Auto Shipping FAQ: When Will my Vehicle be Delivered?
The auto transport industry is very fluid. Unlike McDonald’s, you can’t order a pickup for your vehicle, have it picked up later that day and then delivered just as fast halfway across the country. You have to jump through hoops, you have to pay a lot of money and you have to wait a while for your vehicle to be delivered. It’s not an ideal system, but it’s worked well enough for the past sixty years or so. Auto transporters that haul private vehicles are used to having to work around tight schedules, but sometimes that results in people having to wait longer than they’d like for their vehicle to be picked up or delivered, and people don’t like that. But mostly it’s because they just don’t understand how the industry works and why it is the way it is.
Auto transportation companies drive across the country. There are some that only do local or state-wide hauls, but many – and all the companies you’ll talk to if you fill out our free online quote request form – are nationwide auto shippers that haul hundreds of cars every year. As they travel from place to place, new loads appear while the loads they have are delivered and finished. The back of an auto shipping truck is like a carousel, and with so many things going on and coming off scheduling is hard, and sometimes people get pushed back. Most deliveries occur within one to two weeks of pickup, though it depends on the route that the carrier is traveling on. New loads may necessitate a change in your route, too, which can cause delays.
Do auto transporters want to show up late? No. They make their money when they deliver your vehicle, and the longer they take the longer they wait to get paid. So, delivering your vehicle late is an obvious conflict of interest. Generally, when your vehicle will be delivered based on your route, and we recommend you talk to your auto transport representative about your route’s standard turnaround. Anticipate an extra day to account for delays, as minor things like traffic and re-fueling can actually take a lot out of a trip for an auto transport company. If you’re interested, you can fill out our free online quote form and get a free quote today.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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