How it works
A delivery ETA combines a departure instant with estimated elapsed travel and planned allowances. A routing estimate can represent the actual route more accurately than a distance divided by assumed speed.
The formula
Times use the selected local time zones. Travel, stops and buffers are measured in minutes; arrival is displayed to the nearest minute. No live traffic or automatic rest scheduling is included.
Depart at 08:00 in America/Chicago on September 14, 2026. With 330 remaining miles at 55 mph, 60 minutes of planned stops and a 30-minute safety buffer, arrival is 16:30 in America/New_York, 30 minutes before a 17:00 delivery appointment
Calculation method
Departure time uses the origin time zone; the appointment uses the delivery time zone. Both are converted to instants before comparison. The result shows arrival in both zones and retains the date when crossing midnight.
Interpretation
Nonexistent spring-forward local times are rejected. Repeated fall-back local times require an explicit first or second occurrence. This tool does not determine HOS feasibility or use traffic, route restrictions, an ELD or carrier safety records.
Limitations
Use your own carrier costs, fee agreements and approved revenue. These are planning estimates, not booking recommendations or guarantees. Inputs stay in your browser; no trip or settlement figures are saved.
Using this in a dispatch decision
Use the remaining distance from the departure point you entered. Planned stops and the buffer are minutes, not hours. An arrival before the appointment does not establish when unloading will finish or whether the driver has legal hours remaining.
Method and reference sources
Method and content checked 2026-09-20. These sources provide background, not endorsement or professional certification. The formula and limitations above define this calculator.
- FMCSA — Summary of Hours of Service RegulationsOfficial US HOS reference. Our time-planning tools are not regulatory compliance engines.
Frequently asked questions
Does delivery ETA include unloading time or automatic rest breaks?
ETA estimates arrival at the delivery location, not completion of unloading. Enter any remaining loading delay, fuel stops and rest time yourself. It does not retrieve traffic or driver logs; verify remaining hours separately.
What is a worked example for ETA to Delivery?
Depart at 08:00 in America/Chicago on September 14, 2026. With 330 remaining miles at 55 mph, 60 minutes of planned stops and a 30-minute safety buffer, arrival is 16:30 in America/New_York, 30 minutes before a 17:00 delivery appointment