What This Service Is For?
You need more space than a bike messenger and faster turnaround than a moving company. That's the gap we fill.
Xentra Transport runs cargo vans, Sprinter vans, and box trucks across NYC every day — pulling pallets out of a Bronx warehouse at 8 AM, dropping a sectional in a Williamsburg walk-up at 10:30, hitting the Javits Center loading bay at 1, and finishing the day with a 2-stop store replenishment route from Long Island City to SoHo. Same fleet, same dispatch, same drivers.
This page is for anyone trying to figure out which vehicle they need, what fits in it, what we charge, and whether we cover their pickup. If you already know what you need, call (877) 709-2711 or request a quote — most pickups dispatch within 30 minutes.
Vehicle types we run
Cargo Van Delivery (Ford Transit, RAM ProMaster class)
The default workhorse. Fits in NYC loading zones, pulls into most receiving docks, and handles the majority of business deliveries we run.
Best for
Small pallets, cartons, totes, equipment cases
Retail store transfers (store-to-store, warehouse-to-store)
Parts and supplies runs (construction materials, auto, restaurant supply)
2–6 stop multi-drop routes
Document delivery when boxes are involved
Real-world capacity
Max payload: ~2,500–4,000 lb
Cargo length: ~10–13 ft usable floor
Cargo volume: ~250–450 cubic ft
Pallets: 1–2 standard 48"×40" pallets
Sprinter Van Delivery (high-roof, long wheelbase)
The "serious van" when a cargo van starts getting tight. More height for stacking, more length for awkward items, better for volume runs that don't quite need a truck.
Best for
Higher carton counts, bulk SKU runs
Longer items — display fixtures, racks, crates, signage
Multi-stop routes where one load needs to cover several drops
Fashion and showroom runs too big for a standard van
Time-sensitive jobs that need space without the cost of a truck
Real-world capacity
Max payload: ~3,000–5,000 lb
Cargo length: ~11–15+ ft depending on wheelbase
Cargo volume: ~350–550 cubic ft
Pallets: 2–3 standard pallets depending on layout
Box Truck Delivery (16 ft, 20 ft, 24 ft, 26 ft, with liftgate)
When vans aren't enough. True freight capacity, walk-in cargo box, and liftgate so we can deliver to street-level locations without a forklift or dock.
Best for
Warehouse-to-store distribution and vendor supply chain runs
Marketplace furniture pickup and drop (Facebook Marketplace, AptDeco, Kaiyo, 1stDibs, Chairish)
Liftgate-required deliveries to storefronts, offices, and walk-ups
Real-world capacity by truck size
16 ft: ~3,500–4,500 lb payload, ~800 cubic ft, 4–6 pallets
20 ft: ~5,000–7,500 lb payload, ~1,000 cubic ft, 6–8 pallets
24–26 ft: ~9,000–12,000 lb payload, ~1,400–1,700 cubic ft, 10–12 pallets
If you're not sure which one you need, send a photo of what you're moving. We'll pick the right vehicle and quote it. There's no upcharge for getting it right the first time — we'd rather over-truck a job than show up too small.
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A liftgate is a hydraulic platform on the back of the truck that lowers freight to street level. In NYC, this is the difference between a delivery actually happening and the driver sitting outside a SoHo boutique with a 600-lb pallet he can't get off the truck.
You need a liftgate when
The receiver has no loading dock (most NYC retail, most ground-floor offices, most apartments)
There's no forklift or pallet jack on site
The freight is heavy, palletized, crated, or comes from a dock-only origin
You're delivering large appliances, fixtures, or mounted equipment
Available on
16 ft, 20 ft, 24 ft, and 26 ft box trucks
Most Sprinter vans on request
Always ask for liftgate at booking. Adding it after dispatch usually means swapping the vehicle and starting the run over. More on dock vs. liftgate vs. white-glove unloads in our 3PL & last-mile guide and the NJ liftgate page for tri-state runs.
Commercial and business logistics
Last-mile delivery. We handle the final leg from a regional hub or 3PL to the end customer — store, office, or residence. NYC last-mile is brutal because of parking, building access, and tight delivery windows. We operate like that's normal, because it is.
Pallet and freight delivery. Standard 48"×40" pallets, dock-to-dock or dock-to-curb. Liftgate when the receiver doesn't have a dock. Same-day, scheduled, or recurring. See pallet delivery benefits for local businesses and same-day freight shipping NYC for the full breakdown.
Warehouse and 3PL support. Outbound runs from your DC, store transfers, vendor returns, and overflow when your in-house fleet hits capacity. We can act as a dedicated fleet partner for brands that don't want to buy and insure their own trucks.
