Rental Cost of a Dry Van Trailer – Step-By-Step Guide


Dry van trailers are a cornerstone of product transportation, and life wouldn’t be the same without them. Renting one is a simple process once it’s understood.

Each individual dealer will decide the cost of renting a dry van trailer based on the age of the trailer, condition of the trailer, expected load, location, route, and current national trends. The average rental cost for a drive and trailer can be from $600 to $800 per month for older trailers and $1500 a month for newer trailers. By calling several dealers and asking around for information, renting prices will be more precise.

To learn more about how to contact rental companies for a dry van trailer, as well as why this process is necessary, keep reading below!

What is The Cost of Renting a Dry Van Trailer?

Cost to Rent Dry Van Trailer Rentals

The cost of renting a dry van trailer varies significantly depending on location, current rental climate, and various other reasons; because of this, giving an accurate cost estimate will be difficult. It will likely be unreliable within a short time.

Dry Van trailer rentals are usually charged by both one lump sum and another sum that is calculated by day or by the mile. The final cost will depend on routes taken and wrong turns made. For example, one cost estimate in the state of Utah is around $500/month plus $0.05/mile.

If you would like to rent a dry van trailer, it would be best to contact companies near you directly. They will give you an accurate answer based on your needs and their available trailers.

How Do I Find The Cost of Renting a Dry Van Trailer Near Me?

Once you know you’re considering renting a dry van trailer, you can do a few things to make the process easier.

Renting a Dry Van Trailer Near Me

Have an Idea of What You’ll Need the Trailer for

The first thing you should do before looking into renting a dry van trailer is to make sure what you’ll need it for. You should know how long you’ll be renting it, what you need to use it for, whether you already have a truck to pull it, and your budget.

Knowing what you’ll need for the trailer and having it listed and ready to access will help you with the rest of the process. You can email dealers for cost estimates, call rental companies directly, or walk in to meet with a company representative. The process will go faster because you have the information.

Call Several Dealers Near You

The best way to get a cost estimate is to call several rental companies near the location where you want to rent a dry van trailer.

Keep in mind that you must have the details of your trip close at hand for this to work. They cannot give you information if you don’t know what you need. They’re not being sneaky or avoiding you! They need that information to build an idea of what a rental would require.

You should also make sure to give the same information to each rental center. If you give slightly or extremely different information to each rental center, you are unlikely to get balanced information for a cost comparison between the various rental centers.

Email Several Dealers for Cost Estimates Based on Your Plans

Calling rental centers is the fastest option, but some people are seriously averse to phone calls. If you find yourself in this group, you can rest assured that email is also an effective and valid option.

Emailing several dealers for cost estimates is easy since you can copy-paste a description of your needs into each email. Just make sure the address and name are different for each email.

The downside of this option is that responses can take a while. If you need an answer fast, you should probably stick with phone calls to get estimates.

Meet With Dealers In-Person to See Rental Options

If you’re struggling with visualizing where your money is going and why the estimates differ, you could try walking up to meet with a rental center in person. These rental centers can consult with you on options and show you examples of the dry van trailers you would be renting.

If you use this method alone or combined with phone calls and emails, you can visit the rental center, look at the floors of trailers, and decide if a lower cost is worth using an older model or adjusting to various other requirements.

In addition to seeing the trailers, this in-person visit could help you answer more questions, feel more comfortable with the rental process, and better understand what renting a trailer entails. If you ever need to rent a dry van trailer again, you can have a ready-made connection waiting for you and a better understanding of what costs you might need to expect.

Cost of Renting a Dry Van Trailer Vary by Location and Store

The varying cost of renting a Dry Van Trailer is one of the principal reasons for the need to contact each location instead of having a universal price estimate. Why does the cost of renting a dry van trailer vary so much by location and retailer?

Supply And Demand

Dry Van Trailers are always in high demand, but recent shortages have made both accessibility and prices feel a little unpredictable. With quality trailers in increasingly short supply for purchase, many larger trucking companies and stores have had to rent trailers themselves.

This means that individuals and smaller companies who want to rent trailers may be out of luck or choosing from older trailers instead of what they originally planned. Companies will need to know your plans before they’ll be able to say if they have an appropriate option available for rental.

