A jerrycan carries a reserve of fuel or water, so it is read as preparation for a long journey and self-reliance. An empty one stands for running low on energy far from help.
Does the traditional reading fit your dream, or did it mean something else to you?
My Cosmic Code has a private dream journal. Write a dream down and the app picks out the symbols in it, shows what dream books say about them and, over time, which words recur across your entries. The journal is stored on your device only.