Short drayage from Port NY/NJ
Our NJ-side footprint stays close to Maher Terminals, APM Terminals Elizabeth, Port Newark Container Terminal, and the Bayonne Marine Terminal. 8,897,531 TEU moved through the port in 2025, the second-busiest US port.
Shopify 
3PL · Ecommerce Fulfillment
3PL · Ecommerce Fulfillment New York 3PL for Shopify, Amazon, and Ecom Brands.
Same-day New York fulfillment for Shopify, Amazon FBA, and ecommerce brands. 5 PM ET cutoff, custom-scoped pricing, no annual contract.
- from $1.05
- Pick + pack per order
- 5 PM ET
- Same-day cutoff
- Custom
- Quote on everything else
Trusted by brands shipping across northeast
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Toyota
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Pacific Foods
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Rad Power
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Mystery Ranch
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Brooklyn Bicycle
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Cobian
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BOCCI
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Merkury
Table of contents · 11 sections
Written by the Vertex operations team
Marco, Kim, Tom & Sara · Receiving, Pick & Pack, FBA Prep, Account Management
Last reviewed by our team on May 10, 2026 against current Port NY/NJ + CBRE NJ + ILA-USMX contract data.
Most brands shopping for a 3PL in New York think they need a warehouse inside the five boroughs. They do not. The actual ecommerce operations that ship same-day to New York homes run from Northern and Central New Jersey, because NYC borough industrial trades roughly 70 percent above Northern NJ on equivalent space.
Q1 2026 made the math impossible to ignore: NYC borough leasing came in at 780,000 sf while Northern NJ leased 9.2 million sf, the strongest quarter ever recorded in that market. Every big container terminal at the Port of NY/NJ (Maher, APM Elizabeth, PNCT, Bayonne) sits on the New Jersey side. We operate from the NY/NJ area as part of our 20+ warehouse US and Canadian network.
This page is our honest read on the NY 3PL market: what we ship from where, what we charge, where we win, and where we send you to a competitor.
Key takeaways
- 1
The "New York" 3PL market is fought in Northern and Central New Jersey. NYC borough industrial rents trade roughly 70 percent above Northern NJ on equivalent space.
- 2
The Port of NY/NJ moved 8,897,531 TEU in 2025 (+2.3 percent YoY), the second-busiest US port, briefly displacing LA/LB as #1 in May 2024 and May 2025. Maher, APM Elizabeth, PNCT, and Bayonne all sit on the New Jersey side. The only NY-state container terminal (GCT-NY Staten Island) is the smallest in the cluster.
- 3
East Coast port labor risk is locked through 2030. The ILA-USMX 6-year master contract ratified Feb 25, 2025 with 99 percent approval, retroactive Oct 1, 2024 through Sept 30, 2030. Maersk signed a 33-year, $500M+ APM Elizabeth lease extension in March 2025.
- 4
We fit brands shipping 500+ DTC orders per month with significant Northeast or East Coast demand, or import volume that benefits from Newark-Elizabeth port proximity. Below 200 orders per month, smaller NJ boutique operators like Fetch Fulfillment or Brooklyn micro-3PLs like Highline Commerce beat us on cost.
Why New York
Why your New York 3PL is in New Jersey
Marketing pages for "New York 3PLs" lead with skylines and the Port of NY & NJ. That framing is misleading. The real competitive market for New York fulfillment is fought across the Hudson in New Jersey, in Newark, Elizabeth, Linden, Secaucus, Carteret, Edison, Jersey City, and Bayonne, because the math of operating an industrial warehouse inside the five boroughs has been broken for years. NYC borough industrial sits at a meaningful premium over Northern and Central NJ, roughly 70 percent more expensive in the boroughs vs across the river. The quarterly leasing tells the same story: 780,000 sf leased in the boroughs versus 9.2 million sf in Northern NJ, the strongest quarter on record. Brands are not choosing between NYC and NJ. They are choosing NJ and then deciding which exit off the Turnpike.
The Port of NY/NJ moved 8,897,531 TEU in 2025, a 2.3 percent year-over-year gain and the third-busiest year on record. It briefly displaced LA/LB as the #1 US port in both May 2024 and May 2025. None of that infrastructure sits in New York State. Maher Terminals, APM Terminals Elizabeth, Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT), and the Bayonne Marine Terminal are all on the New Jersey side. Maersk signed a 33-year lease extension at APM Elizabeth in March 2025 with a $500M+ commitment, one of the largest US port investments of the decade. For brands importing from Asia or Europe, the operator-honest answer is a Northern or Central NJ fulfillment center, not a Manhattan address.
