Cargo van shipping checklist
17 checks from sizing the load to the signed POD, for one cargo van, door to door, same day. The numbers are the van's own: 3 pallet positions, 3,500 lb, no liftgate, order by 10:30am local, printed and saved as you go.
By Troy Lester, Co-Founder & CRO
14,000+ cargo vans and box trucks · 98.2% on time · rates in 10 seconds, the rate on the invoice
Live all-inclusive rates
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Warp customers
The checklist
Four moments, in the order they happen. Each one opens with the drawing the driver is working from.
Size the load
0 / 4A cargo van is 3 pallet positions, 3,500 lb and no liftgate. Everything else follows from that.
Book it
0 / 5The quote is the whole van. The cutoff is the only clock that matters.
Pickup
0 / 4The van parks at the curb. The freight should already be there.
Delivery
0 / 4A door, not a dock. The POD photo and the signature close it.
What changes the price, and what doesn't
A cargo van is one flat price for the load, door to door. These are the lines that decide it.
No rebills on Warp's own vans: the rate at booking is the invoice. The van comes from the 14,000+ cargo vans and box trucks in the network, dispatched to the booking, with live GPS on the tracking link. Every protection behind it is on the protection page.
When it isn't a cargo van
The van is the fastest shape for small freight across town. Three things push a load into another one.
A fourth pallet, a forklift at either end, or a site that needs a liftgate: that is a box truck, 1 to 12 pallets on a liftgate, local and regional. A lane that needs an overnight prices as a box truck or a truckload, not a van.
One to a dozen pallets going across the country ride the shared trailer instead, through the cross docks, for one all in price per pallet: the LTL shipping checklist. Boxes under 150 lb that fit a carrier's network are a parcel.
Frequently asked questions
What fits in a Warp cargo van?
Cartons, cases, parcels, or up to 3 pallets: 3 pallet positions, 3,500 lb total, about 400 cubic feet. The quote enforces the cap, so a fourth pallet prices as a box truck.
Does a Warp cargo van have a liftgate?
No. A cargo van loads and unloads at street level with a pallet jack, a hand truck, or hands. Freight that needs a forklift or a liftgate at either end is a box truck, which carries one.
When do I have to order for a same day cargo van pickup?
By 10:30am local time. Same day dispatch is not guaranteed on every lane, since it depends on van availability and your hours, so a hard appointment is safer on a next day booking.
Is a cargo van priced per pallet?
No. The quote is the whole van, flat for the load, whether it carries one pallet or three. Rates come back in 10 seconds and the rate at booking is the invoice, with no rebill afterward.
Can I print the cargo van shipping checklist?
Yes. The print button removes the site chrome and prints the checks with their boxes, and any browser can save that as a PDF. Progress saves in your browser per checklist.
About the Warp freight network
More about the Warp freight network
Warp is the open source freight network: the tech is free and the network is open. We run Warp LTL, our own carrier, Warp FTL, cargo van, box truck and fulfillment ourselves, with every major LTL carrier, parcel, ocean and air plugged in beside them. Our driver app rides on every truck and our warehouse app runs every cross-dock, so an open network of 38,000+ carriers behaves like one carrier you control. Warp is licensed by the FMCSA as a property broker and freight forwarder, and runs the network itself: instant rates, live tracking, 70+ cross-dock facilities, 14,000+ cargo vans and box trucks, 80%+ US LTL zip-to-zip coverage and nationwide FTL, box truck and cargo van.
The network is supported by 24,000+ vetted FTL carriers.
Unlike traditional brokers, Warp uses AI to match the right vehicle to every load based on weight, dimensions, urgency, and cost targets. Cross-dock operations reduce transit time by eliminating unnecessary terminal transfers.
Pool distribution and zone-skipping programs help enterprise shippers lower per-unit delivery costs while maintaining tight appointment windows.
Self-serve shippers can quote, compare, and book freight online in under two minutes. Enterprise accounts get dedicated capacity planning, committed rate programs, and a named operations team. Every shipment includes scan-level visibility from pickup through final delivery.
Warp operates across the contiguous United States with regional density in the Southeast, Texas, Midwest, and Northeast corridors, and West Coast and Southwest coverage from Los Angeles, Seattle and Phoenix.
