridors.
Equipment Overview
Volume freight, run smart
Dry van is a volume game: endless loads, thin differences between good and bad ones. Our dispatchers win it on selection — retail DC freight out, manufacturing backhauls in, and deadhead kept under 10% by triangulating every lane.
Best freight for vans: palletized retail replenishment, packaged foods, paper and packaging, and e-commerce sort-center runs. We avoid the bottom-feeder grocery multi-stop loads unless the stop pay makes the math work.
Core van lanes we run weekly
- Midwest retail triangle — Chicago ↔ Columbus ↔ Nashville, $2.50–2.80/mi
- Texas distribution — Dallas ↔ Houston ↔ San Antonio, $2.40–2.70/mi
- Southeast replenishment — Atlanta ↔ Charlotte ↔ Jacksonville, $2.30–2.60/mi
Dry Van Specs
| Trailer length | 48–53 ft enclosed |
| Max payload | 45,000 lbs |
| Pallet capacity | 26 standard |
| Target rate | $2.40+/mi |
| Empty miles | under 10% |
| Dispatch fee | 5% of linehaul |
Why vans run better with Ridgeback
DC relationships
Pre-set appointments at 60+ retail distribution centers — fewer 6-hour dwell times, more detention paid when they happen.
Backhaul engineering
Every outbound is booked with its return in mind. Vans average 91% loaded miles on our board.
Drop-trailer pools
Access to drop-and-hook freight with major retailers for carriers who qualify — turn in hours, not days.
Dry van questions
Fleet-wide dry van average runs $2.55–2.75/mi on loaded miles depending on region and season. We set a floor with you at onboarding and never book below it.
Yes — with negotiated stop pay ($50–100 per stop) confirmed in writing before you roll. If the math doesn't clear your floor, we pass.
Van sitting empty this week?
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