Logistics & Transport

Delivery Time Calculator

Estimate delivery time accounting for distance, driving speed, Hours of Service regulations, rest stops, and loading times.

Unit System

Distance (miles)

Avg Speed (mph)

Max Driving Hours/Day

FMCSA Hours of Service limit: 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window after 10 consecutive hours off duty.

Loading (hrs)

Unloading (hrs)

Rest Break (min)

Your Results

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Enter delivery details and click calculate.

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Introduction

A truck driver cannot simply divide distance by speed and call it an ETA. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Hours of Service regulations cap driving at 11 hours within a 14-hour on-duty window, require a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative driving hours, and mandate 10 consecutive hours off before the next driving period. A 900-mile load that looks like a 16-hour drive at 55 mph actually spans two driver days once HOS rules, loading and unloading time, fuel stops, weigh station delays, and a mandatory 10-hour reset are factored in. Dispatchers and shippers who quote delivery times without accounting for these regulations consistently over-promise and damage carrier and shipper relationships. This calculator models realistic transit time with full HOS compliance built in.

What This Calculator Does

This delivery time calculator estimates total transit time for freight shipments accounting for FMCSA Hours of Service regulations, mandatory rest periods, average realistic speeds, loading and unloading time, and overnight stops. It supports solo and team driver configurations and provides a realistic delivery timeline that goes beyond a simple distance-divided-by-speed calculation.

The Formula

Total Time = (Distance / Avg Speed) + Loading + Unloading + Rest Breaks + Overnight Stops x 10 hours

Raw driving time equals distance divided by average road speed (not highway speed limit -- typically 45-55 mph for commercial vehicles accounting for stops and traffic). FMCSA HOS allows a maximum of 11 hours of driving per day within a 14-hour on-duty window. A 30-minute rest break is required after 8 consecutive hours of driving. After each 11-hour driving day, a 10-hour off-duty period is required before the next driving period begins. Loading and unloading add fixed time at origin and destination. Total elapsed time from pickup to delivery includes all driving, rest, and handling periods.

Step-by-Step Example

Enter distance and driver configuration

Load: Dallas to Chicago, 920 miles. Solo driver. Average speed: 52 mph (accounting for traffic and stops).

Calculate raw driving time and HOS requirements

Raw drive time: 920 / 52 = 17.7 hours. HOS limit: 11 hours per day. Days required: 2 driving days. Day 1: 11 hours driving (572 miles). Day 2: 6.7 hours driving (348 miles).

Add mandatory rest and handling

Loading at origin: 2 hours. Unloading at destination: 2 hours. 30-minute HOS break: 0.5 hours. 10-hour overnight reset: 10 hours. Total additional time: 14.5 hours.

Calculate total elapsed time

Total transit: 17.7 + 14.5 = 32.2 hours elapsed from departure to delivery. If pickup is 8:00 AM Monday, delivery estimate: 4:12 PM Tuesday. Quote window: Tuesday 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Real-World Use Cases

Delivery Appointment Scheduling

A logistics coordinator books delivery appointments for a shipper sending 25 truckloads per week. For a 1,100-mile lane, the calculator shows consistent 2-day transit time with afternoon delivery windows. Using a blanket 2-day commitment rather than manually estimating each load saves scheduling time and produces realistic commitments that the carrier can reliably meet.

Just-In-Time Manufacturing Supply Planning

An automotive manufacturer receiving raw materials on a JIT schedule needs precise transit windows to prevent production line stoppage. A 1,400-mile inbound lane from a supplier takes 3 driver days under solo HOS rules (2 full driving days + overflow). The production planner builds a 68-hour transit window plus 4 hours buffer into the supply schedule -- preventing the 24-hour stoppage cost ($180,000) from a late delivery.

Team Driver Value Calculation

A carrier evaluating whether to assign team drivers to a 1,600-mile urgent load compares delivery time: solo driver delivers in 3.5 days. Team drivers deliver in approximately 32 hours (less than 2 days). The time savings justifies the team premium on any time-sensitive load where the receiver pays detention or production disruption costs for late delivery.

