A Guide to the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)

What is an ETA?

In the road logistics industry, the ETA (estimated time of arrival) indicates when a shipment or package will arrive at its intended destination. It is typically provided to customers to allow them to track their shipment’s progress, but is also a useful metric for fleet managers to assess the productivity of their operations. Other industries such as waste & recycling and passenger transport also use ETAs to inform their customers when the vehicle will arrive at a defined location.

This article looks at why accurate ETAs are essential to maximise customer satisfaction and optimise fleet operations. 

How is an ETA calculated?

An ETA can be manually estimated by calculating the average speed of the vehicle on the route so far, and dividing the remaining distance to the destination by the previously measured speed. However, this can be a challenging and time-consuming process when managing a whole fleet of vehicles.

A fleet management solution with route optimisation software can help you to improve customer service and fleet efficiency by automatically calculating accurate ETAs. To do this, the routing software will analyse factors such as real traffic conditions and the intended route. 

The importance of an accurate ETA

Having access to accurate ETAs can be of paramount importance to fleets for several reasons:

• Improved customer satisfaction: Providing accurate ETAs to customers helps to build trust in your organisation and create a strong relationship. Better customer communication bridges the gap between your operations team and your customers’ expectations. 
• Efficient route planning: Fleet managers can use ETAs to plan the best routes for their vehicles, considering factors such as traffic patterns and delivery windows.
• Optimised operations: By tracking ETAs and their fulfilment, fleet managers can ensure that vehicles are utilised to their full potential and identify routes that could take additional jobs. 
• Happier drivers: Creating realistic routes that drivers can finish on time will improve driver morale and loyalty. 

From meeting ETAs to beating them

While some industries such as passenger transport focus on accurately meeting their designated ETAs, others will benefit from increasing productivity by improving upon them. If fleet managers can get shipments to clients earlier than planned, this presents an opportunity to  boost customer satisfaction. 

By tracking and optimising ETAs, fleet managers may have the opportunity to add extra jobs to a route, increasing service productivity. Route optimisation software also allows for routes to be dynamically adjusted according to real-time road conditions to avoid traffic hotspots, or if additional jobs need to be added during the day. 

How MyGeotab’s fleet productivity tools help fleet managers

MyGeotab has a suite of productivity solutions that help managers to improve service reliability and optimise operations:

• Near real-time vehicle tracking: GPS tracking enables you to monitor vehicle locations and ensure they are on schedule.
• Route optimisation solutions: Efficient routes are automatically planned to meet service windows, ensure job completion, and minimise mileage in order to maximise productivity and reduce fuel consumption. 
• Accurate ETAs: Route optimisation software uses historical data and real-time information to generate accurate ETAs for customers.
• Live route planning: If you need to add a job, change an address, or handle a breakdown, live route planning can reassign drivers and restructure routes to accommodate, while notifying customers of any changes. 
• Fleet productivity reports: With valuable insights derived from your fleet data, you can improve productivity and vehicle utilisation, lowering operational costs and generating additional revenue opportunities.  

Want to provide your customers with more accurate ETAs?

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customer satisfaction and boost operational efficiency

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