Two pieces of context shape East Coast 3PL diligence in 2026. First, the ILA-USMX 6-year master contract ratified Feb 25, 2025 with 99 percent approval, retroactive Oct 1, 2024 through Sept 30, 2030, with a 62 percent pay raise (top scale $39 to $63/hour) and limited automation now permitted under job-protection guarantees. The labor risk that defined 2024 is off the table through 2030. Second, Section 321 de minimis was fully suspended Aug 29, 2025, ending duty-free entry for sub-$800 parcels. That policy event is what drove the 2025 NJ leasing boom, as brands repositioned Asia-sourced inventory from "drop ship via JFK/EWR belly" to "bonded NJ warehouse + duty-paid US fulfillment." JFK still moves 1.6 million short tons of cargo per year (+1 percent YoY, +19 percent vs 2019), making it the country's primary international gateway for fashion, jewelry, and pharma belly cargo.
What it unlocks
What a New York 3PL gets you that a Midwest 3PL can't
We operate in the NY/NJ area as part of our 20+ warehouse US and Canadian network, on the NJ side close to the Port of NY/NJ complex for same-day NY metro delivery and short drayage from Maher Terminals, APM Terminals Elizabeth, Port Newark Container Terminal, and the Bayonne Marine Terminal.
Skip the 70% NYC-borough premium
NYC borough industrial trades at a meaningful premium over Northern NJ (roughly 70 percent gap). We hold capacity on the NJ side so your storage line stays comparable to a regional operator, not a Brooklyn boutique.
Direct lane to Northeast FBA
We route direct from Port Newark / Elizabeth to Amazon EWR4, EWR5, AVP1, and JFK8. Same-week FBA inbound from container clearance, no cross-country leg first.
Labor risk locked through 2030
The ILA-USMX 6-year master contract ratified Feb 25, 2025 runs through Sept 30, 2030 with a 62 percent pay raise (top scale $39 to $63/hour) and limited automation under job-protection guarantees. East Coast port labor disruption is off the table for the contract window.
For Shopify brands
Should Shopify store owners have a 3PL in New York?
A New York 3PL (which in practice means a Northern or Central NJ facility within 25 miles of Newark-Elizabeth) is the right call for a Shopify brand when Northeast reach, Port of NY/NJ inbound speed, or NYC-metro same-day delivery matters more than per-order cost. Below 200 monthly orders, a Brooklyn or NJ boutique like Highline Commerce or Fetch Fulfillment will beat us on cost.
Yes if
- You import from Asia or Europe via the Port of NY/NJ. Maher, APM Elizabeth, PNCT, and Bayonne all sit on the NJ side. Our NY/NJ-area footprint keeps the drayage leg short.
- Northeast or East Coast accounts for 50 percent or more of your demand. Same-day to 20.1 million people across the NY metro, 1-day to the entire Northeast corridor, and 2-day to most of the East Coast.
- You sell into NY, NJ, CT, MA, PA retail accounts. Our location keeps you in Zone 1 or 2 to those state lines for retail outbound (856 / 940 EDI compliant).
- You ship 500+ DTC orders per month. Below that, NJ boutiques (Fetch Fulfillment, KRV Logistics in Little Ferry, ArdiLogistics in Edison) or Brooklyn micro-3PLs (Highline Commerce, iDrive Logistics) beat us on price.
No if
- Your demand is heavily West Coast. Shipping from NJ hits Zone 7 and 8 surcharges on most West Coast parcels. We can split inventory across our NJ + LA nodes, but a single-node LA setup is cheaper.
- Cold-chain fulfillment (frozen or refrigerated). Our NJ facility runs ambient-only. Hunts Point in the Bronx handles wholesale cold-chain food distribution if your model needs it.
- Sub-200 orders per month. Despite the NJ cost advantage versus the boroughs, our per-order cost at the volume floor is higher than what a Brooklyn or NJ boutique charges.
- You need Saks / Nordstrom / Neiman Marcus retail-compliance EDI (850/855/856/810, UCC-128/GS1-128 carton labels, routing-guide ownership, chargeback triage). That is a specialty layer, not a "pack and ship" layer.
