Dry Van Dimensions & Capacity Guide

53’, 48,’ & 40’ Dry Van Trailers

The dry van, an enclosed, non-refrigerated box trailer, comes in numerous standard lengths, with 53-foot dry vans being the most common on U.S. highways​.

Other sizes like 48-foot and 40-foot dry vans are also used in various applications. Knowing the exact dimensions (length, width, height) and capacity (volume in cubic feet, weight limits, pallet counts) of these trailers helps in efficient load planning and compliance with regulations.

This comprehensive guide provides detailed dry van dimensions and capacity info for 53′, 48′, and 40′ trailers, with quick answers to common questions and a handy spec table. By the end, you’ll understand how a 53′ dry van’s dimensions compare to a 48′ or 40′, and how many pallets or how much weight each can handle – ensuring you can choose the right trailer and load it optimally.

Dimensions at a Glance

Specification	40′ Dry Van (Approx)	48′ Dry Van	53′ Dry Van
External Dimensions	40′ L × 8′–8.5′ W × up to 13′6″ H	48′ L × 8.5′ W × 13′6″ H	53′ L × 8.5′ W × 13′6″ H
Interior Length	~39′ 5″ (473″)	~47′ 6″ (570″)	~52′ 6″ (630″)
Interior Width	~92″ (container) up to ~100″	~100″ (8′4″)	~100″ (8′4″)
Interior Height	~7′10″ (94″) std. up to ~9′0″ (108″)	~9′0″ (108″) to 9′2″ (110″)	~9′0″ (108″) to 9′2″ (110″)
Door Opening (W x H)	~7′8″ × 7′5″ (92″ × 89″) standard ~7′8″ × 8′5″ (92″ × 101″) high-cube	~8′2″ × 9′0″ (98″ × 108″)	~8′2″ × 9′0″–9′2″ (98″ × 108–110″)
Cubic Capacity	~2,400–2,800 cu ft	~3,000–3,500 cu ft	~3,800–4,000 cu ft
Max Payload (Weight)	~40,000–45,000 lbs	Up to ~45,000 lbs	Up to ~45,000 lbs
Pallet Capacity (48×40”)	~18 – 20 pallets	24 pallets	26 pallets​

Note: 40′ dimensions can vary widely if it’s a container vs trailer. The above assumes standard intermodal container sizes for 40′. “High-cube” refers to 9′6″ tall 40′ containers which have greater interior height. 53′ and 48′ figures assume 102″ wide trailers with swing doors. Pallet counts assume standard pallet orientation; more pallets may fit with alternate loading patterns but 24/26 are the typical straightforward loads.

Standard Dry Van Sizes: 53’, 48’, and 40’

53-Foot Dry Van: The 53′ x 102″ (width) trailer is the current industry standard for full truckload shipping. It’s the longest and widest allowed on interstate highways without special permits, thanks to U.S. DOT regulations​. This size dominates long-haul trucking because it maximizes cargo space. Nearly all large fleets use 53′ dry vans for general freight.

48-Foot Dry Van:  Before 53-footers became common in the 1990s, the 48′ trailer was the standard. Many are still in use, especially for routes or facilities where a slightly shorter trailer is easier to maneuver. A 48’ dry van has the same typical width (96–102 inches) and height as a 53’, just 5 feet shorter in length. They are often used in regional service or when weight, not volume, is the limiting factor (since a 48′ can often meet the weight limit with certain dense cargo before running out of space).

40-Foot Dry Van: The 40′ length is less common in today’s trucking fleets but is standard in international shipping (40′ shipping containers). In trucking, 40′ dry vans may refer to older trailers or containers mounted on chassis. They see use in intermodal transport or storage. A 40’ dry van is significantly shorter, with lower volume capacity — essentially equivalent in length to a standard ocean container. While not prevalent for cross-country trucking now, we include it for completeness as some niche operations and port moves still use 40′ containers/trailers.

External vs. Internal Measurements

53-Foot

External

Length: A standard 53-foot dry van measures 53 feet long externally.
Width: Typically, they are 102 inches or 8.5 feet outside, which is the maximum allowed width on US roads.
Height: The overall height from ground to roof is about 13 feet 6 inches (the common legal height limit).

