NAICS 492: Couriers and Messengers
Subsector
Code facts
- Part of
-
- 48-49
- Codes under it
- 2
- Contract awards
- 690 In the last 12 months
- Contract obligations
- $849,003,992 In FY2025
NAICS codes and definitions come from the U.S. Census Bureau and contract spending from SAM.gov/FPDS.
Contract obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Obligated |
|---|---|
| FY2027 To date | $9,279,410 |
| FY2026 | $583,873,749 |
| FY2025 | $849,003,992 |
| FY2024 | $1,123,541,033 |
| FY2023 | $572,557,231 |
Top contractors by obligations
| Rank | Contractor | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Express Corporation | $366,840,320 | |
| 2 | United Parcel Service CO. | $142,297,622 | |
| 3 | Crosstown Courier Service Inc. | $16,117,681 | |
| 4 | Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. | $9,187,840 | |
| 5 | FG Management Group LLC | $8,826,176 | |
| 6 | Dtsv Inc. | $7,359,967 | |
| 7 | Dalyworks, LLC | $4,870,479 | |
| 8 | All American Express Solutions LLC | $3,383,578 | |
| 9 | Crowley Government Services, Inc. | $3,000,000 | |
| 10 | Crossroads Logistics LLC | $3,000,000 |
See the full FY2025 ranking of NAICS 492 contractors, by parent company.
Top funding agencies by obligations
| Rank | Agency | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $294,622,233 | |
| 2 | Office of the Secretary of Defense | $223,923,929 | |
| 3 | Department of the Treasury | $16,269,506 | |
| 4 | Department of State | $12,100,112 | |
| 5 | Department of Justice | $9,738,218 | |
| 6 | Department of Health and Human Services | $7,246,554 | |
| 7 | Department of Agriculture | $5,561,284 | |
| 8 | Department of Homeland Security | $4,823,263 | |
| 9 | Department of Transportation | $4,053,860 | |
| 10 | Defense Health Agency | $3,320,211 |
Top PSC codes by obligations
| Rank | PSC code | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | V111 Air Freight | $271,987,102 | |
| 2 | V112 Motor Freight | $184,859,427 | |
| 3 | R602 Courier and Messenger Services | $70,159,297 | |
| 4 | R604 Mailing and Distribution Services | $47,440,404 | |
| 5 | R706 Logistics Support Services | $8,440,246 | |
| 6 | V119 Other Cargo and Freight Services | $3,735,837 | |
| 7 | R499 Other Professional Services | $1,484,594 | |
| 8 | AS11 Transportation R&D Services; Surface Transportation, Public Transit, and Rail; Basic Research | $1,393,990 | |
| 9 | R613 Post Office Services | $1,087,274 | |
| 10 | M1GZ Operation of Other Warehouse Buildings | $1,070,468 |
Contract obligations by state
| Rank | Place of performance | Obligated, last 12 months | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | $143,859,185 | |
| 2 | Kentucky | $77,059,023 | |
| 3 | Kansas | $50,705,694 | |
| 4 | Illinois | $26,010,460 | |
| 5 | Texas | $19,385,814 | |
| 6 | South Carolina | $17,644,415 | |
| 7 | Arizona | $17,112,187 | |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $15,229,395 | |
| 9 | Georgia | $9,606,125 | |
| 10 | California | $6,685,723 | |
| 11 | Virginia | $6,173,733 | |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $5,609,822 | |
| 13 | Florida | $4,565,441 | |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $3,772,052 | |
| 15 | Minnesota | $3,598,350 | |
| 16 | Maryland | $3,290,345 | |
| 17 | Ohio | $3,105,847 | |
| 18 | Missouri | $2,605,930 | |
| 19 | New York | $2,553,753 | |
| 20 | Puerto Rico | $2,414,844 | |
| 21 | Mississippi | $2,367,682 | |
| 22 | Alabama | $1,898,750 | |
| 23 | Colorado | $1,868,637 | |
| 24 | North Carolina | $1,624,396 | |
| 25 | Michigan | $1,595,310 | |
| 26 | Connecticut | $1,372,027 | |
| 27 | Indiana | $1,302,099 | |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $1,248,078 | |
| 29 | West Virginia | $1,109,905 | |
| 30 | Vermont | $950,810 | |
| 31 | Nebraska | $753,146 | |
| 32 | Iowa | $682,058 | |
| 33 | Maine | $577,449 | |
| 34 | Idaho | $575,163 | |
| 35 | Delaware | $497,074 | |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $483,202 | |
| 37 | Arkansas | $475,679 | |
| 38 | Montana | $445,862 | |
| 39 | Louisiana | $412,538 | |