If "yes" lands on you, the next question is which Shopify-side workflow tests separate ops-grade NJ 3PLs from ones that look good on a sales call. Six questions to ask any operator below.
| Workflow | What should happen | What usually breaks | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| New order arrives | In the pick queue near real time | Polling intervals over 5 minutes; orders missed during peak | How often does your sync run, and what is the worst-case lag? |
| Inventory level changes | Pushes back to Shopify in real time | Daily batch updates → oversells during peak hours | Is inventory sync push or pull, and at what frequency? |
| Tracking number written | Posts to Shopify the moment carrier scans | Manual upload at end of day; customer emails arrive late | When exactly does tracking hit Shopify? |
| Pre-order / backorder | Order holds, ships when stock arrives | Order silently fails or ships partial without notice | How does your WMS handle backorders without losing the customer relationship? |
| Returns refund trigger | Refund triggers on return scan-in (or on inspection pass) | Returns sit unprocessed for days, customer service workload | What event triggers the refund: receipt, inspection, or restock? |
| Subscription orders | Routed separately, with subscription-specific packouts | Sub orders treated as one-time DTC, no recharge protection | How do you tag and prioritize Recharge / Skio subscription orders? |
For Amazon FBA brands
Should Amazon FBA brands have a 3PL in New York?
A New York 3PL (operating from Northern or Central NJ) alongside Amazon FBA gets specific value when you import through the Port of NY/NJ and want first-port prep before routing to Amazon's Northeast fulfillment centers (EWR4, EWR5, AVP1, JFK8). Pure FBA-only domestic-supplier brands rarely need it.
Yes if
- You import through the Port of NY/NJ. We receive containers at Maher / APM Elizabeth / PNCT / Bayonne, polybag and FNSKU-label inside 24 hours, and route to EWR4 / EWR5 / AVP1 / JFK8 the same week. That cuts a full inbound cycle versus shipping containers cross-country.
- You sell on Amazon AND Shopify (or DTC). FBA does not handle your DTC orders. We do both from one inventory pool.
- You want to throttle FBA storage during slow seasons. We hold overflow and re-route to FBA when demand returns, sidestepping FBA long-term storage fees.
- You want to skip Amazon's prep markup. Our NJ prep is quoted per unit against your real polybag, FNSKU, and bundle scope, and typically beats Amazon's prep service fees on the same SKU set.
No if
- 100 percent Amazon FBA, no other channel. If you do not run DTC or wholesale, going direct to FBA from your supplier (with Amazon Global Logistics or a freight forwarder) is usually cheaper than adding a 3PL leg.
- Domestic suppliers on the West Coast or in the Midwest. If your inventory ships from a CA or OH factory, the Port of NY/NJ proximity does not apply. A regional 3PL closer to your supplier saves freight.
- You do not import in container quantities. LCL or air-freight import volumes do not generate enough drayage savings to justify the NJ operating cost.
Most multi-channel Amazon sellers importing through the Port of NY/NJ benefit from a Northern or Central NJ 3PL specifically because the short drayage leg shortens the inbound cycle and gives you optionality on FBA versus DTC routing per SKU.
Scope
What a New York 3PL should and shouldn't handle
A common mistake brands make when scoping a New York 3PL is treating it as a generic warehouse. Warehouses store things. A 3PL is closer to an operations team that happens to live in a warehouse. Knowing the line between what we own and what stays with your team prevents the most common onboarding fights.
✓ The 3PL owns
- Receiving inbound containers from Port Newark / Elizabeth (Maher, APM, PNCT, Bayonne), pallets, or LTL freight from your factory or freight forwarder
- Storing inventory in racked, lot-tracked, FIFO-rotated locations
- Picking, packing, and shipping DTC orders against a 5 PM ET same-day cutoff
- Routing inbound shipments to Amazon FBA Northeast centers (EWR4, EWR5, AVP1, JFK8)
- FNSKU re-validation and FBA spec updates so Amazon does not reject your inbound
- Returns receiving, inspection, restocking or disposition per your written rules
- Cycle counts and quarterly physical inventory
- EDI-compliant retail outbound (856 / 940 / 810) for Shopify B2B and Northeast retail accounts
✗ The brand owns
- Demand planning and reorder timing. You own this; we feed the data.
- Customer service and chargebacks. We feed tracking and exception data; your CX team handles the conversation.
- Marketing copy on packing slips and inserts. You supply the artwork; we apply it.
- Carrier rate negotiation. You can use your own carrier accounts; we route to whichever rate card you supply.
- Custom packaging design. Bring the spec; we execute the packout.
- Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) duty deferral. We are not a designated FTZ. For brands where the tariff math justifies the FTZ overhead, we refer.
- Saks / Nordstrom / Neiman Marcus retail-compliance EDI (850/855/856/810 with UCC-128/GS1-128 carton labeling, routing-guide ownership, chargeback triage). For NY-headquartered fashion brands selling into department-store accounts, we refer to retail-compliance specialists.
Order flow
Inside a New York 3PL: 10 steps from Port Newark / Elizabeth to porch
From the moment your container clears Port Newark / Elizabeth (Maher Terminals, APM Terminals Elizabeth, PNCT, or the Bayonne Marine Terminal) and rolls 18 miles up the Turnpike to our NJ facility, to the moment your customer's parcel scans on their porch. Here is the exact path. Ten steps, mapped to who does what and where the typical 3PL drops the ball.
- 01
Inbound notice
Your supplier or freight forwarder sends an ASN (Advance Shipping Notice) or simple email with PO, expected SKUs, container count, and ETA. We pre-allocate a receiving dock window.
What is this?
An ASN is a structured file (EDI 856 or our standard CSV / spreadsheet) that lists every SKU, expected quantity, container or pallet ID, and ETA before the freight arrives. With an ASN, our receiving team pre-prints labels, pre-assigns rack locations, and starts unload the moment the truck checks in. Without an ASN, every container takes 2 to 4 extra hours because we have to reverse-engineer the shipment on the dock. We accept both EDI and a simple template if your supplier is small.
- 02
Container or LTL arrival
Container arrives via drayage from Port Newark / Elizabeth (Maher, APM Elizabeth, PNCT, Bayonne) or LTL pickup. Driver checks in, dock door is assigned, unload begins.
What is this?
Drayage is the truck leg from the port terminal to our facility, typically 18 miles for imports clearing Maher Terminals, APM Terminals Elizabeth, Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT), or the Bayonne Marine Terminal. We coordinate the chassis, the drayage carrier, and the appointment window. LTL (Less than Truckload) is the alternative when freight does not fill a full container, common for domestic restocks or sample shipments. Both arrive at the same dock; the WMS just receives them differently.
- 03
Receive + count
Cases are unloaded, scanned, counted against the ASN. Discrepancies (short / over / damaged) are flagged and photo-documented inside 24 hours.
What is this?
Every case gets a barcode scan against the ASN line item. If the count matches, the SKU moves to putaway. If it does not (short ship, over-ship, damaged outer), our team photo-documents the variance with timestamps and dock-door ID, then logs it in our exception queue. You get an email within 24 hours with the photos, the variance, and our recommended next step (claim with carrier, request supplier credit, accept and adjust on-hand).
- 04
Putaway
SKUs are binned to designated rack or floor locations using our WMS. Lot codes and expiry dates captured at this step for food / supplements / beauty SKUs.
What is this?
Putaway is the act of moving received cases from the dock to a permanent rack or floor location. Our WMS assigns the location based on velocity (fast-movers near the pack table, slow-movers in deep storage), pallet height, and lot rotation rules. For food, supplements, and beauty SKUs we capture lot code and expiry at putaway so FIFO (First-In-First-Out) picks always grab the earliest-expiring stock first.
- 05
Order sync
A good WMS pulls orders from Shopify, Amazon, BigCommerce, and your ERP near real time. New orders appear in the pick queue automatically. We run Datex Footprint for this.
What is this?
Order sync is the live link between your sales channels and our pick queue. A good WMS polls Shopify, Amazon Seller Central, BigCommerce, and ERP systems frequently so the order is in the pick queue shortly after checkout. We run Datex Footprint for this. Inventory levels push back to your store when the pick is confirmed, which prevents oversells during traffic spikes.
- 06
Wave release
Orders are batched into pick waves based on carrier cutoff time. DTC same-day orders run first, B2B and retail run second.
What is this?
A wave is a batch of orders released to the floor as a single pick task. We organize waves by carrier sweep time (UPS at 4 PM, FedEx at 5 PM, USPS at 5:30 PM ET) and by service level. DTC same-day orders run in the first wave because their cutoff is tightest. B2B and retail outbound run in later waves where the carrier sweep is later. This sequencing keeps small fast orders from waiting behind a large pallet pick.
- 07
Pick
Pickers scan each item against barcode and bin location. A good WMS rejects mispicks before they reach the pack table. That is how an operator holds pick accuracy in the high-nineties consistently.
What is this?