Trade show and event freight. Javits Center, Brooklyn Expo, Pier 36, Glasshouse, hotel ballrooms — booth materials in for setup, breakdown pickups after the show closes. Tight venue cutoff times are normal for us. Pull from our event delivery checklist before booking, and Culture Creative Collective case study for what a real event run looks like.
Construction site delivery. Materials, replacement parts, jobsite-to-jobsite transfers. We work with contractors and material suppliers across all five boroughs, plus the architecture / engineering / construction industry page.
Retail replenishment. Store-to-store transfers, restock runs, return pickups, pop-up activations. Daily and weekly recurring schedules available — see scheduled / recurring logistics.
Fashion and showroom runs. Sample pulls, lookbook returns, photoshoot deliveries, runway breakdown. We do this work for fashion brands and agencies across the Garment District, SoHo, and Brooklyn.
Household and residential
Large item delivery. Sofas, sectionals, dining tables, bed frames, dressers, mattresses, refrigerators, washers, dryers, and anything else too big for an Uber XL.
Marketplace furniture delivery. Bought something on Facebook Marketplace, AptDeco, Kaiyo, 1stDibs, or Chairish? We pick up from the seller and drop at your apartment. Includes tight stairwells and walk-ups.
Apartment micro-moves. Studio moves, dorm room moves, partial moves where you only need a bed, a couch, and a few boxes. Cheaper than a full moving company, faster than renting a truck yourself.
Curbside or white-glove. Curbside (driver delivers to ground level) or white-glove (we bring it inside, place it in the room, take packaging away). Specify at booking.
Service area — every NYC neighborhood
We pick up and drop in all five boroughs. These are the neighborhoods we run through every day, with dedicated location pages for each:
Manhattan: Financial District, Tribeca, SoHo, Chelsea, Midtown, Upper East Side, Upper West Side — full borough page: Manhattan courier
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Bushwick, Downtown Brooklyn, Bed-Stuy, Park Slope, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Bay Ridge — full borough page: Brooklyn courier
Queens: Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, Flushing, Jamaica — full borough page: Queens courier
Bronx: Mott Haven, Fordham, Riverdale, Van Nest — full borough page: Bronx courier
Staten Island: St. George, Tottenville — full borough page: Staten Island courier
Tri-state coverage
We also run vans and trucks across the tri-state corridor:
New Jersey courier — Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, Hackensack, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Secaucus, Kearny, Union City, Weehawken
Long Island — including Montauk runs and Hamptons routes
Long-distance van and truck routes
For runs outside the metro, we operate dedicated long-distance routes: NY → NJ · NY → Boston · NY → DC · NY → Philadelphia · NY → Baltimore · NY → Albany · NY → Pittsburgh · NY → Cleveland · NY → Detroit · NY → Chicago · NY → Atlanta · NY → Miami · NY → California · Brooklyn → Lakewood, NJ
How a van or truck booking actually works
1. Send the details. Pickup and drop addresses, item count, dimensions, weight estimate, ready time, and delivery window. If there's a dock, freight elevator, COI requirement, or building cutoff time, tell us up front. (What to do before your courier arrives covers prep.)
2. We match the right vehicle. Cargo van, Sprinter, or box truck — based on what's actually moving, not on what you guess fits. If we get this wrong, the run fails. We'd rather ask one extra question than send the wrong truck.
3. Driver dispatched. You get the driver's name and live tracking. No marketplace shuffle. No "your driver was reassigned." Same driver from pickup to drop.
4. Pickup with confirmation. Driver photographs the load at pickup so there's a record of condition. Cargo is strapped, blanketed, or pallet-jacketed depending on what it is.
5. Direct route. No warehouse stops, no consolidation. Your run is your run.
6. Delivery with POD. Driver photographs the drop, gets a signature, and timestamps the completion. PDF proof-of-delivery on request.
Full process breakdown: How it works and what to expect when you book a rush delivery.
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Standard pricing is $3 per mile with a $125 minimum. Larger vehicles, liftgate, multi-stop routes, waiting time, and after-hours dispatch are quoted on top of the base.
Most NYC van runs land in the $125–$300 range. Box truck runs typically range $200–$600 depending on size, distance, liftgate, and time. Tri-state and long-distance routes are quoted by mileage and vehicle.
Recurring schedules — daily store replenishment, weekly warehouse-to-store distribution, dedicated routes — are billed on monthly invoices. Talk to us about recurring scheduled logistics or a dedicated fleet setup if you've got steady volume.
Cost of a missed deadline in NYC — for what it actually costs when a courier company doesn't show.
