---
title: "What is driver's Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)?"
description: "Learn what ETA is."
url: https://help.light.onde.app/en/articles/61-what-is-driver-s-estimated-time-of-arrival-eta
collection: "Driver app"
updated: 2026-11-01
language: en
alternates: [es]
---

# What is driver's Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)?

Learn what ETA is.

The Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) shows how many minutes it will take a driver to reach the customer’s pick-up point. This ETA is calculated by Google Maps based on the real-time locations of both the driver and the customer.

**How ETA is calculated**

-   When a customer requests a ride, the system shows the ETA of the closest available driver for the selected service.
    
-   Once the order is assigned to a driver via the intelligent queue algorithm, the ETA is updated to reflect the actual location of the assigned driver.
    

**What happens if a driver is late?**

If the driver does not reach the pick-up on time, the system starts counting the penalty time—the extra time beyond the initial ETA.  
  
For example:

📌 Expected arrival: 9 minutes after order acceptance  
📌 Actual arrival: 10 minutes (1 minute late)  

This data is recorded in the Operator app’s booking history and can be used to enforce cancellation policies.