Internal

Length: 52 feet 5 inches or 52 feet 6 inches is standard.
Width: Interior width is typically 99–100”, although newer composite trailers can sometimes reach 101” at the thinnest points.
Height: Interior height ranges from 9 feet to 9 feet 2 inches, depending on trailer design.

48-Foot

External

Length: A 48-foot dry van is 48 feet long externally.
Width: Typically, they are 102 inches wide, though older models may be 96 inches wide.
Height: They are typically 13 feet 6 inches, the same as 53-foot trailers

Internal

Length: Interior length is typically 47 feet 5–6 inches. 
Width: Interior width is around 98–100 inches.
Height: Typical interior height is 9 feet but some high-cube may offer 110 inches.

40-Foot

External

Length: A 40-foot dry van is 40-feet long externally.
Width: They are usually either 96 inches or 102 inches wide.
Height: Many are 8 feet 6 inches tall and high-cube are 9 feet 6 inches, but some domestic trailers are a full 13 feet 6 inches.

Internal

Length: Internal length is about 39 feet 5 inches.
Width: Containers are usually around 92 inches while wider trailers are 98–100 inches like the longer models. 
Height: A standard ISO container is around 7 feet 10 inches tall, but high-cube trailers can offer near 9 feet.

Dry Van Door Opening Dimensions

53-Foot

On a standard 53’ dry van with swing doors, the rear door opening is about 8’2” wide by 9’0”–9’2” high. In inches, that’s roughly 98″ wide and 108–110″ tall​. This width is slightly less than the interior width (which is ~100″) because the door frame and hinges reduce clearance. Height-wise, if interior height is ~109–110″, the door height might be a few inches less (the header/frame at the top of the door brings it down to ~105–110″).

The exact door opening can vary by manufacturer, but around 8 feet wide and just under 9.2 feet tall is a good rule. Roll-up door dry vans have even shorter door openings (often around 90–95″ high) but most OTR dry vans use swing doors for maximum opening size.

48-Foot

A 48′ dry van typically uses the same door design as a 53′, so you can expect a similar door opening: roughly 98″ wide and 110″ high (8’2″ x 9’2″) at most. If the 48′ trailer is older with a 96″ body, the door width might be around 93–96″. But for a 102″ wide 48’ trailer, door clearance ~98″ is standard​. Height will be comparable to the 53′ since the height is the same: around 9 feet give or take a couple inches.

40-Foot

For 40′ containers, the rear door opening is usually about 7’8″ wide by 7’5″ high (92″ x 89″) on standard height units, or ~7’8″ x 8’5″ (92″ x 101″) on high-cube containers. However, if we consider a hypothetical 102″-wide 40′ dry van trailer, it could have a door similar to the 48′/53′ trailers (98″ wide, ~105″ high). 

In practice, most 40′ dry boxes in use are shipping containers: a standard 40′ container’s door is ~7’8″ (93″) wide by 7’5″ (89″) high. A 40′ high-cube container’s door is ~7’8″ wide by 8’5″ (101″) high. So depending on the unit, door opening dimensions for 40′ can range from about 92″ x 89″ (container) up to ~98″ x 105″ (if a full-size trailer)​. When planning to load, it’s safest to assume a narrower door for 40′ units unless you know it’s a wide trailer.

Dry Van Capacities (Volume, Weight, Pallets)

53-Foot

Volume

With roughly 52.5′ x 8.33′ x 9′ of inside space, it can hold on the order of 3,900 to 4,100 cubic feet of cargo. Commonly cited numbers are around 3,800–4,000 cu ft usable capacity.

Weight

Full-size dry vans typically carry between 42–45,000 lbs of cargo. This assumes the tractor and empty trailer weigh ~35,000–38,000 lbs combined. Many 53′ dry vans when empty weigh around 15,000 lbs, leaving ~45,000 lbs for freight before hitting the 80k gross limit. 

However, very heavy-duty 53′ trailers or additional equipment (liftgates, etc.) can reduce payload. It’s safe to say about 44,000 lbs as a common max payload. (Structurally, some trailers are rated up to ~65,000 lb GVWR on the trailer, meaning ~50,000 payload​, but road laws, not trailer strength, are the usual limiting factor.)