Picking is the moment a worker grabs the right SKU off the shelf for an order. A good WMS forces a barcode scan at every pick, comparing the scanned SKU against the order line. If they do not match, the system blocks the pick and routes the worker back to the correct bin. That double-check is what keeps a 3PL at high-nineties shipped-correct accuracy across high order volumes.
- 08
Pack + label
Packers select carton, add inserts, generate carrier label, weigh, and tape. Each pack table runs a triple-check process before the parcel leaves the station.
What is this?
At the pack station, the worker selects the right-size carton (we calculate dim weight to keep your shipping costs low), adds any inserts (thank-you cards, samples, marketing flyers you supply), prints the carrier label, weighs the parcel, and tapes. Three checks happen before the parcel leaves: SKU match, label match, and weight sanity check. If any fail, the parcel goes to a re-pack station before it ships.
- 09
Carrier handoff
Parcels stage by carrier (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, Canada Post). Carrier sweeps happen at fixed daily windows. Tracking pushes back to Shopify and Amazon automatically.
What is this?
Parcels stage in carrier-specific zones near the loading dock. UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, and Canada Post each have their own daily sweep window with us. The Secaucus / Wallington corridor in particular is dense with carrier hubs, which is why pickup frequency drives so much of the regional 3PL geography. The moment a carrier scans a label at sweep, that scan event pushes back to your Shopify or Amazon order page so the customer sees a tracking number in real time. No manual tracking uploads, no end-of-day batch lag.
- 10
Returns
Inbound returns are received, inspected against your disposition rules (restock, refurbish, scrap), and the result writes back to inventory. You get a daily returns report.
What is this?
Returns come back to a dedicated returns dock. Our team inspects each item against your disposition rules (which you set during onboarding): restock if A-grade, refurbish if B-grade and re-label, scrap if damaged. The result writes back to your inventory in real time. Your refund logic can fire on any of three triggers (parcel scan-in, inspection pass, or restock complete) so you control whether the customer gets refunded fast or only after we confirm condition.
Pricing reality
What actually drives a New York 3PL bill
Most 3PL pricing comparisons get hung up on pick-and-pack rates, which are usually within a penny or two between providers. The real difference shows up in receiving, storage, and how exceptions are billed. Here is where to look:
| Cost area | How it's charged | What raises the invoice | What you must define |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Per pallet or per container | Mixed SKUs per pallet, no ASN, damaged outers | ASN format, palletization standard, damage tolerance |
| Storage | Per pallet / per cubic foot / month | Long-tail SKUs, slow-movers, packaging that wastes airspace | Storage type (rack vs floor vs bin), long-term tier breakpoints |
| Pick & pack | Per order, per item, sometimes per SKU | Multi-item orders with kitting, gift wrap, custom inserts | Standard SKU vs kit, included vs add-on packout steps |
| Carrier costs | Pass-through, sometimes with markup | Use of 3PL's carrier account vs your own, dimensional weight pricing | Whose carrier account, who pays surcharges (residential, peak) |
| Port drayage | Per container | Port Newark / Elizabeth congestion during peak; chassis availability at Maher / APM Elizabeth / PNCT | Whose drayage account at the port, container detention tolerance |
| FBA inbound prep | Per unit prepped | Polybagging, FNSKU labels, bundle requirements | Prep scope, who buys polybags, which FBA codes you ship to |
| Returns | Per return + handling | Inspection beyond visual, refurbishment steps, photos required | Disposition rules: restock / refurbish / scrap, photo requirements |
Failure modes
Five New York 3PL failure modes (port, labor, drayage)
Five failure modes specific to LA-region fulfillment. Not generic 3PL problems. The ones that hit when port congestion stacks with peak-season demand and shared labor goes thin.
