Definition of Actual Time of Arrival (ATA)
Actual Time of Arrival (ATA) in shipping refers to:
The exact time when a ship, transport truck or plane actually arrives at the destination, which can be a port or an airport.
At the same time, it is a very important moment in the shipping, representing the time when the goods has smoothly arrived at its destination, and is the final stage when the carrier starts to optimize its work on shipment and supply chain management.
Compare with Estimated Time of Arrival（ETA）
- ETA refers to the forecast indicator, while ATA is the actual recorded arrival time.
- The difference between ETA and ATA sometimes represents punctuality, or deviations from the planned schedule
Actual Time of Arrival (ATA) plays an important role in transport and is used by carriers as vital information for organising supply chain transport management.