Pallets

26 standard 48″x40″ pallets (single stack) is the common capacity​. This is achieved by loading 13 pallet positions long x 2 wide (two rows of 13 = 26). A 53’ interior can just fit 13 pallets if they’re tightly loaded front to back (13 * 48″ = 624″, which is 52′ — just within the ~52.5′ interior).

Often, trailers can indeed take 26 pallets of goods on the floor. If pallets are turned (pinwheeled), in some cases you can fit a couple more pallets (some sources say 28 pallets by alternating orientation​, but 26 is standard for “straight loading” in a dry van. 

Double-stacking (if freight height allows and weight permits) could double that count (52 pallets), but many products cannot be double stacked to full trailer height.

48-Foot

Volume

A 48-footer, being 5 feet shorter, holds less volume. Typical capacity is around 3,000–3,500 cubic feet. Often you’ll see ~3,000 cu ft quoted for a standard 48′ trailer​

Weight

Roughly 45,000 lbs of cargo, similar to a 53′. In fact, a 48′ might weigh slightly less (shorter trailer), so you might squeeze a bit more weight if needed. Many shippers treat 45,000 lbs as the limit for either trailer. The key point: Weight capacity often isn’t drastically different between 48’ vs 53’; it’s volume where the 53′ shines.

Pallets

24 pallets (single stack) is the standard capacity for a 48′ trailer. That would be 12 pallets long x 2 wide (12 * 48″ = 576″, exactly 48′). Since interior length is ~47’6″, you can realistically load 12 rows if snug (there might be a few inches to spare or a slight overhang on one pallet). As with the 53, you could potentially squeeze 1–2 more by turning pallets (some mention 25 or so with creative loading), but 24 is the straightforward count.

40-Foot

Volume

A 40′ container/trailer has much less volume. If it’s an 8′ wide standard container (8′ height inside), that’s around 2,350 cu ft. If it’s a high-cube 40′ container (9′ height inside), about 2,700 cu ft​. If it’s a 102″ wide high-cube 40′ trailer with ~9′ interior height, it could approach 2,800–2,900 cu ft.

Weight

This can vary widely. If we’re talking a 40′ shipping container on a chassis, the limiting factor will again be gross weight 80,000 lbs. A 40′ container (steel) is heavy, but two fewer axles can sometimes mean you can’t scale the weight as evenly. Generally, a 40′ container load might max out around 36,000–44,000 lbs of product depending on the chassis and tractor setup. Many ocean containers are limited to ~67,200 lbs gross (container+contents), which, minus a ~8,000 lb container, is ~59,000 lbs of contents, but road weight limits often override this. 

For simplicity, assume similar ballpark 40–45,000 lbs could be loaded in a 40′ if the axles allow, though in practice, 40′ units are often not loaded to full U.S. highway weight capacity due to different use cases. (The tare weight of a 40′ container + chassis might be higher than a van trailer, leaving a bit less room for cargo weight.)

Pallets

18 pallets is a common number for a 40′ container/trailer​. That is 9 rows of 2 pallets each (9 * 48″ = 432″, which is 36′, leaving some space unused since 40′ interior is ~39.5′). You cannot fit a tenth row straight because 10 * 48″ = 480″ (40′) and the interior is just a few inches short of 40′. 

With creative arranging (turning some pallets), sometimes 20 standard pallets can be achieved in a 40′ (especially if using the “turned” 40″ side along the length for some rows). But for practical, damage-free loading, 18 is typical. European 40′ containers often load 20 pallets of Euro size (which are smaller), but with 48×40″ GMA pallets, expect 18 comfortably, or 20 tight with alternate orientation.

Find the Perfect Dry Van Trailer at Hale

Need a dry van trailer for your operations? Hale Trailer offers a wide range of options to keep your business moving. We have an extensive inventory of used dry vans for sale (inspected for quality and priced competitively), brand-new dry van trailers from top manufacturers, and even flexible dry van rentals for short-term or long–term needs. 

Whatever your hauling requirements, our team can help you find the perfect trailer. Contact Hale Trailer today to explore our dry van sales and rentals — and put this knowledge about dry van dimensions and capacity to work for your business!