Cargo bike vs van for deliveries in NYC

The short answer

For dense, stop-heavy deliveries of loads under about 400 lb, a cargo bike is usually the better tool in Brooklyn. For long distances, very heavy loads or loads that need a closed, refrigerated box, a van is still the better choice. Many businesses use both.

Time

A van is fast on the open road and slow in the last 500 feet. It needs to find a legal spot, and in Brooklyn that often means circling or double-parking. A cargo bike stops at the door and uses bike lanes.

The FHWA case study of NYC DOT’s cargo bike program reports that cargo e-bikes spend on average 5 minutes or less unloading at each address, and that the city estimates each bike makes four to eight trips a day. The program’s authors also note that density matters: bikes work best where many deliveries are close together, because trucks must contend with traffic and parking. (FHWA case study)

Our own on-time rate at Hudson Shipping Co is 99.8%.

Parking

Parking is the largest hidden cost of a van in Brooklyn. A cargo bike does not need a parking space. NYC DOT’s program has also provided dedicated cargo bike loading spaces to participants, according to the same case study.

Emissions

Our fleet is 100% electric pedal-assist, so deliveries produce no tailpipe emissions. The FHWA case study reports that each cargo e-bike in the NYC program replaced delivery vans or box trucks at a rate of one to two bikes per truck and reduced carbon emissions. One of the goals of the NYC DOT program was to reduce congestion, improve safety and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Capacity

A van carries more. Our two bikes carry less, but more than most people expect:

• Venture: enclosed, 13 ft³ box (34 × 21 × 34 in), standard packages up to 400 lb per trip.
• Flatbed: open trike with a 16 ft² load area, a 5 ft × 38 in bed and side rails, for pallets, kegs, lumber, flower crates and furniture.

See the fleet page for details.

Cost factors

We do not publish a dollar comparison because it depends on your route. These are the factors to compare:

• Vehicle: purchase or rental versus paying per delivery.
• Fuel and tolls: a van pays both. A cargo bike pays neither.
• Parking and tickets: a recurring cost for vans in dense areas.
• Driver: a licensed driver versus a rider.
• Idle time: time spent finding a spot.
• Load fit: a half-empty van costs the same to run as a full one.

When to use a van

Use a van for long out-of-borough runs, loads over a few hundred pounds that cannot be split, and goods that need cold storage during the trip. Our bikes have no climate control, though we can provide insulated totes.

When to use a cargo bike

Use a bike for dense routes, many small stops, early-morning drops and any job where parking is the hard part. Many Brooklyn businesses keep their vans for long runs and hand the stop-heavy drops to us.

Ready to try it? Book a same-day courier job or set up a recurring route.