Dry Van Insurance: What General Freight Carriers Should Know
Dry van is the baseline operation, which is exactly why its policy gaps go unnoticed the longest.
Published: March 11, 2026Source: LaForte Insurance editorial team
Enclosed general freight is the most common operation on the road and the easiest to underwrite. That simplicity is also the trap: because pricing is competitive, coverage gets thin in places owners never read until a claim.
Cargo theft conditions decide most claims
Theft is the defining dry van exposure. Policies typically limit or exclude coverage for unattended trailers, require locks or seals, and restrict where a loaded trailer can be parked overnight. Read the theft conditions before choosing where to stop, not after.
What a dry van operation usually needs
- Auto liability, generally $1,000,000.
- Motor truck cargo at a limit matched to your typical and peak load values.
- Physical damage on tractor and owned trailers.
- Trailer interchange coverage for pulling carrier- or broker-owned trailers.
- Non-owned trailer coverage when you pull equipment nobody has interchanged to you.
Trailer interchange is not optional in drop-and-hook
If your operation involves pulling trailers you do not own, damage to that trailer is not covered by your physical damage policy. Trailer interchange coverage responds while the trailer is in your possession under a written interchange agreement. Confirm the limit covers a replacement-cost trailer, not a depreciated one.
Excluded and restricted commodities
Alcohol, tobacco, electronics, pharmaceuticals, cell phones and copper are commonly excluded or sublimited even in general freight policies. Accepting a load your cargo policy excludes converts a routine haul into an uninsured one. When a broker offers freight outside your normal profile, checking the exclusion list is a two-minute habit worth keeping.
A load that pays unusually well for the lane is often priced that way because of theft risk. That is worth reading as underwriting information.
Where operators leave money on the table
Consistent radius, clean MVRs, telematics adoption and documented driver screening all move dry van pricing at renewal because the class is so competitive. Carriers reward the operations that look boring on paper.
Frequently asked questions
- Is $100,000 in cargo coverage enough for dry van?
- For most general freight, yes. Check it against consumer electronics, appliance and consolidated loads, which can exceed that limit quickly.
- Do I need trailer interchange if I only pull my own trailer?
- No, but add it before your first drop-and-hook contract. Requirements often appear at signing, not before.
- Are theft claims usually covered?
- Yes, when the policy conditions were met. Denials generally trace back to unattended-trailer language or a missing seal or lock requirement.
A dry van policy is easy to buy and easy to buy wrong. A short review usually finds at least one gap worth closing.