ETA and ETD are the estimated times of arrival and departure; ATA and ATD are the actual recorded times. The E-versions are forecasts that move with conditions; the A-versions are facts logged when the vessel arrives or sails. Every leg of a shipment carries its own set.
The distinction is the backbone of schedule data: plans versus reality. A voyage begins as ETD and ETA, becomes ATD at sailing, and closes as ATA at arrival. Standards such as DCSA Track & Trace encode it explicitly by classifying every event as planned, estimated, or actual.
Ambiguity hides in the reference point: arrival can mean reaching the pilot station, anchoring, or all fast at berth, and different sources pick different moments. Comparing an ETA from one system with an ATA from another without checking the reference invites false alarms.
Tracking is largely the management of this alphabet: carriers publish ETAs, vessels emit reality via AIS, and the gap between them is your risk. TrackingMCP shows both per container in tracking, flags drift when estimates slip, and gives each shipment an ETA confidence signal, with arrival-side context on port pages.
ETA and ETD are the estimated times of arrival and departure; ATA and ATD are the actual recorded times. The E-versions are forecasts that move with conditions; the A-versions are facts logged when the vessel arrives or sails. Every leg of a shipment carries its own set.
Because it is a live forecast: weather, congestion, berth availability, and schedule recovery all move it. Frequent small revisions are normal; a large jump usually means a routing change, port omission, or missed connection.
No. ATA is the vessel’s arrival. Your container still needs discharge, any holds released, and often an appointment; availability typically follows ATA by hours to days.
Track ETA vs actuals per container →
Port arrival context →
More in Vessels, voyages & schedules: Blank sailing · Port omission · Transshipment · Feeder vessel · Voyage number · Vessel schedule reliability · Slow steaming · AIS (Automatic Identification System) · Draft (draught) · Carrier alliances · Vessel sharing agreement (VSA) · Browse all 106 terms →