The Wear Put-on Trailers

Some routes and regions are likely to put more wear on a trailer than others, and the same is true of loads carried in a trailer. A company that rents out trailers will want to ensure that they’re protecting their investment before renting out to you, which involves going over your plans before giving a solid cost estimate.

Age and Condition of Available Trailers

If the only trailers available are old and nearing the end of their lifespan before they need major refurbishing, they might be a little cheaper than shiny new trailers that are freshly out of production. Each company will decide on pricing based on their stock, not just how far you’ll be driving.

Local Economic Climate

Some places are more expensive than others. Local wages and other isolated economic factors will influence the end cost of a rental at each company. After all, employees need to get paid if you want them to help you get a trailer.

Factors That Will Change the Cost of Renting a Dry Van Trailer?

Factors That Will Change the Cost of Renting a Dry Van Trailer

When you’re ready to rent a trailer, there are some things you should keep in mind when establishing the cost of your trip. The dealership will have the final say as the owners of the trailer, but you can avoid surprises by adjusting your expectations.

Your Location

Some areas will have higher demand, worse shortages, and generally higher costs than others. With this in mind, you may face higher costs for renting than you would have in other states or cities.

This is usually not something trailer rental companies can completely control. The responsibility would be on you, as a renter, to call different cities and see if another location has an option that’s closer to your planned price range.

Your Planned Route

If your planned route is longer than average, especially going through rough or risky areas, you may need to pay more in insurance or daily fees. Alternatively, it may be cheaper if you’re on another route.

Every trailer rental location will want to know your route, and they usually charge by day or mile and the original rental fee.

Current National Trends and Shortages

2022 has seen many shortages in the general trucking industry, and one of those major shortages is Dry Van Trailers. Since companies can’t buy their own new trailers, many have resorted to renting from Dry Van Trailer rental companies for the interim.

This means that individuals renting trailers will also be faced with fewer options and possibly inflated prices. They can’t compete with big companies to get the newest or best-quality trailers.

If you find yourself in this position in your city, ask for options. Renting from a different city may be worth your time and money.

Age of the Trailer

Older trailers can be a little more affordable than newer trailers. Some trailers from the 80s and 90s are still hanging around in lots and on the road, and they’re doing fine! They might not be as shiny or clean as the newer trailers, which can help bring down costs.

Dry van trailers can be refurbished, so try not to be immediately scared off by an older date on a trailer. A trailer from the 90s that’s been well maintained and refurbished might be more secure than one from the 2010s that hasn’t had the same level of care.

Your Expected Load

This isn’t a common issue with Dry Van Trailers since they’re unrefrigerated, generally carrying the same items, and otherwise not a concern, but it is a possible issue if your load could cause damage to the trailer. Remember when deciding on a rental because you don’t want to be faced with repair or insurance costs caused by negligence.

Cost of Renting a Dry Van Trailer Without Talking to a Store Employee?

For many people, talking to someone on the phone is the last thing you want to do with your day. Potentially talking to several people is even worse.

Unfortunately, this is one of those topics where making phone calls is truly unavoidable. There is almost no way for you to get the information you’ll need for your rental without calling or emailing an employee about your rental needs, and emails can take a while to get a response.

The important thing to remember in this situation is that you need to contact the store directly for a quote. It will save you several hours of frustration to go directly to the source instead of trying to find estimates online.

They Can Help You Fit Your Budget and Needs

Calling the rental company directly gets you in contact with the experts. These people will be able to address your needs, answer your questions, provide you with options, and point you in another direction if they can’t help you to the extent you would like.

Companies are unlikely to post any estimates online because the answer will be too nuanced. After all, people can get very upset when they see one quote online and find that the quote for their needs is much higher. They need the flexibility to work with your needs and their own.

Costs Vary Across the US

One reason why you can’t find an automated cost quote calculator for Dry Van Trailer rentals is that the cost of renting one is constantly changing, and it will be different for different locations. Even if the company is the same, the price may be different.

Updating a website takes time, money, and skill. Websites under construction can be difficult to access, which poses many problems for a company. Rather than trying to update their website every time the cost of renting out a Dry Van Trailer fluctuates, it is much easier for companies to ask that you contact them directly.

Every Rental is Different

Every dry van trailer rental is going to be a little different. The cost estimate will depend on insurance, the trailer’s age, the renter’s needs, and various other factors. Since no two rentals are the same, no two quotes from different locations will be the same.

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