Why we beat the alternatives
vs. GoShare / Lugg / Dolly. Those are marketplace apps. Driver quality is a coin flip, and you can't reach a dispatcher when something goes wrong. We dispatch in-house, our drivers are vetted, and there's a phone number that gets you a human.
vs. UPS / FedEx for freight. Carriers like UPS Freight and FedEx Freight need 1–3 days, hub sortation, and dock pickup. Same-day NYC freight is a different sport. See why local couriers beat FedEx and UPS for business logistics.
vs. moving companies. Movers price on hours and crews. For a 2-stop run with one or two big items, you don't need a 3-person crew and a 4-hour minimum. You need a driver and a van.
vs. renting a truck and driving yourself. Penske, Home Depot, U-Haul, Budget — by the time you factor parking, time off, gas, double-parking tickets, and someone to help you load, hiring a driver is usually cheaper. Plus we're insured and provide COIs for building management.
More on the comparison: Courier vs. freight vs. mail and same-day vs. overnight.
Industries we serve with vans and trucks
Full list: Industries we serve
What's the cheapest van delivery in NYC? For most short runs in the boroughs, our $125 minimum covers cargo van service. Cheaper than a moving crew, faster than a marketplace app, and more reliable than asking a friend with a pickup. Larger items, liftgate, and longer distances move the price up — quote in advance.
Can I book a cargo van or box truck for same-day pickup? Yes. Most NYC pickups dispatch within 30 minutes during business hours. We run 7 days a week, 24 hours a day on the 24/7 NJ courier and overnight NYC requests. Book by phone at (877) 709-2711 or request online.
What size truck do I need for a 1-bedroom apartment move? A 16 ft box truck handles most 1-bedroom moves comfortably. Studios usually fit in a Sprinter van. Send a photo of your stuff and we'll size it correctly. (Marketplace furniture delivery details covers single-item runs too.)
Do you provide liftgate trucks? Yes — 16 ft, 20 ft, 24 ft, and 26 ft box trucks all available with liftgate. Critical for street-level deliveries where there's no dock or forklift. Always request liftgate at booking, not after dispatch.
How many pallets fit in a box truck? Roughly: 16 ft = 4–6 pallets, 20 ft = 6–8 pallets, 24–26 ft = 10–12 pallets, all standard 48"×40". Sprinter vans take 2–3 pallets. Cargo vans take 1–2.
Can you handle palletized freight delivery in NYC? Yes. Standard 48"×40" pallets, dock-to-dock or dock-to-curb, liftgate when the receiver doesn't have a dock. Full breakdown on the freight delivery page and pallet delivery for local businesses.
Do you provide a Certificate of Insurance for building management? Yes. Many NYC commercial buildings require a COI before a freight elevator booking. Request the COI when you schedule and we'll have it sent to building management before pickup.
Can you do white-glove delivery (bring it inside, set it up)? Yes. Curbside is standard. White-glove (we bring it inside, place it where you want it, remove packaging) is an upgrade. Specify when booking.
Do you cover trade shows at the Javits Center? Yes — trade show and event logistics at Javits, Brooklyn Expo, Pier 36, and venue ballrooms. Tight setup windows and breakdown cutoffs are routine. Pull from the event delivery checklist before booking.
Do you handle long-distance van runs (Boston, DC, Philly, Lakewood)? Yes. We run dedicated long-distance routes up and down the East Coast. Routes are priced by mileage. See the full routes index above.
Can you set up a recurring weekly van schedule for my business? Yes. We do daily and weekly recurring schedules for retail replenishment, warehouse-to-store distribution, and dedicated routes. Talk to us about scheduled logistics or a dedicated fleet partner setup.
What's the difference between cargo van, Sprinter van, and box truck? Cargo van: 1–2 pallets, ~3,500 lb. Sprinter: 2–3 pallets, ~4,000–5,000 lb, taller and longer. Box truck: 4–12 pallets, up to 12,000 lb, walk-in box, optional liftgate. Pick the smallest that fits — vans are cheaper and faster in NYC.
Are your drivers insured? Yes. Cargo and general liability coverage on every run. Building COIs available. Drivers are vetted W-2 and 1099 drivers, not strangers from a marketplace app.
Do you take fragile items (art, glass, mirrors, electronics)? Yes. We handle art delivery and fragile freight regularly. Read how to ship fragile items same-day before booking — there are a few prep steps that matter.
Can you do airport cargo runs (JFK, LGA, EWR)? Yes. Airport cargo delivery — pickups from cargo terminals, drops to your office or warehouse. We handle JFK, LGA, EWR, and Teterboro.
Do you handle wedding and event logistics? Yes — wedding logistics including florals, decor, rentals, and venue runs. See the Well-Dressed Events case study for an example.
Can I rent a fleet of vans with messengers? Yes. Fleet rental with messengers and vans — for larger projects where you need multiple vehicles and drivers staged for a day or a week.
Move Your Freight Today
Need a van or truck on the road today?
Call (877) 709-2711 or request a quote. Most NYC pickups dispatch within 30 minutes during business hours. We run 7 days a week and operate 24/7 for critical and recurring routes.
