Airport cargo pickup at JFK, Newark and LaGuardia
Air freight recovery from the EWR, JFK and LGA cargo terminals, delivered anywhere in New York City or New Jersey by STA-cleared drivers. Priced online, booked in a minute.
What the airport pickup service is
You have freight sitting at an airline cargo terminal — an import that has cleared customs, or a domestic shipment showing as available. We recover it from the terminal and deliver it to your dock, warehouse, office or job site across the NY/NJ metro. This is the ground leg only: you keep the airline booking and the paperwork, we drive.
How to pick up air cargo at JFK or Newark: what has to be true first
Most delays at a cargo terminal happen before the truck arrives. Airline terminals work the same way at all three airports, so here is the sequence a pickup typically follows and what we need from you at each point.
- The airline shows the freight as available. Track the air waybill (AWB) on the airline’s cargo site. “Arrived” is not the same as “available for pickup” — the terminal still has to break down the ULD and check the pieces in.
- Customs has released it (imports only). Your customs broker files the entry and the terminal receives the release electronically. Until that happens the terminal will not hand over international freight to anyone.
- You have a delivery order. The forwarder or broker issues a delivery order (DO) authorizing a named carrier to collect the shipment. Send it to us with the AWB number when you book, or as soon as you have it.
- Terminal charges are settled. Terminals typically bill an import service or handling charge, and storage starts once a short free-time window passes. Whoever is paying settles it with the terminal directly; the freight is not released until it is.
- The driver arrives with the right documents. AWB number, delivery order, ID and the credentials the terminal asks for. We check every booking by hand before dispatch and call you if anything on the list is missing.
- Delivery and proof. The freight is signed for at your address. If you have a business account, your dock hours and who signs are already on file.
Not sure which step you are at? Call (973) 415-9532 and you will speak to the person who drives the run, not a call center.
Airport cargo pickup questions
Can you pick up my freight the same day it lands?
Often, yes — once the airline shows it as available and any customs release is done. Price the run on the instant quote form and choose the earliest pickup time you need; we confirm every booking by hand and tell you if that window can't be met.
Do I need an account to book an airport pickup?
No. Anyone can price and book a terminal pickup with a name, email and phone number. No card is taken at booking. Regular shippers can apply for a business account for contract rates and monthly invoicing.
Which credentials do your drivers hold?
Every driver who touches air freight holds a current TSA Security Threat Assessment and annual Indirect Air Carrier security training. QCS Courier (Quiet Craft Solutions Inc.) also holds its own TSA-approved IAC program and TWIC for Port Newark and Elizabeth marine terminals.
Can you deliver freight to a cargo terminal for export?
Yes, but it isn't on the instant form. Use request a quote and tell us the airline, cutoff and piece count. If the freight is tendered under our own IAC program, see the air cargo forwarding page.
What do you charge for airport cargo pickup?
The price comes from the road distance between the terminal and your delivery address, the vehicle you choose and how soon you need it. The instant quote shows the full breakdown before you book.
Have ready when you book
- Air waybill number and airline
- Terminal (EWR, JFK or LGA)
- Delivery order, or who will issue it
- Piece count, weight and whether it is palletized
- Delivery address, dock hours and who signs
Where we deliver
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, and Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Union and Middlesex counties in New Jersey. Runs outside that area are priced by hand — request a quote.
Need the freight moved end to end?
If nobody holds the airline booking yet, QCS Courier (Quiet Craft Solutions Inc.) can accept the cargo and tender it under its own TSA-approved Indirect Air Carrier program.