Why hasn't my car been picked up yet?
A booked car that has not been picked up is either still inside its pickup window or past it. Wave Auto Transport's pickup windows are estimates counted from booking: expedited 1-2 days, regular 3-5 days and flexible 6-15 days. Only a guaranteed pickup window, sold separately, is a commitment.
| Where the shipment is | What it means | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Booked, pickup window still open | The window for your tier has not ended, so a pickup may still come inside the estimate. | Wait for the window to end. Check that the addresses, phone number and vehicle details on the order are right. |
| A carrier has contacted you to arrange pickup | A carrier is arranging the pickup, and pickup is still to come. The assigned carrier calls ahead on pickup day. | Keep the phone number on the order reachable, and be ready to agree a nearby meeting point if a full-size truck cannot reach your street. |
| The pickup window has passed, no carrier has contacted you and the car has not been picked up | The estimate for your tier has run out. A faster tier is something to ask about, and Wave's cancellation terms may apply. | Email Wave Auto Transport with your order details. You can ask about a faster tier, or ask about cancelling under Wave's cancellation terms. |
Is my pickup window still open, or has it passed?
Your pickup window is open until the end of the range for your tier, counted from the day you booked: 1-2 days for expedited, 3-5 days for regular and 6-15 days for flexible.
The window ends at pickup, not at delivery. How long the drive takes once the car is loaded is a separate figure that depends on the route, and your total wait is the pickup window plus that transit time. A flexible booking has the widest window by design, so a flexible shipment that has not moved yet may still be inside its window. Wave Auto Transport publishes no separate time for assigning a carrier. Wave is a broker, so it owns no trucks and employs no drivers; the carrier that moves your car is a separate company. A window is an estimate. A guaranteed pickup window is the paid option that turns it into a commitment, and the page on how far in advance to book explains it.
| Service level | Pickup window | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Expedited | 1-2 days | The fastest of the three tiers, with closer attention to pickup and delivery dates. |
| Regular | 3-5 days | The middle tier, between expedited and flexible. |
| Flexible | 6-15 days | The widest window, which means the longest possible wait before pickup. |
What can I check while I wait?
While you wait, check the tier on your booking, the window it implies and the details on your order, because those show whether your window is still open and whether a carrier can take the shipment.
- Find the pickup tier you booked (expedited, regular or flexible) and count its window from the day you booked.
- Check that the pickup address, the delivery address and the vehicle details on the order are correct, especially whether the car runs. A car that does not run needs a winch-equipped carrier, so the running or non-running status on the order matters.
- Check that the phone number on the order is one you will answer. The assigned carrier calls ahead on pickup day.
- Decide who will be at pickup. If you cannot be there, an authorized adult can release the car and sign the bill of lading.
- If the window has passed and the car has not been picked up, email Wave with your order details.
What can I change to get picked up sooner?
Choosing a faster pickup tier is the change that can bring pickup sooner, and a reachable meeting point and correct vehicle details remove obstacles to it.
The expedited tier has a pickup window of 1-2 days against 3-5 for regular. When a broker has a choice of carriers, a customer who wants faster pickup and delivery is given the carrier that can deliver sooner, and carriers usually charge a small premium for delivering faster, which is why the tier costs more. Door-to-door is how most shipments run. Where a street cannot take a full-size carrier, pickup happens at a nearby meeting point both sides agree. To ask about a faster tier on an existing booking, email Wave with your order details.
When can I cancel and get my money back?
Under Wave Auto Transport's terms, you can cancel and get your deposit back in full, by asking in writing, when Wave has not secured a carrier within 10 calendar days after your requested pickup date.
You can also cancel without penalty at any time before Wave starts arranging your shipment with carriers. Once that work has started the deposit is non-refundable, apart from the 10-day case above. Wave takes no upfront deposit: a deposit is charged only after a truck has been assigned and dispatched. Cancellation after a carrier has picked up the vehicle is not covered here.
Who do I contact if my pickup window has passed?
Email Wave Auto Transport at info@waveautotransport.com with your order details; email is the channel that reaches Wave outside business hours.
Put the pickup tier you booked, the pickup and delivery addresses and the date you booked in the message, so the person reading it can see whether your window has ended. Use the quote form to price a new shipment; a quote is live and specific to the vehicle and the dates.
Frequently asked questions about a car shipping pickup delay
- Why hasn't my car been picked up yet?
Either the pickup window you booked is still open, or it has passed. Expedited windows run 1-2 days from booking, regular 3-5 days and flexible 6-15 days, and each is an estimate, not a deadline.
- What can I do if my pickup window has passed?
Email Wave Auto Transport at info@waveautotransport.com with your order details, check that the addresses and vehicle details on the order are correct, and ask about a faster pickup tier. The cancellation section of this page explains when you can cancel and get a deposit back.
- Why does an expedited pickup cost more?
An expedited pickup costs more because a faster carrier is chosen for it, and carriers usually charge a small premium for delivering faster. The expedited window is 1-2 days against 3-5 for regular. Your live quote shows the price for your dates.
- Does expedited speed up delivery as well as pickup?
Yes. When a broker has a choice of carriers, a customer who wants faster pickup and delivery is given the carrier that can deliver sooner. Wave Auto Transport publishes one transit figure for each route and no separate transit figure for expedited.
- Is my car insured while it waits for pickup?
Cargo coverage belongs to the carrier, not to Wave, and Wave's car shipping insurance page says it covers loss of or damage to your vehicle while the carrier has custody of it.
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