| Failure mode | Why it happens | How Vertex handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Container stuck at Port Newark / Elizabeth | Peak-season congestion at Maher, APM Elizabeth, PNCT, or Bayonne; chassis shortages; appointment windows compressing during BFCM and Lunar New Year inbound surges. | A good NJ 3PL pre-books drayage well ahead of peak, holds relationships with multiple drayage carriers at the port complex, and flags urgent containers so they do not sit at the terminal. |
| Inbound takes 5+ days to pickable | Receiving team buried under stale POs, no ASN discipline, container detention at the port. | We enforce ASN format upfront, cap unannounced inbound, and stage drayage with chassis-stay programs so we are not paying detention. |
| Same-day cutoff slipping | Pickers shared with retail B2B during peak; UPS / FedEx pickup windows in the NJ carrier-hub corridor moved up during BFCM without notice. | We staff a dedicated DTC labor pool and lock carrier sweep windows in writing during onboarding. |
| FBA inbound rejected | Polybag or FNSKU spec changed without notice; wrong FBA code routed (EWR4 versus AVP1 mix-up). | We subscribe to Amazon prep updates, re-validate FNSKUs on a recurring cadence, and route by ZIP rather than salesperson preference. |
| Section 321 bonded-warehouse surprise | Section 321 de minimis was fully suspended Aug 29, 2025. Brands still shipping under the old "drop ship via JFK/EWR belly" model are eating duties they did not budget for, then scrambling to reposition inventory into bonded NJ warehouses mid-quarter. | We flag duty-paid versus bonded inventory at receipt, write the policy assumption into onboarding, and refer to FTZ specialists when bonded re-staging is the right answer. |
When this isn't a fit
When Vertex isn't the right New York 3PL for you
We are not the right 3PL for everyone shipping from New York or New Jersey. Here is the honest list of cases where you should pick someone else.
-
You ship under 200 DTC orders per month. Smaller NJ boutique operators (Fetch Fulfillment, KRV Logistics in Little Ferry, ArdiLogistics in Edison) and Brooklyn micro-3PLs (Highline Commerce, iDrive Logistics) will run cheaper at your volume. We work best at 500 orders per month and up, or B2B and retail programs that justify dedicated handling.
-
You only want a single fulfillment node, and your demand is heavily West Coast. We can split your inventory across our NJ + LA nodes (and we will quote that), but a single-node LA setup is cheaper.
-
You need walk-in retail or B2C drop-off. We do not run customer-facing counters at our facilities.
-
You require unstable or undefined inbound (no ASNs, surprise containers, ad-hoc SKU labeling). We can onboard this, and we will quote with a higher cost-to-serve to match.
-
You need cold chain (frozen or refrigerated). Our NJ facility runs ambient-only. For wholesale food distribution into NYC restaurants, Hunts Point in the Bronx is the non-negotiable answer.
-
You need a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) for direct duty deferral or bonded re-staging post-Section-321. We are not a designated FTZ. NJ has high-volume bonded specialists; we refer.
-
You need Saks Global / Nordstrom / Neiman Marcus EDI compliance (850/855/856/810 with UCC-128/GS1-128 carton labels, routing-guide ownership, chargeback prevention). That is a retail-compliance specialty layer. Boutique NY fashion 3PLs that grew up in the Garment District have a structural advantage there.
Reach from New York
What 1-day and 2-day delivery from a New York 3PL actually covers
From our New York footprint, your inventory reaches a defined 1-day and 2-day ground zone, plus cross-border to Canada through our Canadian network. No separate Canadian 3PL setup required.
- 1d
1-day delivery
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland
- 2d
2-day delivery
90% of U.S. homes east of the Mississippi, including Atlanta, Chicago, and Florida
- XB
Cross-border to Canada
1 business day to Toronto and Vancouver via our Canadian network.
5 PM ET
Same-day cutoff
20.1M (NY metro)
Metro pop served
4+
FBA codes routed
Comparison
Where in the New York area should your 3PL actually be?
A few honest comparisons. We're not the right fit for every brand shipping from LA, and where we're not, here's where we'd send you.
