NAICS Subsector 492: Couriers and Messengers
Subsector
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.
Government contracts for this service: PSC V111 Air Freight and PSC V112 Motor Freight
Code facts
- Part of
-
- 48-49
- Codes under it
- 2
- Contract awards
- 705 In the last 12 months
- Contract obligations
- $849,005,879 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 | $15,464,376 |
| FY2026 | $596,136,471 |
| FY2025 | $849,005,879 |
| FY2024 | $1,123,541,033 |
| FY2023 | $572,557,231 |
Top contractors by obligations
| Rank | Contractor | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Express Corporation | $371,532,161 | |
| 2 | United Parcel Service CO. | $146,032,712 | |
| 3 | Crosstown Courier Service Inc. | $16,926,508 | |
| 4 | FG Management Group LLC | $10,356,842 | |
| 5 | Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. | $9,217,840 | |
| 6 | Dtsv Inc. | $7,359,967 | |
| 7 | Dalyworks, LLC | $5,052,726 | |
| 8 | Redi Pax Inc. | $4,500,000 | |
| 9 | All American Express Solutions LLC | $3,437,170 | |
| 10 | Crowley Government Services, Inc. | $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 | $299,403,100 | |
| 2 | Office of the Secretary of Defense | $223,923,929 | |
| 3 | Department of the Treasury | $16,272,197 | |
| 4 | Department of Justice | $14,824,876 | |
| 5 | Department of Agriculture | $12,709,623 | |
| 6 | Department of State | $12,131,907 | |
| 7 | Department of Health and Human Services | $7,228,504 | |
| 8 | Department of Homeland Security | $4,903,335 | |
| 9 | Department of Transportation | $4,094,669 | |
| 10 | Defense Health Agency | $3,320,211 |
Top PSC codes by obligations
| Rank | PSC code | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | V111 Air Freight | $272,170,117 | |
| 2 | V112 Motor Freight | $184,773,706 | |
| 3 | R602 Courier and Messenger Services | $74,313,838 | |
| 4 | R604 Mailing and Distribution Services | $48,280,204 | |
| 5 | V119 Other Cargo and Freight Services | $8,673,964 | |
| 6 | R706 Logistics Support Services | $8,440,246 | |
| 7 | 8970 Composite Food Packages | $7,138,339 | |
| 8 |
R408 Program Management/ |
$2,120,000 | |
| 9 | R499 Other Professional Services | $1,490,881 | |
| 10 | AS11 Transportation R&D Services; Surface Transportation, Public Transit, and Rail; Basic Research | $1,393,990 |
Contract obligations by state
| Rank | Place of performance | Obligated, last 12 months | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | $143,766,169 | |
| 2 | Kentucky | $77,151,262 | |
| 3 | Kansas | $49,903,669 | |
| 4 | Illinois | $26,013,606 | |
| 5 | Texas | $20,904,099 | |
| 6 | South Carolina | $17,644,415 | |
| 7 | Arizona | $17,094,708 | |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $14,806,388 | |
| 9 | Virginia | $12,109,327 | |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $10,421,915 | |
| 11 | Georgia | $9,594,781 | |
| 12 | Florida | $8,203,780 | |
| 13 | California | $6,767,994 | |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $3,774,090 | |
| 15 | Minnesota | $3,613,827 | |
| 16 | Maryland | $3,297,615 | |
| 17 | Ohio | $3,081,957 | |
| 18 | Missouri | $2,600,930 | |
| 19 | Puerto Rico | $2,414,844 | |
| 20 | Mississippi | $2,367,682 | |
| 21 | Colorado | $1,864,856 | |
| 22 | Alabama | $1,668,363 | |
| 23 | North Carolina | $1,624,396 | |
| 24 | Michigan | $1,595,257 | |
| 25 | New York | $1,518,922 | |
| 26 | Connecticut | $1,383,325 | |
| 27 | Indiana | $1,355,691 | |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $1,210,026 | |
| 29 | West Virginia | $1,114,712 | |
| 30 | Vermont | $908,212 | |
| 31 | Nebraska | $753,146 | |
| 32 | Iowa | $685,743 | |
| 33 | Idaho | $575,163 | |
| 34 | Maine | $557,948 | |
| 35 | Louisiana | $557,538 | |
| 36 | Arkansas | $522,903 | |
| 37 | Delaware | $497,074 | |
| 38 | Montana | $445,062 | |
| 39 | Nevada | $409,963 | |
| 40 | New Jersey | $352,959 | |
| 41 | Washington | $345,842 | |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $329,957 | |
| 43 | Alaska | $274,564 | |
| 44 | Wyoming | $253,692 | |
| 45 | New Mexico | $249,006 | |
| 46 | Rhode Island | $233,808 | |
| 47 | Utah | $221,736 | |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $194,582 | |
| 49 | South Dakota | $156,078 | |
| 50 | Northern Mariana Islands | $70,000 | |
| 51 | Hawaii | $49,737 | |
| 52 | Oregon | $47,113 | |
| 53 | Guam | $24,981 | |
| 54 | North Dakota | $8,500 | |
| 55 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $3,859 |
Show all 55
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
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Latest 46 of 2,571 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Codes under 492
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 $849,005,879 in fiscal year 2025 and $3,156,704,990 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 ($371,532,161), United Parcel Service CO. ($146,032,712) and Crosstown Courier Service Inc. ($16,926,508).
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 ($299,403,100), Office of the Secretary of Defense ($223,923,929) and Department of the Treasury ($16,272,197).
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 ($143,766,169), Kentucky ($77,151,262) and Kansas ($49,903,669).
What is the latest contract opportunity under NAICS 492?
The latest contract opportunity under NAICS 492 is R602--Lab Courier Services - Bridge, award notice from Veterans Integrated Service Network 10 (VHA), posted November 12, 2026.
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