Freight glossary / Operations and dispatch

What is Appointment in freight?

An appointment is the scheduled window in which a facility will load or unload a truck. Missing it can mean waiting hours for the next opening or being rescheduled to the following day, which is how a small delay becomes a layover. Appointment availability, not distance, is often what determines whether a delivery date is achievable.

Also called: delivery appointment, appointment window.

Related terms

• Layover
• Dwell time
• Detention
• On time delivery