Vertex This page
NY/NJ-area footprint + 20+ warehouse US/Canadian network
- Strength
- Same-day to NY metro (20.1M people), 5 PM ET cutoff, short drayage from Maher / APM / PNCT / Bayonne, multi-node split with our US/Canadian network
- Constraint
- Best fit at 500+ DTC orders/month
- Best for
- D2C brands shipping NY + Northeast + East Coast, importing through Port NY/NJ, Shopify and Amazon FBA multi-channel
In-borough NYC 3PL
Brooklyn / Queens / Manhattan
- Strength
- Brooklyn boutiques like Highline Commerce (first US 3PL with a humanoid robot in production, March 2025) excel at fashion / sample-room / Garment District workflows; same-day local NYC courier
- Constraint
- NYC borough industrial trades at a meaningful premium over NJ; Class A vacancy 31.5 percent; storage rates pass the premium through
- Best for
- Fashion / apparel / showroom-adjacent brands needing genuine same-day NYC delivery or Manhattan sample-room access, or sub-200 order/month volumes
Northern NJ Meadowlands 3PL
Secaucus / Wallington / Hackensack cluster
- Strength
- Dense UPS / FedEx carrier hub proximity (the real driver of the cluster, not geography); strong carrier pickup frequency
- Constraint
- Class A vacancy 7.0 percent; rates trend higher than Exit 8A; boutique operators like ShipHype hold the company-owned-not-broker positioning
- Best for
- High-velocity DTC brands needing tight carrier sweep cutoffs and willing to pay a Meadowlands premium for the hub access
Central NJ Exit 8A 3PL
40 to 60 miles south of NYC on the Turnpike
- Strength
- Cheapest big submarket in the NY/NJ corridor; 11.4 percent vacancy gives tenants leverage; record Q1 leasing absorbed Home Depot (772K sf renewal), DSV (600K sf), Worldwide Logistics (452K sf)
- Constraint
- Adds 30 to 60 minutes of last-mile drive time to NYC vs Meadowlands; less attractive for same-day NYC SLAs
- Best for
- High-storage-density brands shipping East Coast + Midwest who care more about $/sf than NYC same-day cutoffs
National multi-node 3PL
NJ is one of 30-60 fulfillment centers
- Strength
- Dense FC network nationwide (e.g., ShipBob partner-network model); platform-style integrations
- Constraint
- NJ node is not a focus; small-brand minimums; partner-network "4PL" model means the operator on the warehouse floor is not the company you signed a contract with
- Best for
- Brands wanting national 2-day reach via inventory split and comfortable trading account-management depth for network breadth
Vertex pricing
Pricing for New York fulfillment
Pick-and-pack starts at $1.05 per DTC order. Everything else — receiving, storage, FBA prep, kitting, returns — is scoped to your SKU mix, channel set, and packout spec. Show us your current 3PL invoice and we'll tell you where we beat it, line by line.
Pick & pack
Per DTC order, standard SKU
from $1.05 /order
Everything else
Receiving, storage, FBA prep, kitting, returns, multi-channel routing — quoted on a call against your real order volume and SKU profile. We do not publish a per-pallet or per-cu-ft rate sheet because the honest answer depends on what you ship.
Bring your current invoice
Already at another 3PL? Send us your last three invoices. We will reply with a side-by-side and tell you whether we can beat it. If we cannot, we will say so.
What every brand gets
- Inventory sync to Shopify, Amazon, BigCommerce
- Multi-carrier rate shop on every parcel
- 4 PM PT same-day cutoff at our Vancouver HQ
- Scan-confirmed picking, not visual
- No annual contract, no setup fee, no software fee
- A named account lead on your account (not a ticket queue)
- Daily returns report with disposition writeback
- US + Canadian network, one inventory pool
Get a New York quote
Bring your current invoice. We will reply with a line-by-line comparison.
FAQs about New York fulfillment
Real New York 3PL questions, answered
01 Where exactly is your New York warehouse?
We operate in the NY/NJ area as part of our 20+ warehouse US and Canadian network. The actual ecommerce operations cluster sits in Northern and Central New Jersey because NYC borough industrial trades roughly 70 percent above NJ on equivalent space. Our footprint keeps us close enough for same-day shipping to all five boroughs and the broader NY metro while avoiding the borough premium.
02 Why are most New York 3PLs actually in New Jersey?
The math drives the geography. NYC borough industrial sits at a meaningful premium over Northern and Central NJ, roughly 70 percent more expensive in the boroughs. Q1 2026 leasing came in at 780,000 sf in the boroughs versus 9.2 million sf in Northern NJ, the strongest quarter ever recorded. And every big container terminal at the Port of NY/NJ (Maher, APM Elizabeth, PNCT, Bayonne) sits on the New Jersey side, not New York. Brands that need to ship into NYC almost always run from NJ.
03 What's the cutoff time for same-day shipping in New York?
Orders placed before 5 PM ET ship the same business day. Orders after the cutoff ship the next business day. Saturday cutoffs are available on request for high-volume DTC programs.
04 Do you route inventory to Amazon FBA from New York / New Jersey?
Yes. We prep and route to EWR4, EWR5, AVP1, and JFK8 directly from our NJ facility. FBA labeling, polybagging, and inbound shipment plans are all included. We re-validate FNSKUs on a recurring cadence so Amazon spec changes do not cause inbound rejections.
05 Do you support port drayage from Port Newark / Elizabeth?
Yes. We arrange container drayage from Maher Terminals, APM Terminals Elizabeth, Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT), and the Bayonne Marine Terminal direct to our facility. The Port of NY/NJ moved 8,897,531 TEU in 2025 (+2.3 percent YoY), the second-busiest US port. Our NY/NJ-area footprint keeps the drayage leg short.
