My Tub Is at the Freight Terminal, When Will the Carrier Call Me?

When tracking shows your crated walk-in tub at the carrier's destination terminal, it has finished the long haul and is normally waiting on one thing: the appointment call. Freight carriers do not simply show up. Once the crate reaches the terminal serving your area, the carrier phones the number on your order to set a curbside delivery window, so a tub that shows at the terminal usually means that call has not connected yet, not that a delivery is booked. Is Walk-In Tub Delivery Curbside, and When Does the Carrier Call to Schedule? explains the appointment itself; this page is about what to do when the tub sits and nobody has called.

What a Terminal Status Actually Means

Every Ella walk-in tub ships fully assembled by less-than-truckload (LTL) freight from the Chicago facility, riding on a pallet inside a crate on a truck fitted with a liftgate. A freight forwarder chooses the carrier based on what is most affordable for you, which is one reason the name on your caller ID may not be a company you recognize. The crate travels to the destination terminal nearest you, and from there a local truck makes the residential delivery by appointment. Your tracking number shows which stage you are in: in transit between terminals, or arrived and waiting at the terminal for an appointment.

The appointment is required because the delivery is curbside. The driver lowers the crate to the ground on the liftgate and brings it to the curb or driveway, and someone has to be there to accept and sign for it. Drivers are not obligated to cross a lawn, enter the home or carry the tub inside, and if nobody is present the attempt fails. So the carrier will not dispatch the truck until it has spoken to a person at your number and confirmed a window.

Why the Call May Not Have Reached You

Ella's Bubbles confirms a valid, working US phone number on every order before the tub is released to ship, because this call is the only way the carrier can schedule. Even so, the call goes astray more often than you would think. Check these first:

• A wrong digit on the order, or a number that rings the dealer's office, a contractor or a family member rather than the person at the house.
• A full voicemail box, or voicemail that was never set up, so the carrier could not leave a message.
• A phone set to block or silence unknown callers. Carriers usually call from an unfamiliar number and leave a message.
• An order placed through a retailer or home improvement store where the number passed along was not yours. Ella's Bubbles builds and ships the tub as the manufacturer and may email you, identify itself, reference your retailer order and ask for the best number.
• A drop-ship order where the dealer's office line was given instead of the number of the person receiving the tub.

When the carrier cannot reach anyone, it asks Ella's Bubbles for an alternate number, and the team starts calling and emailing you as well. If nobody can be reached at all, the order may eventually have to be cancelled, so a quick reply to any voicemail or email asking you to confirm your number keeps the tub moving. Why Ella Needs a Working Phone Number Before Your Walk-In Tub Ships has the full list of what to check before the ship date.

What to Do Today

1. Look through missed calls and voicemails for an unfamiliar number, and check your email inbox and spam folder for a message from Ella's Bubbles asking you to confirm your number.
2. Open your tracking. The tracking page usually lists the carrier's phone number. Call the carrier directly, give the tracking number, and schedule the appointment yourself. Do not wait for the carrier to try again.
3. While you have the carrier on the line, confirm it is a curbside liftgate delivery, confirm who will be present to sign, and ask what the appointment window covers. If a full-size truck cannot make it down your road or into your driveway, say so now.
4. If the carrier has no good number for you, or you cannot reach the carrier, call the team at (800) 480-6850 with your order number or open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support. Give the number of the person who will actually receive the tub, whether that is you, a contractor or a property manager.
5. Line up the move from the curb. A couple of people can lift a walk-in tub, but its shape makes it awkward, so a contractor with two or three people is recommended to bring it indoors. Garage or inside placement is a separate service that must be requested before the tub ships and is not available from every carrier.

Storage Charges, and Why Speed Matters

Carriers can begin storage charges on shipments that sit at their terminal, whether after a failed delivery attempt or when a shipment is held for pickup. Those charges are set by the carrier, not by Ella's Bubbles, and like a redelivery charge they are passed through to the customer, so a tub left waiting at the terminal can start costing money for no good reason. That is why the step above is to call the carrier yourself rather than wait. Missed Freight Delivery: Redelivery Charges and How to Reschedule explains how a failed attempt is handled.

Sometimes the carrier records a failed attempt when someone was home the whole time. If your tracking shows a missed delivery you did not miss, tell the team immediately and explain who was present and for which hours. The team takes that back to the carrier and does not approve the charge while the attempt is being questioned.

If Terminal Pickup Was the Plan

Some orders are set up to ship to the carrier's terminal for pickup instead of to the home, either to leave off residential liftgate service or because a freight truck cannot safely reach the property. In that case no scheduling call is coming; the tracking email tells you the shipment has arrived, and you or your contractor contact the carrier to arrange a pickup time. Bring a vehicle or trailer that can carry a crated tub and bring help, because the crate is heavy and awkward. Can My Walk-In Tub Ship to the Freight Terminal for Pickup Instead of My Home? covers the setup, including the written authorization needed if a contractor collects on your behalf.

Whether the tub comes to your curb or you collect it, inspect the crate before you sign. Note any damage on the carrier paperwork, keep all packaging material, check for concealed damage with both a visual and an operational inspection, and report any damage within 48 hours of receipt through your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850.

Common Questions