| 40 | Nevada | $409,963 | |
| 41 | Washington | $357,521 | |
| 42 | New Jersey | $352,959 | |
| 43 | Alaska | $274,564 | |
| 44 | Wyoming | $253,692 | |
| 45 | Utah | $225,774 | |
| 46 | Rhode Island | $218,808 | |
| 47 | New Hampshire | $194,582 | |
| 48 | New Mexico | $180,182 | |
| 49 | South Dakota | $131,228 | |
| 50 | Northern Mariana Islands | $70,000 | |
| 51 | Oregon | $47,113 | |
| 52 | Guam | $24,981 | |
| 53 | North Dakota | $8,500 | |
| 54 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $3,859 |
Show all 54
Shares are of everything obligated under NAICS 492 in the last 12 months before deobligations, including work performed abroad or with no place of performance on record.
Contract opportunities
Show 36 more
Latest 46 of 2,564 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Codes under 492
Definition
Industries in the Couriers and Messengers subsector provide intercity, local, and/or international delivery of parcels and documents (including express delivery services) without operating under a universal service obligation. These articles may originate in the U.S. but be delivered to another country and can be described as those that may be handled by one person without using special equipment. This allows the collection, pick-up, and delivery operations to be done with limited labor costs and minimal equipment.
Read the full definition
Sorting and transportation activities, where necessary, are generally mechanized. The restriction to small parcels partly distinguishes these establishments from those in the transportation industries. The complete network of courier services establishments also distinguishes these transportation services from local messenger and delivery establishments in this subsector. This includes the establishments that perform intercity transportation as well as establishments that, under contract to them, perform local pick-up and delivery.
Messengers, which usually deliver within a metropolitan or single urban area, may use bicycle, foot, car, small truck, or van.
Quick answers
What is NAICS 492?
NAICS 492 is Couriers and Messengers, a subsector in NAICS 48-49, Transportation and Warehousing.
What codes are under NAICS 492?
NAICS 492 has 2 codes under it with their own GovTribe pages: 4921 Couriers and Express Delivery Services and 4922 Local Messengers and Local Delivery.
How much do federal agencies spend under NAICS 492?
Federal contracts under NAICS 492 obligated $849,003,992 in fiscal year 2025 and $3,138,255,415 in fiscal years 2023 through 2027.
Who are the largest contractors under NAICS 492?
The contractors with the most obligated under NAICS 492 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Federal Express Corporation ($366,840,320), United Parcel Service CO. ($142,297,622) and Crosstown Courier Service Inc. ($16,117,681).
Which agencies buy the most under NAICS 492?
The agencies that obligated the most under NAICS 492 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Department of Veterans Affairs ($294,622,233), Office of the Secretary of Defense ($223,923,929) and Department of the Treasury ($16,269,506).
Which PSC codes are used with NAICS 492?
The PSC codes with the most obligated under NAICS 492 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are V111 Air Freight, V112 Motor Freight and R602 Courier and Messenger Services.
Where is the work under NAICS 492 performed?
By place of performance, the states with the most contract obligations under NAICS 492 over the last 12 months are Tennessee ($143,859,185), Kentucky ($77,059,023) and Kansas ($50,705,694).
What is the latest contract opportunity under NAICS 492?
The latest contract opportunity under NAICS 492 is R602--Lab Courier Services - Bridge, special notice from Veterans Integrated Service Network 10 (VHA), posted October 22, 2026.
On GovTribe
See everything under NAICS 492
- Federal contract opportunities, awards and IDVs under this code
- Funding analysis by contractor, agency and set-aside
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- Ask GovTribe AI about this code