Terminal-to-terminal transport means the shipper drops the vehicle at a storage terminal near the origin, the carrier moves it to a terminal near the destination, and the receiver collects it there. It is the alternative to door-to-door transport.
The main appeal is flexibility. A shipper who cannot be present during a pickup window can leave the car at a terminal on their own schedule, and a carrier can collect several vehicles from one place. In some markets it may cost less than door-to-door service. The tradeoffs are travel to and from each terminal, possible storage fees if the car sits past a set period, and limited availability, since terminals tend to be concentrated in larger metro areas.
Most retail and dealer moves are booked door-to-door, but terminal service still has a place, for example around port and international shipments, or when a shipper is relocating and has no address ready to receive the car.
For dealers and auctions, commercial lots already work much like terminals: secure, staffed and easy for trucks to access, which is one reason dealer-to-dealer moves tend to go smoothly. See how auto transport works for the full process and the role of the pickup window.