I remember when I first decided to become an owner-operator and I was questioned by some as to what I was going to pull. When I disclosed that a dry van was my “wagon” of choice, believe it or not, there were some that snickered and scoffed at the idea! As I became an independent carrier, I encountered the same sentiments from many. As difficult as it is at times to remain competitive in over-the-road lanes with a dry van at times, it is even harder to remain competitive as a local dry van company. Not being too picky about what I haul and making sure I have the tools to haul a wide variety of freight has always been one of my top competitive advantages over the years.
An owner-operator’s versatility is only limited by two things…their desire to be versatile and the operating limits of their equipment. Sometimes to my dismay, I have always operated with a philosophy that I would haul anything that someone paid me enough to haul at least once, if my equipment was made to do so. This has led me to several things I won’t haul anymore in my trailers, such as hay and recycled plastic scrap from landfills. On the other hand, it has helped me to land great paying loads in adverse market conditions when other carriers were not able to do so.
I have loaded so many interesting types of freight in my dry van it is hard to pick a “most interesting” one. I came across a load again this week that I have hauled a few times in the past for a lighted sign manufacturer here in SoCal. It seems that after several trucks that were ill-equipped to handle such freight got turned away, the broker was torn between another carrier trying to make it work in their reefer trailer, or rely on my properly equipped air-ride dry van. Even though I was $75 more for the 60-mile journey, the broker chose me 
for the load because he knew I had the right inside height and plenty of straps and padding to handle the freight in question. It got to the point that the reefer driver was measuring his inside height to try and assure the broker it would work, which was not all too reassuring to the broker himself. In the end, my proven track record of being able to transport his fragile cargo in conditions out of the ordinary is what landed me the gig.
I am a big fan of buying things to have and not need, rather than need things I don’t have! Making sure that my driver and I have a box with enough straps to haul many odd-shaped types of freight is just one of many things that add to our versatility. There are many things that can be taken on as tools of versatility no matter what you haul. For dry vans in particular, I have also been able to land loads with things such as having blankets to wrap things that couldn’t be scratched and even having a tanker endorsement for hauling non-hazmat chemical totes. A business tool like a truck or trailer is only as versatile as you make 
it. Even something as simple as a dry van can become more versatile with a little investment, so long as it doesn’t break your equipment in doing so! At a reasonable cost, any calculated move towards being more versatile can make any carrier that much more profitable for doing so in the end, as where not doing so could help break the bank!