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How are ETA and ETD Calculated?

Time management is key to the success of every business, that’s why every time an order is placed timely delivery is expected. Have you waited for a friend that said wait for me I am just a mile away, and he didn’t show up until an hour later?

It is so worrisome how people lack proper time management and they end up giving one thousand and one reasons why they did not make it on time.

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They could say oh the traffic was terrible, I had a flat tire, sorry I had an emergency, and most times you get very upset and disappointed but yet you still have to swallow it.

In business time is money, but then in the logistics industry, the level of delays in terms of delivery is too much, just as that friend that was delayed from coming is filled with excuses for wasting time, so the logistics industry also has excuses for not delivering on time.

What Is The Full Form Of ETA?

The full meaning of ETA is the Estimated Time Of Arrival, Estimated Time of Arrival is the calculated time at which certain consignment/ person traveling via any vehicle, ship, airplane, train or goods will arrive at their destination and is commonly a term used in logistics and transportation for determining the time at which the consignment will arrive at their desired place.

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This is a common term used in the logistics industry, with this information customers would be aware of when to expect their goods or consignment, know when to come and lay claim to it.

The Meaning of ETD

ETD is divided into two

  • Estimated Time of Departure
  • Estimated Time of Delivery
  • Estimated Time of Departure: This is the point when the vessel, cargo, ship carriers depart from the starting point. This information is important to those who send goods Internationally.
  • Estimated Time of Delivery: This is the point when the package or shipment is expected to get to the final consumer. At this point, those involved are informed of the day the shipment is expected to get to them.

The Meaning of ETC

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This is referred to as the estimated time of completion, it is also referred to as the closing time. This means the time activities are completed, for example, the loading and unloading process.

Why Are ETD And ETA Important 

There is a need for people to be aware of when their shipments will leave, where it is coming from, and when the estimated time of arrival is. People who are involved in these trading activities need this information to plan their schedules.

The main purpose of this is to create awareness about every one of the logistics companies and to make known to persons involved if there is a change to the scheduled time.

How To Calculate Estimated Time Of Arrival

There are various ways in which the estimated time of arrival can be calculated, below is how to calculate?

  • Route distance between the origin and the destination: To know the estimated time of arrival, you will have to check the distance from where the journey started and where the destination is. By doing so you get to find out how long it will take to reach your destination.
  • Vehicle/Vessels Average Speed: To calculate an estimated time of arrival, you have to check the average speed of the vehicle or vessel per hour. The higher the speed, the better the chances of the vessel getting to its expected destination on time. Vehicles and vessels with high speeds are expected to reach their destination at the expected time but when vessels are slow the chance of getting to their expected destination on time is slim, which may lead to a change in the expected arrival day.
  • Number and  Duration of intermediate Stops: Another way of calculating the expected time of arrival is to calculate the number of times the vessel or vehicle stops on its way to the expected destination. At some point during the journey, the carrier may stop on the way, this may be due to regular checks on the vessel and regular breaks to take rest.
  • Weather Conditions: There may be interruptions on the way due to bad weather conditions, bad weather conditions such as heavy rainfall, stormy weather, heavy wind, or it may be heavy snow pouring. Due to all these bad weather conditions, the vessel or vehicle may be forced to stop on the way and this will affect the estimated time of arrival. So to calculate you have to know how many hours put together that the vessel or vehicle stops on the way.
  • The time needed for refueling: At some point during the journey, there will be a need to refuel the vehicle or vessel. To calculate the estimated time of arrival, the amount of time spent to refuel will be taken note of and added to the estimated time of arrival.
  • Traffic:This is another hindrance to the vehicle or vessel arriving at the expected time, traffic can be terrible sometimes, especially on the road. To calculate the expected time of arrival, You add the several hours spent in traffic to the initial expected time of arrival.

Due to several unforeseen circumstances during delivery, below is how to calculate the expected time of delivery

Benefits of Estimated Time of Arrival

The estimated time of arrival is a very useful tool that everyone needs to plan his or her schedule. Some of the benefits are as follows;

  • Better Time Management: Estimated time of arrival helps you to plan and manage your time. With the knowledge of the estimated time of arrival, you get to know how to plan your schedule so as not to mix up the plans for the day.
  • Helps to eliminate the bottleneck in expected delivery: With the knowledge of the estimated time of delivery, you know how to avoid mistakes during delivery.
  • Makes for efficient delivery: The knowledge of the estimated time of delivery makes the work smooth and without hiccups.

Related Topics:

Estimated time arrival is used in the following

  • Airplanes
  • Trains 
  • Buses
  • Emergency Services
  • Logistics 

ETA Calculation Example

Imagine that you’ve been on vacation at a spot 600 miles from your hometown. You are expecting to keep up an average speed of 60 mph on your journey home, and you have built five 15 minute rest breaks into your schedule, so 75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes) in total. You plan to set off on August 30, 2020, at 2 PM. With this information, we can find out your ETA by taking total drive time (total distance divided by average speed plus total time spent on stops) and adding it to your time of departure, thus:

600 miles / 60 mph = 10 hours + 1 hour 15 minutes breaks = 11 hours 15 minutes

2 PM + 11 hours 15 minutes = 1:15 AM

How To Calculate Expected Time Of Delivery

  • Average parcel delivery time: The delivery time is calculated by each logistics company depending on the distance and route, taking into consideration also their schedule and the average transit time of past orders.
  • Routes taken for delivery:the routes taken for delivery can help you calculate the estimated delivery time.

Useful advice to ensure a smooth delivery

  • Plan the collection of your parcel to avoid last-minute problems or delays.
  • Check if all the details are correct and make sure to give all the required information.
  • Make sure that someone is present at the given addresses for collection and delivery.
  • Contact logistics experts for any questions about your shipment.

What are the common misconceptions between ETA and ETD?

A common misconception is that the estimated time of arrival is when the goods are expected to be delivered to the consignee at the final destination. It is crucial to note that the estimated time of arrival only refers to the named port of destination and not the actual consignee’s delivery address.

This misconception can easily create frustration for the consignee, who will expect their cargo to be delivered much earlier. As a precaution, a proper timeline must be provided to the consignee to avoid any confusion.

In conclusion, the estimated arrival time is very important, especially for those who are involved. It is important people are aware of when to expect their shipments to plan their schedule. Though it is called estimated arrival time and delivery time, on so many occasions, the time of arrival changes due to so many unforeseen factors ranging from bad weather, refueling, heavy rainfall, traffic, and so many other things.

ETA is purely a statistical term and based on simple formula i.e. Time (ETA) is equal to distance divided by speed of travel, transportation. This small concept is very useful in business planning, management, and schedule planning. This makes it easy for both parties, which are the delivery company and the one who ordered the shipments, especially because you can not afford to be ignorant of the change.

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