Each long distance moving company has a set of rules regarding the delivery window for the shipments. Before booking the move, a company representative must inform the customer regarding those rules.

Usually, the mover would require a delivery window of several weeks (or in some cases days) to deliver your items, and it will be your responsibility to accommodate the mover by being available for this period of time. For example, some New York City movers require a window of up to 5 weeks for deliveries to the west coast, and a window of up to 2 weeks for Florida deliveries.

Of course, most movers also offer at least one month of free storage for your items, so that allows the customer some freedom in terms of getting organized to receive the shipment. More than that - no mover will initiate a delivery without contacting the customer and letting him/her know that the shipment is ready to be loaded on an interstate truck and be hauled to the destination, with an approximate ETA and some other relevant information.

Regarding the actual hauling time - usually it takes up to 6-7 days to cross America with few stops on the way, so once your shipment is on the truck its pretty much a question of few more days. Getting it on the truck, however, is usually the biggest problem, especially during summer, when hauling space becomes scarce and shipments get piled up in transitional storages (movers-wise summer is a terrible time to move, especially long distance...). Here there is no estimate as to when the shipment will be delivered, and many customers get very frustrated and angry.

During winter season, however, shipments get delivered quickly, since transportation companies (as well as the movers who own their own interstate trucks) are very hungry for pick-ups. Delays could happen, of course, since often the truckers are waiting for a few days in one location until they manage to fill up their trailers, but relative to the summer moving stampede those delays are the least of everyone's problems.