Dry Van Trailers

You see them everyday. Most new truck drivers will start their career off pulling dry van trailers. They will haul all types of freight in these trailers. The trailers can can vary slightly in size, roof material, suspension, and goodies inside used for securing freight.

When you pull these trailers hauling regular freight most of the time you will do nothing more than secure the load and drive the truck.

Dry Van - Most common trucking job over the road

Occasionally you may have to unload or load. More often than not, you will use a lumper. Especially since the company will likely pay the lumper more to unload than they will pay you.

I guess this is because they want you to rest and not get hurt rather than touch freight. Most drivers don't want to touch freight anyway though.

Because of that, no touch freight is a clutch phrase used in marketing to cater to drivers who thinks of trucking as DRIVING ONLY. If you've been here long or have listened to my CD or read the book you know that I see loading and unloading freight is a good way to get paid on the clock to exercise.

This is why I like stick hauling. Or hauling new furniture...we unload most of our freight. With a dry van I might add. To each his/her own. I just don't see anything wrong with unloading every now and then at least.

The strangest thing that I have hauled in a dry van was full size farm tractors equipped with buckets. Three tractors at a time from NC to California. Great runs.