Dry van capacity for Mexico and Canada, from carriers we've vetted

Dry van in three countries

Carriers based in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada declare dry van equipment, and dry van freight is posted in all three countries. It is the deepest equipment on the network. The depth is greatest in Mexico and the U.S., where the most dry van loads post and the most carriers bid. In Canada, dry van freight moves within the country and on lanes to and from the U.S.

Most of what the marketplace carries goes in a dry van. Auto parts, electronics, plastics and chemicals, packaging, beverages, packaged food, paper, building materials and consumer goods are each posted mostly for dry van, in nearly every direction between the three countries.

Standard and shorter trailers

Carriers run 53-foot dry vans in all three countries. The 48-foot van is a Mexico story: carriers there run it, while 48-foot loads in the U.S. and Canada are posted and bid on. If either length works for your shipper's dock and the route, allow both on the posting so carriers with either one can bid.

Multi-axle dry vans are a Canada-only type in the app. Loads for them are posted in Canada; confirm the axle setup with the carrier that bids.

Dry van doubles (full)

Carriers run dry van doubles in Mexico, where a tractor pulling two trailers is called a full. In the U.S., carriers bid on loads that allow doubles. Few dry van double loads are posted in Canada so far. Carriers also bid on triple-trailer loads that touch the U.S. and Mexico.

Where a full may run is set by the route and the roads, not by the platform. Before you post one, ask the carrier where its fulls run, and confirm the crossing and both docks can take it.

Mexican equipment names

Mexican shippers and carriers use Spanish names. A caja seca is a dry van. A full is a tractor pulling two trailers. A refrigerado is a reefer and a plataforma is a flatbed. A torton or rabón is a straight truck, covered on its own page.

On Cargado you pick from one trailer list in any of its languages. The app runs in English, Spanish and French, and chat between a broker and a carrier is translated automatically, so each side writes in its own language.

What shippers ask for on dry van loads

A dry van posting can call for food grade, high cube, logistics posts, e-tracks, air ride, a CTPAT-compliant trailer or CTPAT seals. A lift gate can be asked for on Mexico and U.S. loads. Shippers post food-grade loads in every direction between the three countries, and carriers bid on them. Hazmat, team drivers and power only are common asks too, and carriers declare each on their profiles.

Every U.S.-Mexico crossing on the network carries posted dry van freight, and carriers with dry vans declare the crossings they use. Laredo carries the most.

When a dry van fits and when it does not

• Palletized, boxed or bagged freight that needs a closed trailer: dry van.
• Freight that must stay cold or frozen: reefer, not a dry van.
• Tall, wide or heavy freight that loads from the side or top: open deck. Covered steel that must stay dry may fit a Conestoga instead.
• A small load that does not fill a trailer: a straight truck, or a partial load.
• A shipper that already owns the trailer: power only.
• A cross-border load whose customer needs a CTPAT-compliant trailer: ask for it on the posting rather than assume it.

What to confirm on a dry van load

Certifications are declared by carriers, with documents our team reviews, and they are not blanket across the network. If you require C-TPAT on the posting, confirm each bidder's status directly. U.S. authority is verified with FMCSA and our team approves every carrier. Trailer condition, seal numbers and the trailer length on the day are yours to confirm with the carrier.