Warp operates 70+ cross-dock facilities across the US, with named markets including Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, New York, Savannah, Orlando, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Columbus, Denver, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Dallas-Fort Worth, Nashville, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Los Angeles. They support faster transfers and fewer touches on recurring lanes.
Freight modes and vehicle types
| Mode | Max payload | Max cube | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo van | 3,500 lbs | 400 cu ft | Time-sensitive, last-mile, light pallets |
| Box truck | 10,000 lbs | 1,500 cu ft | Regional distribution, no dock required |
| LTL | Per-pallet | Shared trailer | Lower per-pallet cost via cross-dock routing |
| Dry van / FTL | 42,000+ lbs | Full 53-ft trailer | High-volume lanes, recurring programs |
Cargo vans handle loads up to 3,500 pounds and 400 cubic feet, ideal for time-sensitive deliveries, last-mile retail replenishment, and lightweight palletized freight.
Box trucks carry up to 10,000 pounds and 1,500 cubic feet, fitting most regional distribution and store delivery needs without requiring a loading dock.
Dry vans and full truckloads move 42,000+ pounds for high-volume lanes and recurring programs. LTL shipments share trailer space on optimized routes through Warp cross-docks, reducing per-pallet cost by consolidating multiple shippers on the same vehicle.
Warp does not default every shipment to a 53-foot trailer. The AI engine evaluates load weight, cube, delivery window, and cost to recommend the right vehicle. Shippers see all available mode options with live pricing in one comparison screen before booking.
Cross-dock operations
Cross-docking at Warp facilities keeps freight moving instead of storing it: inbound freight is sorted and transferred directly to outbound vehicles, typically within hours. When inventory does need to sit, Warp's fulfillment centers in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New Jersey hold it inside the same network, with same day delivery within 30 miles of each.
This reduces dwell time, lowers damage risk, and compresses delivery windows. Warp cross-docks support pallet-in, pallet-out operations with scan-level tracking at every handoff point.
- Atlanta — Southeast retail flow
- Chicago — Midwest manufacturing and replenishment
- Houston — Texas industrial distribution
- New York — dense Northeast delivery
Facility locations are selected for corridor density: Atlanta handles Southeast retail flow, Chicago serves Midwest manufacturing and replenishment, Houston covers Texas industrial distribution, and New York supports dense Northeast delivery. Each facility operates on appointment-based scheduling to prevent congestion and maintain throughput consistency.
Enterprise freight programs
Enterprise shippers get committed rate programs, dedicated account management, and custom SLA design. Warp builds lane-by-lane rate structures that account for volume commitments, seasonal variation, and mode flexibility. Operations teams monitor shipment execution daily and intervene proactively when exceptions occur.
Self-serve freight quoting
Shippers enter origin and destination, load details, and delivery requirements to see live rates across all available modes. Quotes include estimated transit time, vehicle type, and total cost.
Booking takes one click. After booking, shippers track every shipment with real-time GPS location, milestone updates, and proof of delivery documentation.
Industries and use cases
Retail shippers use Warp for store replenishment programs that deliver to hundreds of locations per week on tight appointment windows. Apparel brands use zone skipping to bypass regional parcel sortation and reduce per-unit delivery cost.
Food and beverage companies rely on time-definite delivery for perishable goods. Manufacturing operations use Warp for inbound vendor consolidation, combining multiple supplier shipments into fewer, fuller loads through cross-dock facilities.
Distribution companies use pool distribution to serve multiple delivery points from a single origin, splitting full truckloads at cross-docks into smaller last-mile vehicles.
Urgent freight recovery covers emergency capacity needs when primary carriers fail or demand spikes unexpectedly. Middle-mile optimization reduces cost and transit time on the longest segment of multi-leg shipments.
Size the load, then price the van.
Two ZIPs, the piece count and the weight. One flat rate for the whole van in 10 seconds, same day when you order by 10:30am local.
14,000+ cargo vans and box trucks · 98.2% on time · rates in 10 seconds, the rate on the invoice
Performance figures are computed from Warp network data. See our methodology.
By Troy Lester