You closed the doors, the load looked tight, and 200 miles later a pallet is tipped over and you've got crushed cases and a damage claim. Dry-van freight shifts more than most people expect, and the fix is cheap: load bars, straps, and a little blocking.

Here's where everything goes and how five minutes of work saves you a claim.

Why van freight still moves

A dry van isn't a sealed box that holds cargo in place. Partial loads, light freight, and gaps between pallets all give product room to walk. Hard braking, mountain grades, and sharp ramps do the rest.

The three things that cause most van claims:

  • Voids — empty space the load can slide into
  • Top-heavy or uneven weight that tips on a turn
  • No rear restraint on a partial, so the back row falls when you open the doors

Load bars: where they go

Load bars (cargo bars) brace against the walls and stop freight from sliding forward or back. Placement matters more than quantity.

  • Behind the last row of a partial load — this is the one that keeps your back pallets standing when you hit the dock.
  • Between sections when you have a gap you can't fill, snug against the rear of the forward stack.
  • Across the top of lighter freight that wants to lean, using the bar as a brace rather than a floor-level stop.

Set the bar tight against the product, not an inch away. A loose bar does nothing until the load has already shifted into it.

Bars vs. straps

Use straps (logistic straps clipped into the E-track) for freight that's irregular, round, or stacked in a way a flat bar can't hold. Straps pull a load toward the wall or hold a row together. Many drivers run a bar for the forward/aft stop and straps for anything that could tip sideways.

Blocking and bracing basics

Blocking means filling voids so nothing can slide. Bracing means wedging the load so it can't move. Both are simple:

  • Fill the void. Empty pallets, airbags, or load locks between stacks keep rows from marching into open space.
  • Center the weight. Heavy on the bottom, heavy toward the nose and centerline. A top-heavy pallet in the last row is a tip waiting to happen.
  • Dunnage on the floor for freight that can't take moisture or needs airflow — and it also stops sideways creep.

If you want a deeper checklist to keep in the truck, our owner-operator resources section is a good place to build out your pre-trip securement routine.

Five minutes that prevents a claim

A cargo claim doesn't just cost the product — it costs your reputation with the shipper and can cost you future loads. Walk the trailer before you pull the doors:

  • Any void big enough for a pallet to slide? Block it.
  • Is the last row restrained with a bar or strap?
  • Anything leaning, stacked wrong, or riding high? Brace it.
  • Doors close clean without pressing on the load?

That's it. Under five minutes on most loads.

Why securement matters more when you run good freight

The better your lanes and customers, the more it pays to protect the load. When you lease on with ARI, you run under ARI's authority with access to steady, higher-paying freight and a dedicated dispatcher who knows your lanes — and a clean claims record keeps that freight coming your way.

Securement is one of the cheapest investments you'll make in your business. If you're weighing where to run your truck, see the freight and support on our owner-operator opportunities page, or call (888) 600-9098. Protect the load, protect the relationship, keep the good loads rolling.