Private consumers simply want to know when their package will arrive on their doorstep or when their service professional will begin work. Real-time visibility doesn’t guarantee your drivers won’t run into traffic or get a flat tire while they’re en route, but it does ensure that if anything goes wrong, dispatchers will know immediately.

This entire process refers to the time it takes to schedule a pickup at origin, load the cargo onto a truck, deliver the cargo to the named airport or seaport to be loaded, the transit time via air or ocean to the country of destination, obtaining customs clearance, and ultimately, the estimated time of delivery to the consignee after the cargo is unloaded. This is particularly true if you are sending products internationally or over a long distance. Field service and maintenance companies can easily monitor these times using live tracking. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. What is the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)? The easiest way to calculate logistics estimates and avoid any confusion caused by ETA, ETD, and ECT is to use software. Below is the difference between Estimated Time of Arrival vs Estimated Time of Delivery in Full Form of ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival can be defined as the calculated time at which a consignment/ shipment/ person traveling will arrive at the desired location or its destination.


… For example, a pool maintenance professional may have an ETA of 2 pm for a job that is anticipated to take two hours. If you run a service or repair business, such as an HVAC maintenance company that services office buildings, your customers will definitely want an ETA and may also ask for an ECT.
The more information you can give commercial buyers, the better they can plan warehouse space, schedule employees, and keep their own operations running smoothly.

Once you understand which of your customers rely on which estimates, you’ll know how to tailor communications to meet their specific needs. Departure, arrival, delivery, and completion estimates are all important, but different people use this information in different ways. It is important to note that while dispatchers need highly accurate location tracking for their own purposes, they may also need the ETAs, ETDs, and ECTs provided to customers. Advance planning is literally planning and scheduling as early as possible (days, weeks, or even a month in advance). © 2020 - EDUCBA. ECT, like estimated time of delivery, refers to the moment when a transaction is completed. Posted by Morina Dushaj | Apr 11, 2018 | Featured, Most Read, Supply Chain Planning | 0 |. What is the Estimated Time of Delivery (ETD)? This is the most frequently used term in the case of imports/export shipments. When a driver departs, dispatchers see a trail of “bread crumbs,” or a dotted line, that indicates where that driver is in real time.