53 ft dry vans
Dry van dispatch service that counts your hours, not just your miles
Van freight is everywhere, which is exactly the problem: every truck sees the same posts, and the real money gets lost at the dock. Your dispatcher picks loads with short waits, pushes for detention when the shipper holds you, and plans the reload before you deliver. Every load comes to you to confirm or pass. 5% of gross with 6+ months of authority.
Load offer · Example
1 of 2
Dallas, TX to Memphis, TN
53 ft dry van · Live load, drop and hook at delivery
- Loaded
- 452 mi
- Deadhead
- 18 mi
- Rate
- $2.32/mi
All-in with deadhead: $2.23/mi
- Gross
- $1,050
- Dispatch fee 5%
- -$53
- You keep
- +$997
Every load comes to you like this. You confirm or pass, and the rate con goes straight to you.
Dry van rates: where to look, and what to look at
National dry van spot rates move every week, so we don't print a number that's wrong by Friday. DAT Trendlines publishes the current national van spot rate and load-to-truck ratio, updated weekly. Check it before you judge any rate, ours included.
The national average is a starting point, not your number. What a load really pays depends on the lane, the direction (headhaul or backhaul), the day of the week and how long the shipper keeps you. A $2.40 load that ties you up for nine hours can pay less per hour than a $2.10 drop and hook.
That's why we judge van loads by the hour as well as by the mile. The calculator below shows the math.
What dock time does to a dry van load
Put in the rate, the drive time and how long you sit at each end. Then flip on drop and hook to see the difference. The bar shows where your day goes.
Your day on this load
Example- Hours tied up
- 14 hrs
- Linehaul
- $1,050
- Detention billed
- +$100
- Fee 5%
- -$58
- You keep per hour
- $78.00/hr
Want fuel and running costs in the math too? Use the load profitability calculator.
What a dry van dispatcher negotiates besides the rate
The linehaul is only part of the deal. These lines on the rate con matter just as much, so we ask about them before you confirm.
- 01
Linehaul
We counter with the miles, the deadhead and the lane's direction behind us, and walk away from brokers who won't move.
- 02
Detention
Free time and the hourly rate after it, written on the rate con. Then we track the clock and file the claim with timestamps.
- 03
Lumper fees
Who pays the unloading crew, and how you get reimbursed. Get the receipt, every time, or the money is gone.
- 04
Layover and TONU
Pay if the load isn't ready and you wait overnight, or if it's cancelled after you're dispatched.
- 05
Extra stops
Stop-off pay for each extra pickup or delivery, agreed before you roll.
- 06
Drop and hook
Preloaded trailers and drop yards cut dock time to minutes. We look for them first.
Dry van dispatch: how we decide a load is worth sending you
Before an offer reaches your phone, it has to pass this test. You make the final call, but you shouldn't have to sift through junk to make it.
Worth sending
- All-in rate per mile above your floor
- Appointments that fit your hours
- Detention terms on the rate con
- A reload near the delivery
- A broker that pays on time
- Drop and hook at one or both ends
We pass on it for you
- Rates under your floor once deadhead is counted
- Known long-wait docks with no detention
- Into a dead market with nothing coming out
- Brokers with a record of slow or no pay
“Dry van is a race to the bottom.”
On the board, often yes, because a thousand trucks see the same post. The way out is fewer board loads and more repeat brokers, better reloads and less time at the dock. A dispatcher can't fix the market, but can stop you from competing on price alone.
Dry van dispatch: the freight we book most
Retail and grocery DCs
Steady volume, appointment-driven, often with lumpers at delivery.
Manufacturing
Raw materials and finished goods on repeatable lanes.
Paper and packaging
Heavy, dense freight that pays fair when the weight is right.
Beverage
Heavy loads on short to medium hauls; watch your axle weights.
Consumer goods
Floor-loaded or palletized freight from importers and warehouses.
Drop trailer programs
Preloaded trailers that keep your clock moving.
Dry van dispatcher questions
How much does dry van dispatch cost?
5% of gross on loads you haul once your authority is 6 months old, 7% before that, and 4% per truck for fleets of two or more. No setup fee, no minimums, and nothing on weeks you don't haul. Details on the fee schedule.
What is a good rate per mile for dry van?
One that covers your cost per mile plus the profit you need, all-in with deadhead, and pays well per hour once dock time is counted. National averages from DAT are a reference point, but your lane, direction and wait times matter more. Know your cost per mile before you judge any offer.
Can you find drop and hook loads?
Yes, and we look for them first, because they cut dock time to minutes. Drop and hook freight is more common with large shippers, distribution centers and dedicated programs. Not every lane has it, so most weeks mix live loads and drops.
Who pays lumper fees?
Usually the shipper or receiver through the broker, but the rate con decides it. The common setup: you pay at the dock or the broker sends a payment code, then you get reimbursed with the receipt. Always get the receipt. We confirm the lumper terms before you confirm the load.
Do you dispatch dry vans with a new MC?
Yes. Van freight has plenty of brokers that work with new authorities, though some set a 30 to 90 day minimum. The fee is 7% until your authority turns 6 months old, then 5%.
Can you plan a home-every-weekend schedule?
Yes. Tell us your home base and the day you want to be there, and we plan the week backward so the last load heads home. Some weeks pay a bit less to make that work. You'll see the trade-off on each offer and decide.
How do you handle detention?
We get the free time and the hourly rate written on the rate con before you confirm. While you wait, we log arrival and departure times and remind the broker as the clock runs. Then we file the claim with the times attached. Detention is only payable if the rate con includes it.
A dry van week, with the fee taken out
No setup fee. No contract. You confirm every load.
Dry van, one week
Example- Gross
- $5,450
- Fee 5%
- -$273
- You keep
- +$5,177