Freight Glossary
Appointment Delivery
Appointment delivery is a freight delivery process where the carrier and receiver pre-schedule a specific date and time window for the delivery, as opposed to open-window delivery where the carrier delivers at any available time. It is standard for retail, grocery, and commercial deliveries. A typical appointment might reserve a 30 minute dock slot at a retail DC, with the carrier required to check in within that window.
Why it matters
Appointment scheduling ensures receiving staff and dock capacity are available when freight arrives. Missed appointments can result in refused freight, redelivery charges, and retail compliance penalties. Some retail DCs charge $250 or more per missed appointment, and repeated failures can move a vendor to a less favorable delivery tier.
When to use it
Use appointment delivery for any shipment going to a retail DC, grocery warehouse, or commercial facility that requires scheduled receiving. Many receivers will not accept freight without a confirmed appointment. Book appointments as soon as you have a confirmed ship date, as popular DCs fill their dock calendar days or weeks in advance.
How Warp thinks about it
Warp coordinates delivery appointments as part of its standard operations, and Orbit monitors transit against scheduled windows to proactively alert on any risk of missing the appointment. Our AI backbone, Orbit, factors appointment times into route planning so drivers are dispatched with enough buffer to arrive within the scheduled window.