06 Will East Coast port labor disruption affect my shipments in 2026?
No, the labor risk is locked through 2030. The ILA-USMX 6-year master contract ratified Feb 25, 2025 with 99 percent approval, retroactive Oct 1, 2024 through Sept 30, 2030. Members got a 62 percent pay raise over 6 years (top scale $39 to $63/hour) and limited automation is now permitted with explicit job-protection guarantees. Maersk signed a 33-year, $500M+ lease extension at APM Elizabeth in March 2025, which is the kind of commitment you only make when the labor backdrop is settled.
07 How does the Section 321 de minimis suspension affect my NY/NJ inbound?
Section 321 was fully suspended Aug 29, 2025, ending duty-free entry for sub-$800 parcels. The practical result for NY/NJ 3PLs is a wave of bonded-warehouse demand and FTZ-style re-staging, which is part of why Northern NJ leasing hit a record 9.2 million sf in Q1 2026. We flag duty-paid versus bonded inventory at receipt and refer to specialist FTZ operators when high-volume bonded re-staging is the right answer.
08 Can JFK air cargo help my New York 3PL strategy?
For specific use cases, yes. JFK handled 1.6 million short tons of cargo in 2024 (+1 percent YoY, +19 percent over 2019) and is the country's primary international gateway for fashion, jewelry, and pharma belly cargo. Belly capacity from 130+ international gates makes JFK the US export hub for high-value apparel to London, Paris, and Milan. For Asia inbound, the Port of NY/NJ via Newark-Elizabeth is almost always cheaper than air.
09 Do you operate a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)?
No. We are not a designated FTZ. For brands where direct duty deferral inside an FTZ is the right answer (typically high-tariff inbound, high working-capital sensitivity, or bonded re-staging post-Section-321), we point you to specialist FTZ operators in the NJ corridor. NJ has several high-volume bonded specialists in the Port Region.
10 What is the minimum order volume to work with Vertex in New York?
We work best with brands shipping 500+ DTC orders per month or running B2B and retail replenishment programs. Below 200 orders per month, smaller NJ boutiques (Fetch Fulfillment, KRV Logistics, ArdiLogistics) and Brooklyn micro-3PLs (Highline Commerce, iDrive Logistics) will beat us on cost. We say so on the discovery call.
11 Do you handle Saks Global / Nordstrom / department-store EDI compliance?
We support standard EDI outbound (856 / 940 / 810) for Shopify B2B and Northeast retail. For full Saks / Nordstrom / Neiman Marcus retail-compliance programs (850/855/856/810 with UCC-128/GS1-128 carton labels, routing-guide ownership, chargeback prevention and triage), we refer to retail-compliance specialists. Boutique NY fashion 3PLs that grew up in the Garment District have a structural advantage on that workflow.
12 How long does onboarding take?
Standard onboarding runs 1 to 2 weeks: discovery call, integration setup (Shopify, Amazon, your ERP), SOP design, and first inbound receiving. Brands with clean SKU data and a single sales channel can be live in under a week.
13 Do you require an annual contract?
No. We use service agreements, not contracts. You can pause, scale up or down, or move volume across our nodes (NY/NJ, LA, US, Canada) without penalty. Termination is 60 days written notice.
14 How do you handle returns from New York customers?
Returns are received and inspected against your written disposition rules (restock, refurbish, scrap). The result writes back to your inventory in real time. You get a daily returns report. Refunds can trigger on receipt, on inspection, or on restock. You pick during onboarding.
More cities
Other locations Vertex operates in
Each city is its own market. If your customers cluster somewhere else, start here.
PA
3PL Philadelphia
your Philadelphia 3PL is in Lehigh Valley or Central PA
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MA
3PL Boston
your Boston 3PL is in Worcester or the I-495 belt
Read the page
NC
3PL Charlotte
Charlotte is the only US metro with triple-rail access and a 2% corporate tax
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ON · CA
3PL Toronto
a Toronto-only 3PL no longer works post-Section-321
Read the page
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Talk to our New York 3PL team
Get a custom quote in 24 hours, based on your SKU mix, order volume, and Northeast delivery needs. 5 PM ET cutoff. 24-hour receipt-to-pickable. No annual contract.
5 PM ET cutoff · 24h receipt-to-pickable · No annual contract