The Best GPS Tracker
for Dry Van Trailers

Why Dry Van Trailers Need a Dedicated GPS Tracker

A dry van trailer is one of the most common and most stolen assets in commercial trucking. Unlike a power unit, a dry van spends a significant portion of its operational life sitting disconnected — at distribution centers, drop yards, customer locations, and freight docks. During that time, it's vulnerable. And without a GPS tracker installed, you have no way of knowing if it moves, where it went, or whether you'll see it again.

The challenge is that standard GPS trackers are designed for vehicles with constant power. Install a hardwired tracker on a dry van and it either drains the battery, requires a permanent power connection, or both. Install a battery-powered tracker with a short battery life and you're changing batteries every few months, hoping the device doesn't go dark between swaps.

Piritiz was engineered specifically for this problem. The device runs on an internal battery for 5 years, requires no external power, and installs in under 2 minutes with no wiring whatsoever. It's the only GPS tracker for dry van trailers that solves all three problems — power, install complexity, and cost — simultaneously.

What to Look for in a GPS Tracker for Dry Van Trailers

Not every GPS tracker is right for dry van applications. Before choosing a device, consider these factors:

• Battery life: A dry van GPS tracker needs a battery that outlasts long idle periods. Anything under 1 year is impractical for most fleet operations. Piritiz offers 5 years.
• No wiring required: Dry vans don't have a convenient power tap like a truck cab. A wireless, self-contained tracker is essential — unless you want to take every trailer offline for an installation appointment.
• Waterproof rating: Trailers are exposed to rain, road spray, car washes, and temperature extremes. Look for at minimum IP67 waterproofing. Piritiz meets this standard.
• Small form factor: A tracker that can be hidden inside the trailer frame is far more valuable than a visible unit a thief can locate and remove. The smaller the better.
• No contract: Fleet sizes change. Trailers get sold, added, or taken out of service. A tracker locked to an annual contract becomes a liability. Month-to-month flexibility is essential.
• Mobile app quality: Check that the app clearly shows the last reported location and its timestamp. Piritiz provides 20–30 updates per day on iOS and Android; geofencing is still in development.

How Much Does a GPS Tracker for a Dry Van Cost?

The cost of a dry van GPS tracker varies significantly depending on the provider. Here's how the market breaks down:

• Enterprise fleet software (Tracker A, Tracker B, Fleet Complete): $20–$50/month per asset, annual contracts, professional installation required. Designed for large fleets, not owner-operators or small carriers.
• Mid-market trackers (Matrack, Lonestar, Tracker C): $15–$30/month with 6–12 month contracts, activation fees of $25–$50, and limited battery life (3–6 months on battery models).
• Piritiz: $19.95 one-time device cost. $9.95/month, month-to-month. No activation fee. No contract. No cancellation fee. 5-year battery.

For a fleet of 10 dry vans, Piritiz costs $99.50/month total. A comparable mid-market solution costs $200–$300/month. Over 12 months, that's a saving of $1,200–$2,400 per year on the same 10-trailer fleet — with a better battery life and simpler installation.

Where to Place a GPS Tracker on a Dry Van Trailer

Placement matters for two reasons: signal quality and theft resistance. A well-placed GPS tracker on a dry van is hard to find and provides consistent location updates.

• Inside the trailer frame rails: The steel frame channels on the underside of a dry van provide a hidden, protected cavity. A small tracker like Piritiz fits securely and is invisible from outside the trailer.
• Behind the front landing gear assembly: A common placement for small trackers. Protected from road spray and hidden from view.
• Inside the nose of the trailer: The front interior cavity of many dry vans offers a protected mounting point that thieves rarely check.
• Under the floor near the rear: Far from the king pin, where a thief would typically look first.

Wherever you mount your Piritiz dry van GPS tracker, avoid locations fully enclosed in metal (which can block the cellular signal) and ensure the device won't be exposed to direct impact from road debris.

How Piritiz Helps Recover Stolen Dry Vans

When a dry van goes missing — whether stolen from a drop yard, taken during a cargo theft, or simply moved without authorization — the first 2 hours are critical. Law enforcement recovery rates drop sharply after a stolen trailer crosses state lines.

If a dry van goes missing, check its last reported location and timestamp in the Piritiz app and share that information with dispatch or law enforcement. Piritiz reports 20–30 times per day, so the displayed location may differ from the trailer's current position. Geofencing is still in development, and tracking does not guarantee recovery.

A trailer without a GPS tracker is a trailer a thief can move at will, knowing the window for recovery closes fast. At $19.95, the cost of a Piritiz tracker is less than the deductible on most commercial cargo insurance claims.

Managing Multiple Dry Vans with Piritiz

One Piritiz account supports unlimited devices. Whether you run 1 dry van or 50, they all appear on the same app dashboard — named, organized, and visible through periodic location updates. Add new trackers instantly when you acquire new trailers. Deactivate subscriptions immediately when a trailer is sold. No phone calls to customer service, no contract amendments, no minimums.

For owner-operators running 1–3 dry vans and small fleets running 5–20, Piritiz offers the fleet-level visibility that enterprise software provides — at a fraction of the cost, with none of the complexity.