How do I ETA like a missile?

As I read through these comments to the question I am left with one observation. I find no real fault with the comments, just thinking as an OTR driver you don't generally make ETAs. You are given an appointment time and in most situations are allowed 1-hour leeway. The wise driver will take all things relative to the trip into account and ask this one question! Can I expect to reasonably make that appt and fit it into my available hours? If you can't you had better be screaming you can't. ETAs are nice, but while doing so don't lose site of this fact. You MAKE that appt or you are LATE!

 

For ETA take miles remaining to drive (in hundreds of miles, 200 mi) divided by 50 MPH = hours to drive.
200 mi / 50 MPH = 4 hours

You will easily make that ETA because in many places you can average 55 to 60 miles per hour.

 

I do all ETA calculations based on yard time zone and then give the answer in both yard time and customer time. “I’ll be there by 10 am my time or 11 EST.

 

The dispatcher asked YOU. Give the answer YOU estimate. If the dispatcher can do it faster he would be driving the truck, not pushing a mouse.

 

An important thing to remember is this is an ESTIMATED time of arrival. Communication is key. If you see that your ESTIMATED time of arrival is going to be wrong as you go along on your trip then make a phone call and give a new ESTIMATED time of arrival.

 

I usually give an ETA based on 2 hours per hundred miles plus a fudge factor. If my ETA is for today and I have most of the driving ahead of me, I add an hour. If my ETA is for beyond my driving time today I use the calculation of 10 hours driving per day and 12 hours of sleeper/off-duty. My goal is to always show up earlier than my ETA.

 

All depends on where im going. California going down into south la , long beach compton, etc is averaged at 40mph if im say coming from phx. I can get 60mph average in a 65mph truck all the way until i hit LA and the traffic bumps the average down to 40.. Other place is can average 60 mph all day long until delivery. 65 can be done in a 70 mph truck running up n down i15... most is. Based on knowing where ur going, and what type of roads ur taking to get there. Flatbed u have to haul ### because most places aint open after 1600.

 

When pulling over size many states regulate you to daylight hours only and major cities have a travel ban during rush hour morning and evening.
It can get fun when you have conflicting curfews. For example if over 12 wide Florida only allows you to travel from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset. Miami bans travel from 6 to 9 am and 4 to 7 pm. And south of Florida City movement can only be done between 10 pm and 5 am. It's been a while so don't quote me on those exact times but the point is the same regardless of specific curfew time.

 

He’s referring to this