How long does it take to ship a car?
Car transportation is split in two time frames – pick-up window and delivery window.
In logistics, by distance we mean the exact number of miles a carrier has to travel.
The exact location is another important factor that affects transport times. Other factors such as supply and demand fluctuations, road, weather and traffic conditions affect transport time as well.
Shipping a car could take several hours or several days.
Pick-up window
The pick-up window is the time it takes to pick-up a vehicle.
This time window starts from the day your car is ready for loading.
This is not part of the transit time. The pick-up window is usually one to few days.
When it comes to picking up a vehicle, the exact location always affects the time it takes to assign and send a truck to pick up the vehicle.
When supply is high this means faster service because there are more available trucks. When demand is high this means less available trucks and higher prices.
When you are on a budget, you can book at a lower rate and remain flexible with your shipping dates.
If you are shipping a car from a rural area, the pick- up window may take longer because exact location always affects the time for pick-up.
When your pick-up location is away from a major city or highway, you can meet the truck driver near a major city or at a truck stop. This can expedite the pick-up process as well as lower your rate.
Based on your exact pick-up location, road, weather and traffic conditions could slow down the process.
Such factors are unpredictable and that is why pick-up date and time are estimates.
Road construction or closures or unexpected traffic jams could prevent the truck from reaching your pick-up location at the appointed date or time.
Another rare factor that could slow the pick-up is possible truck failures. Nevertheless, carriers always call 12 hours in advance and then 1-2 hours before pick-up to confirm exact location and time.
The time it takes to ship a car is always an estimate.
Delivery window
The second time window is the time it takes to deliver your vehicle once it has been picked up.
Take a look at our transit times, to get a general idea of how long it takes to deliver a vehicle, based on distance only.
The delivery time depends mainly on the distance and an estimated delivery date is always provided.
Factors such as weather and road conditions, as well as traffic affect delivery time. Truck failures also happen.
Car carriers work hard to make sure they stick to their schedule. Drivers try to keep customers informed about estimated delivery time.
Another important factor to mention here is speed limits. Truck drivers can not and should never exceed their limit.
The importance of adhering to regulations is huge. Truck drivers have an immense responsibility when on the road. They must follow their speed limits, they must rest when needed and stick to their work hours.
Transportation is an industry that depends on many outside factors and is also heavily regulated. To all these factors we can add good communication between logistics agents, dispatchers and truck drivers is also important to guarantee a successful vehicle transport service.
When your service is booked with us, we stay in close contact with you and the carrier. This is how we guarantee professional service and build relations with our carriers and our customers that last.
We provide you with the carrier’s number so you can get regular updates on your vehicle’s location.
Carriers always call before delivery. The truck driver usually calls one day in advance and then again to specify the delivery time.
If you have any questions please call or email our team now. We are here to help you understand how auto transport works and ship your vehicle with peace of mind.
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