How Long Does It Take to Ship a Car?
With Wave Auto Transport, your car takes 1 to 9 days in transit, depending on distance. A short in-state move takes 1 to 2 days in transit with Wave. A coast-to-coast move takes 7 to 9 days in transit with Wave. The pickup window adds 1 to 15 days, depending on the service level you choose, and the pickup window and transit time together are your total time from booking to delivery.
How long does it take to ship a car by distance?
With Wave, a short in-state move under 300 miles takes 1 to 2 days in transit. A coast-to-coast move near 2,800 miles takes 7 to 9 days with Wave, so transit time rises with distance.
| Distance | Example route | Transit time |
|---|---|---|
| 269 miles | California to Nevada | 1-2 days |
| 661 miles | Georgia to Florida | 2-3 days |
| 1,308 miles | Texas to Florida | 3-4 days |
| 2,732 miles | California to Florida | 6-8 days |
| 2,794 miles | New York to California | 7-9 days |
What's the difference between pickup and transit time?
Pickup time is how long a carrier takes to arrive and load your vehicle after booking. Transit time is how long the carrier then takes to drive it to your delivery address. The two add together for your full time from booking to delivery.
A faster pickup window costs you more because your shipment goes to a faster carrier, and carriers charge a modest premium for the speed (team drivers are one way they deliver it). Transit time itself depends on your route. A multi-car carrier crossing several states usually stops to load or unload other vehicles heading the same direction along the way, which is part of why transit takes longer than one nonstop drive would.
How do pickup windows work, and what's the total time?
We offer three pickup-window tiers: expedited (1-2 days), regular (3-5 days) and flexible (6-15 days). Your total time from booking to delivery is that pickup window plus your route's transit time.
A guaranteed pickup window is available as a paid upgrade above these three standard tiers. We don't offer a guaranteed delivery date, because transit is an estimate that depends on road and traffic conditions the carrier doesn't control.
| Route | Transit | Expedited total | Regular total | Flexible total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California to Nevada (269 mi) | 1-2 days | 2-4 days | 4-7 days | 7-17 days |
| Georgia to Florida (661 mi) | 2-3 days | 3-5 days | 5-8 days | 8-18 days |
| Texas to Florida (1,308 mi) | 3-4 days | 4-6 days | 6-9 days | 9-19 days |
| New York to California (2,794 mi) | 7-9 days | 8-11 days | 10-14 days | 13-24 days |
| Service level | Pickup window | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Expedited | 1-2 days | Faster pickup window. |
| Regular | 3-5 days | Standard pickup window, the tier most shipments book. |
| Flexible | 6-15 days | Widest pickup window. |
On the Texas-to-Florida route, for example, regular service adds a 3-to-5-day pickup window to Wave's 3-to-4-day transit estimate, for a total of 6 to 9 days from booking to delivery.
What affects how long car shipping takes?
Your shipment's timing depends on your route's distance, how many stops the carrier makes to load or unload other vehicles along the way, the pickup-window tier you choose, and current weather or road conditions on your corridor.
Distance is the biggest factor. A multi-car carrier's stops to pick up or drop off other vehicles heading the same direction add real time beyond a straight nonstop drive. The pickup-window tier you choose controls how quickly a carrier gets assigned to the job, not how fast it drives once loaded. Weather, road conditions and traffic incidents beyond the carrier's control can push your shipment toward the longer end of its transit range.
Can a carrier pick up or deliver outside business hours?
Yes. Carriers in our network move vehicles around the clock, so your pickup or delivery can land outside normal business hours even though our own office is staffed 8am to 6pm.
Office support hours are separate: the people answering phones and quotes work a set schedule, but the trucks on the road don't. A driver calls ahead before arriving either way.
Frequently asked questions about car shipping transit time
- How long does it take to ship a car across the country?
With Wave, a coast-to-coast move of roughly 2,700 to 2,800 miles takes about 6 to 9 days in transit, plus your pickup window for the service level you book. See cost to ship a car across country for a worked example.
- What's the fastest way to ship a car?
Choose expedited service and your pickup window shortens to 1 to 2 days after booking. Wave publishes one transit estimate per route, and that estimate is the same figure for every service level. Expedited means we choose a faster carrier for your shipment, for a faster pickup and a faster delivery.
- Is the pickup window the same as transit time?
No. Your pickup window is how long it takes a carrier to arrive and load your vehicle after booking. Transit time is how long the carrier then takes to drive it to your delivery address. Add the two together for your total time from booking to delivery.
- Can a carrier pick up or deliver my car at night?
Yes. Carriers in our network move vehicles around the clock, so pickup or delivery can happen outside normal business hours.
- Does weather slow down car shipping?
It can. Weather and road conditions beyond the carrier's control can push your shipment toward the longer end of its transit range. NOAA's National Hurricane Center states that the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Federal rule 49 CFR 392.14 requires a commercial truck driver to reduce speed when snow, ice, sleet, fog, mist, rain, dust or smoke affect visibility or traction, and to stop driving if conditions become sufficiently dangerous, until the truck can be operated safely.
- Can I get a guaranteed delivery date?
No. We offer a guaranteed pickup window as a paid upgrade, but not a guaranteed delivery date. Transit time is an estimate, since it depends on road and traffic conditions the carrier doesn't control.
- How long is the pickup window?
It depends on the service level you choose: 1 to 2 days for expedited, 3 to 5 days for regular, or 6 to 15 days for flexible. A guaranteed pickup window is available as a paid upgrade above these three tiers.
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