SAM BARRET Transportation Group
Fort Worth, TexasMonday 24 August 2026 Gulf Coast diesel $5.481 ▲ 24.4¢ New carrier? Start here (817) 000‑0000
Home · Dispatch · Dry van

Dry van is the most competitive segment in the country. That is exactly why the office behind the truck matters more, not less.

There is no equipment advantage in a 53 foot dry van. Everyone has one. The difference between a carrier making money and a carrier grinding is which loads got accepted, what the empty miles looked like, and whether detention and layover ever got invoiced. That is an office problem, and it is our lowest rate because the volume is there to support it.

The numbers that decide the rulebook

Four thresholds worth knowing before you buy the next piece of equipment.

$2.336
Average marginal cost per mile. The industry average operational cost of trucking, all in, from the most recent ATRI analysis.
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$2.25
Dry van spot linehaul. National dry van spot linehaul excluding fuel surcharge in the most recent DAT reporting. Compare it to the line above and you can see why load selection is the whole job.
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40
Days to get paid. A typical wait between delivery and payment for a small carrier without a disciplined invoicing process.
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Over half
Detention left on the table. More than half of detention time goes uncollected according to the OOIDA Foundation detention survey. On a 53 foot van running docks, that is real money.
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Nothing on this page is legal, tax, insurance, or regulatory advice. Confirm applicability for your specific equipment with your own advisors.

What we run

The office work, specific to this equipment.

WhatHow we run it
Load selection against your costYour actual cost per mile calculated first, then a floor, then every offer measured against it including the deadhead to pick up.
Round trip planningOutbound and return worked as one decision so the truck is not sitting in a market that does not pay to leave it.
Detention and accessorial claimsArrival and departure documented on every stop, then claimed. This alone frequently covers the fee.
Full compliance calendarIFTA quarterly, IRP annual, UCR, Form 2290, MCS-150, annual inspection, driver file, and the drug and alcohol program, all on one calendar.
Invoicing and receivableInvoice out the day of delivery with the complete document package, then aged and chased weekly.
Monthly numbersCost per mile, revenue per mile, empty percentage, and margin per truck, written down and reviewed with you.

Full obligation by obligation breakdown of what stays legally yours on the who owns what page.

Pricing for this equipment

8 percent of gross, with a $350 weekly minimum per active truck.

The minimum is what the office costs to staff. The percentage is what it costs when the office is working well. Commission is calculated on gross freight revenue including linehaul, fuel surcharge, detention, layover, and truck ordered not used. Documented pass throughs such as lumpers, tolls, and permits are excluded.

The back office runs alongside it at $1,100 a month for the company, $300 per active truck, and $100 per active driver.

Start with a phone call

Bring last month's settlements. We will work out your real cost per mile on the call and tell you what the floor should have been.