A booking sets a range of days for pickup, not a single date. A pickup window is the range of days after booking in which a carrier is expected to collect a vehicle.
Wave Auto Transport offers three pickup windows: expedited, regular and flexible. A pickup window ends when the carrier collects the vehicle, not when the vehicle arrives, so the total wait is the pickup window plus transit time.
A pickup window matters because the wait before pickup is a separate part of a shipment's total time. Wave Auto Transport offers three pickup windows: 1-2 days for expedited, 3-5 days for regular and 6-15 days for flexible, each counted after booking.
A faster pickup window costs more. Booking a faster window means a faster carrier is chosen, and carriers usually charge a small premium for it.
A pickup window is counted after booking and ends at pickup, before transit time begins. Wave Auto Transport's three pickup windows are estimates, not deadlines. A guaranteed pickup window is the one sold as a commitment, at a premium.
If a window has passed without a pickup, see why a shipment has not been picked up yet for what to check and who to contact. For booking lead time, see how far in advance to book car shipping.
A pickup window and transit time are two separate parts of one shipment, and they are added together to give the total wait.
| Pickup window | Transit time | |
|---|---|---|
| What it counts | Days after booking until the carrier collects the vehicle | Days the vehicle is on the road after pickup |
| How the figure is set | By the service level booked: 1-2, 3-5 or 6-15 days | By the route, with a figure listed on each route page |
| Where it ends | At pickup | At delivery |
The 1-2, 3-5 and 6-15 day pickup windows are Wave Auto Transport's own figures.
