Several tools and software are available in the market today that simplifies the calculations of ETD and ETA. If used correctly, they are often very accurate and help an organization to plan. However, the terms may vary from carrier to carrier and the shipper has to confirm this in the agreement with the ocean carrier. The booking confirmation number is usually mentioned on all documents and correspondences related to a shipment. Keeping customers informed about the status and location of their parcel is a practice that reduces WISMO queries, increases customer satisfaction and boosts loyalty. Estimated time of arrivals or ETAs are often displayed in product pages to create a sense of urgency in the buyer.

Earlier, the status of the vessel or goods between two pre-defined locations were not available, especially to the customer. They look for abnormal or large variances, find the reasons for these variances, and try to set them right. ETD and ETA are only the indicative dates and are not binding on the ocean carrier, clearing or freight forwarding agent. The expected take-off time determined manually or automatically in advance. Precise ETA will continue to change the future of the maritime industry. Read more about how to reduce turnaround time and optimize port calls thanks to smart ETA predictions.

Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)

Accurate and timely information regarding ETA, ETD, ATD, and ATA helps stakeholders optimize their operations, minimize disruptions, and enhance overall supply chain efficiency. ATD is essential to shippers and consignees because it ensures more accurate delivery times for goods. Any delays or changes to the ATD can influence delivery times and result in additional costs.

Whether you’re delivering consumer goods or a hot pizza, your customer technically wants to know the estimated time of delivery for that order, but consumers are inclined to refer to this as an ETA. Additionally, OptimoRoute streamlines customer updates, so dispatchers can focus on keeping their team on track and on time. Since you can set up your OptimoRoute account for customers to get real-time tracking updates, your dispatcher won’t have to worry as much about notifying customers when their repairman is running late. Although, you can always go the figurative extra mile and give them a call if you deem it appropriate. ETA of delivery is the expected arrival of cargo at a specific destination. With a rise in global trade, tracking vessel times is more important than ever.

Estimated Time of Departure (ETD)

As we mentioned, estimated time of arrival refers to the time a delivery vehicle will arrive at the delivery destination. The ETA and ETD, in this case, are essentially the same; what private consumers want to know is when they’ll have their purchase in hand. Port authorities need precise times to reduce congestion, to improve safety and better allocate resources, and to make their port more competitive.

Accuracy is always a bonus for any business providing a transportation service. Another reason why estimated time of arrival is different from the actual time of arrival is service time. Giving customers a new estimated time of arrival whenever something changes can get messy. The dynamic ETA will also appear on the live tracking page and will be available for customers. To calculate ETA, you need to account for the overall distance the driver needs to travel to get to the destination, the average speed of the vehicle, specific cargo parameters, etc.

ETD

Once you understand which of your customers rely on which estimates, you’ll know how to tailor communications to meet their specific needs. Service windows can be customized to the type of job being performed and even to individual employees, if some tend to work more efficiently than others. Dispatchers can also access these timetables in a condensed analytics view later on to see if service window times need to be adjusted for the whole team going forward. Analytics will help managers see if certain types of repairs routinely take 90 minutes as opposed to 60 minutes. Overall, it is important for maritime companies to be able to provide accurate real-time ETA data to improve client relations and competitive advantage.

It enables them to anticipate the shipment’s arrival and coordinate with other parties involved in the transportation process, such as customs brokers and freight forwarders. Any delays or changes to the ETA date can have a significant impact on the delivery timeline and may result in additional costs or complications. To obtain precise estimated times of arrival and departure, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and IoT sensors must be used.

Deliver a Better Customer Experience With OptimoRoute

An ETD normally means the expected date of departure while ETA means the expected date of arrival of an ocean carrier or cargo. The estimated time of completion is an internal time measurement that signals how long it takes to finish all the tasks in a project. In logistics, ETC is used to know how many hours or days a business needs to prepare Non-deliverable Forward Ndf an order to be shipped. Sometimes, you can also see the ETD acronym used to refer to estimated time of departure, which is, when the parcel leaves the facilities where the order was processed in the first place. ETA is an abbreviation for estimated time of arrival that makes it easier and faster to communicate this information internally.

• ATD provides the actual departure time, helping to track schedule adherence, manage delays, and ensure on-time departures for efficient operations.
• Live tracking helps dispatchers troubleshoot unavoidable delays and keep on-time delivery rates as high as possible.
• To simplify your shipment processes, you need to work with and be familiar with logistics events – time indicators that save you resources.

If things like weather, traffic, or any other force majeure cause a delay, the customer will see updated information, which offers much greater transparency. ETA will be dynamically recalculated every 6 minutes according to the driver’s GPS track. The updated ETA will be displayed with a slash in the Sites section of the Plan & Track dashboard in addition to the planned ETA and in the Analytics (Updated ETA column). One thing that can significantly improve (or worsen) this experience is knowing (or not knowing) the estimated time of arrival (ETA). Rakesh Patel, author of two defining books on reverse geotagging, is a trusted authority in routing and logistics. His innovative solutions at Upper Route Planner have simplified logistics for businesses across the board.

ATA (Actual Time of Arrival)

A thought leader in the field, Rakesh’s insights are shaping the future of modern-day logistics, making him your go-to expert for all things route optimization. With Upper’s live driver tracking feature, you gain real-time visibility into the whereabouts of your drivers and vehicles. However, to get a complete picture, we also need to consider when tasks are completed, when vehicles actually depart, and when they actually arrive at their destinations.

With an updated ETA, you have an additional tool to grow customer satisfaction and your rate of successful deliveries. On these terms, you’re likely to see better performance from individual drivers, which you can even give incentives for. Knowing the difficulties that arise from carrying specific cargo in specific areas, you make smart optimization decisions based on average performance insights.

Estimated Time of Departure v/s Actual Time of Departure

Whereas if the vessel and container were tracked, then business operations could be rearranged to handle the late ETA of the vessel. Even in case of an emergency, like weather conditions or navigation issues, customers see updated information on the time of arrival, which enhances their trust in your business. By benchmarking the expected time of arrival against the actual time of arrival, you can identify gaps in planning and pinpoint performance issues.

ATA meaning in shipping

Predictive ETA uses more data, taking into account factors such as weather conditions, traffic congestion, and port or terminal delays, among others, that affect the delivery of your shipment on time. ATA gives the actual arrival time, facilitating accurate delivery tracking, customer notifications, and efficient supply chain management. Based on the estimated time of departure (ETD), carriers calculate the expected time of arrival (ETA) and estimated time of completion/delivery as part of the shipment flow. ETD and ETA are calculated based on various factors such as distance, route, transport mode, weather conditions, and potential delays. Advanced route planning and optimization software can help calculate these estimates accurately.