Travel Time in Zoho FSM is the system’s estimate of how long a field agent needs to travel from one job site to the next. This estimate is calculated using the distance between the two locations and a configured average speed or actual map data. Travel Time is displayed in the Gantt View as a buffer block between consecutive appointments and is factored into the scheduling algorithm to prevent appointments from being booked so close together that the agent cannot travel between them in time.
Ignoring travel time between appointments is one of the most common causes of scheduling failures in field service: agents are perpetually running late, customer satisfaction drops, and the end-of-day schedule collapses into a backlog. Building travel time into every appointment gap eliminates this systematic problem and produces a schedule that is realistic from the start rather than optimistic on paper and chaotic in practice.
Job Duration (from the Work Type) and Travel Time are both accounted for in FSM scheduling. A 60-minute job followed by 30 minutes of travel requires 90 minutes of calendar block before the next appointment can start. The Gantt View shows these as separate visual elements: a solid appointment block for the job duration and a shaded buffer for the travel time, giving dispatchers a clear picture of when the agent will actually be free for the next job.
Travel Time is calculated using the mapped distance between the GPS coordinates of the two job site addresses, combined with a configured average travel speed for the territory. For territories with distinct urban and rural zones, different average speeds can be configured. If integration with a mapping API is enabled, more precise estimated travel times based on road network data can be used.
Yes. When an agent departs one job and travels to the next, the FSM mobile app can track the travel duration. The actual travel time logged by the agent feeds back into FSM reports, allowing managers to compare estimated versus actual travel times by territory and route. Persistent discrepancies between estimates and actuals indicate that the average speed configuration needs adjustment.
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