Definition
A delivery window is the agreed time interval — appointment plus tolerance — when the unit must present or complete delivery at origin or destination. It is the unit of measure for On Time.
If the window only lives in the broker’s email, the dock already lost the shift.
Related: appointment no-show · OTIF · freight booking.
What it means in practice
A window is not “in the morning”: it has start, end, and a grace rule. Without that, Late and detention are opinions.
On MX corridors, the window feeds door planning, driver HOS, and the shipper’s OTIF KPI.
Why it matters by role
| Role | What they watch | Without a clear window |
|---|---|---|
| DC | Door throughput | Arrival chaos |
| Shipper | On Time OTIF | Endless disputes |
| Carrier | Feasible HOS plan | Opaque penalties |
| Accounts payable | Defensible detention | Pays without timestamps |
Minimum window fields
| Field | Question | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Start / end | Exact time? | TMS / portal |
| Tolerance | Grace minutes? | Late vs on time |
| Type | Present or complete? | Definition |
| Evidence | GPS / gate / POD? | Geofence |
| Consequence | Detention / no-show? | Contract |
How to govern windows in 5 steps
Publish appointment
Written window
Confirm booking
Capacity
Track arrival
Timestamp
Classify
On time / late / no-show
Audit cost
Before pay
Expensive mistakes
1.“Flexible” window with no numbers
Nobody can measure OTIF.
2.Same grace for every customer
A premium retailer is not an open yard.
3.Not distinguishing late from no-show
You penalize poorly and lose carriers.
4.Verbal evidence only
AP cannot dispute.
OCL and the trip file
OCL matches window, arrival, and exceptions in the trip file for OTIF and accessorials. OCL can stamp invoices and Carta Porte.
Sources and further reading
Key takeaways5 points
- Delivery window = agreed interval (appointment ± tolerance) when the unit must present or complete delivery.
- It turns “arriving late” into measurable Late, detention, or no-show under a written rule.
- In Mexico, DCs and retailers run on hard windows; without geofence/timestamps, disputes stay on WhatsApp.
- Tie it to booking, On Time OTIF, and proof of delivery (POD).
- OCL helps evidence appointment vs arrival; it does not invent door capacity. OCL can stamp invoices and Carta Porte.
Does your On Time have a written window?
Frequently asked questions
The agreed interval (appointment ± tolerance) to present or complete delivery.
The appointment is often the point; the window includes tolerance and the on-time rule.
On Time is measured against the written window, not a feeling of “almost there.”
The DC/customer at origin or destination; it must live in booking/TMS.
GPS/geofence, gate check-in, and POD with timestamps.
It ties appointment vs arrival with evidence before you pay detention or mark Late.