Dry Van vs. Refrigerated vs. Flatbed: Choosing the Right Equipment

Choosing equipment is the first decision in freight, and it is often made by habit instead of analysis. Dry van, refrigerated, and flatbed each serve a distinct purpose — and matching the trailer to the freight protects both the product and the cost.

Dry van: the workhorse

Dry van trailers are enclosed, weather-protected, and ideal for retail, grocery, and consumer goods that do not need temperature control. They are the most common and most economical equipment for full truckload freight. If the freight is palletized, dry, and standard, dry van is almost always the right answer.

Refrigerated: when temperature is the spec

Refrigerated trailers — reefers — add a refrigeration unit for produce, food-grade, pharmaceuticals, and temperature-sensitive electronics. They cost more to operate, so they should be specified only when the freight demands it. For cold chain freight, reefer is not optional, and certified, monitored equipment is the standard at Ultra Logistics.

Flatbed: when the freight won't fit a box

Flatbed and open-deck equipment handle oversized, heavy, or weather-tolerant freight that cannot be loaded through a van door — building materials, machinery, steel. Flatbed requires securement expertise and often tarps. It is the right tool for freight that is defined by its dimensions rather than its temperature.

The takeaway

The right equipment is not the cheapest — it is the one that delivers the freight intact at the lowest total cost. Dry van, reefer, and flatbed each earn their place, and a 3PL that operates all three matches the trailer to the freight instead of the freight to the trailer.