Comparison

Route Type	Distance	Solo Driver Days	Team Driver Days	Realistic ETA Window
Short haul	Under 500 miles	1 day	1 day	Same day to next morning
Regional	500-800 miles	1-2 days	1 day	Next day to 2 days
Mid-range	800-1,200 miles	2 days	1.5 days	2 days
Long haul	1,200-1,800 miles	3 days	2 days	2-3 days
Cross-country	Over 2,500 miles	4-5 days	2.5-3 days	4-5 days

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using highway speed limits as average speed for route calculations. Legal speed limits on interstates are 70 to 85 mph for passenger vehicles. Commercial vehicles are typically governed at 62 to 68 mph. Accounting for traffic, urban areas, construction zones, fuel stops, and weigh stations, realistic average speeds for commercial trucking are 45 to 55 mph for route planning purposes. Using 65+ mph dramatically understates transit time.
Forgetting that the 14-hour on-duty window cannot be extended or paused. Once a driver begins their workday (on-duty time starts when they log on, not when they start driving), the 14-hour window runs continuously. A driver who spends 3 hours on pre-trip inspection, loading, and waiting at a shipper has only 11 hours remaining in their on-duty window -- and their maximum driving time is still capped at 11 hours within that 14-hour period.
Not accounting for detention time at shipper and receiver. FMCSA data shows that commercial truck drivers are detained at shipper and receiver facilities for more than 2 hours on average per stop. This detention time counts against the 14-hour on-duty window and can push drivers into HOS violations if not accounted for in route planning.
Treating team driving as a simple doubling of daily mileage. Team drivers can theoretically cover 1,100 miles per day (22 hours driving at 50 mph average). In practice, team drivers average 900 to 1,000 miles per day due to fuel stops, loading and unloading time, and the difficulty of sleeping in a moving truck cab. Always use 900 to 1,000 miles/day as the realistic team driver benchmark.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the FMCSA Hours of Service rules for property-carrying drivers?

Property-carrying drivers (trucks hauling freight) under 49 CFR Part 395: maximum 11 hours driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Maximum 14-hour on-duty window after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty. 30-minute rest break required after 8 cumulative hours of driving time if the driver has not had at least 30 minutes off duty. 60/70-hour on-duty limit in 7/8 consecutive days, reset by 34 consecutive hours off duty.

What is the difference between driving hours and on-duty hours?

On-duty time includes all time the driver is working: pre-trip inspection, loading and unloading, waiting at a shipper, fueling, and administrative tasks -- not just driving. Driving time is the subset of on-duty time spent behind the wheel. A driver can be on-duty but not driving. The 14-hour on-duty window limits the total elapsed time of a work shift; the 11-hour driving limit caps the subset of that window spent driving.

Does the 34-hour restart rule apply to all drivers?

The 34-hour restart provision applies to property-carrying drivers who have reached the 60 or 70-hour on-duty limit. Taking 34 consecutive hours off duty resets the weekly on-duty counter. The restart provision is optional -- drivers can continue working without it as long as they stay within their daily HOS limits. The restart is a tool for drivers who have used up their weekly on-duty allotment and need to continue operations.

How do weigh station stops affect delivery time?

Commercial vehicles must stop at open weigh stations along their route. A typical weigh station stop with no issues takes 5 to 15 minutes. An overweight or out-of-compliance violation can result in 1 to 4+ hour delays for inspection and documentation. PrePass and similar transponder programs allow compliant carriers to bypass many weigh stations at highway speed, saving 10 to 30 minutes per weigh station on qualifying routes.

Accuracy and Disclaimer

Delivery time estimates are approximations based on average commercial driving conditions and FMCSA HOS regulations as of 2026. Actual transit times vary due to traffic, weather, construction, driver availability, weigh station queues, shipper/receiver detention, and HOS exception provisions. Always confirm delivery schedules with your carrier and build appropriate buffer into service commitments.

Conclusion

Build buffer time into every delivery commitment. Unexpected delays -- weigh stations, construction, weather, customer detention -- are not exceptions in commercial trucking; they are the norm on long-haul routes. A professional delivery window is a range, not a single time. After calculating delivery time, use the Delivery Route Time Calculator for multi-stop urban route planning, and the Driver Overtime Calculator to confirm that the delivery schedule stays within wage compliance parameters for your drivers.