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SearchWhat on-time delivery, fleet utilization, empty miles and other indicators measure, how to calculate them, and what precautions to take to turn them into useful decisions.
Key performance indicators, or KPIs, help translate transport operations into data that can be tracked over time. Their value lies not in accumulating metrics, but in understanding which aspect of service or efficiency they reflect and what decision they can inform. A single indicator does not, by itself, explain the causes of a result: it is best read alongside other indicators and in the context of the route, vehicle and type of service.
The formulas below are practical ways to define each metric, not universal standards. Before comparing results, the company should agree on what counts as a delivery, an available vehicle, an incident or a productive kilometre, and apply those definitions consistently.
Measures the proportion of deliveries completed within the timeframe promised to the customer.
Calculation: deliveries completed on time ÷ total deliveries × 100.
It can help identify recurring problems with planning, routes or execution and review performance by customer, carrier or area. For comparisons to be valid, “on time” must be defined—for example, whether it means the promised date or an agreed time window. It is also useful to clarify how rescheduled deliveries and causes outside the company’s control are handled.
Compares what was carried out with what was planned: routes, schedules, stops or other planned tasks. It can be expressed as the percentage of services that follow the plan or as a deviation in time and kilometres.
It helps identify differences between planning and actual operations. A deviation does not, by itself, identify its cause: it may be related to route design, traffic, customer requests or operational circumstances. It is therefore useful to record the reasons and distinguish deviations the company can manage from those it does not directly control.
The time elapsed between two defined service milestones, such as the vehicle’s departure and delivery, or pickup and receipt. There is no single formula: it depends on the selected start and end points.
Tracking it by journey, type of goods or vehicle makes it possible to observe changes and review whether planned timeframes reflect actual operations. Comparing times without distinguishing these factors can lead to misleading conclusions.
Records problems that affect the execution or outcome of a delivery, such as damage, missing items, failed delivery attempts or delays, according to the company’s definition. It can be measured as the number of incidents per shipment, or as the percentage of shipments with at least one incident.
It provides a perspective that complements punctuality: a service can arrive on time and still have another problem. To track changes over time, consistent recording criteria must be maintained and incident types and causes distinguished.
Measures how much the fleet is used compared with the time it is available for operation.
Possible calculation: operating hours ÷ available hours × 100.
It helps identify underused vehicles and potential capacity constraints during specific periods. The result depends on how available and operating hours are defined; maintenance, waiting and standby time should be handled consistently. Higher utilization is not automatically better if it compromises deadlines, safety or the ability to respond to unforeseen events.
These are the kilometres travelled without a productive load, according to the company’s adopted definition. They can be analysed as total empty distance or in relation to the distance travelled.
Calculation as a proportion: empty kilometres ÷ total kilometres × 100.
This indicator can inform decisions about route planning, load allocation and trip coordination. Not all empty journeys can be avoided: some result from service locations or operational requirements. For better interpretation, it is useful to segment the metric by route, customer or type of operation and read it alongside punctuality and cost.
Compares the kilometres actually travelled with those planned. It can be presented as an absolute difference or as a percentage of the planned distance.
It makes it possible to review whether estimated routes match actual operations and investigate the causes of deviations. For the analysis to be useful, equivalent journeys must be compared and justified changes—for example, an operational instruction—distinguished from deviations that require review.
Idling is the time the engine remains on while the vehicle is not moving. It should not be confused with time out of service due to a breakdown or maintenance: these are different situations and require separate metrics.
Tracking idling can help assess fuel consumption and operating habits. Interpretation should take account of the type of route, necessary waiting times and service conditions; reducing the indicator without context is not, in itself, a sufficient objective.
Relates the costs included in the analysis to the distance travelled.
Possible calculation: operating costs considered ÷ kilometres travelled.
It is important to specify what is included—for example, fuel, maintenance, wages, insurance or tolls—and apply the same criteria across vehicles and periods. If the items included change, the indicator is no longer directly comparable.
It can be expressed in litres per kilometre or, in a commonly used format, in litres per 100 kilometres.
Calculation in L/100 km: litres consumed ÷ kilometres travelled × 100.
It is useful for observing trends and identifying changes that warrant review. Consumption depends, among other factors, on the vehicle, load and journey; comparing different fleets or routes without segmenting the data can obscure these differences. The indicator also does not, by itself, explain whether the cause lies in driving, maintenance or operating conditions.
Indicates the proportion of the fleet that is fit to operate during a defined period. It can be calculated as operational vehicles ÷ vehicles in the fleet × 100, provided that “operational” is defined and the time of measurement is specified.
It helps assess the effect of breakdowns and maintenance on available capacity. It is useful to accompany it with the days or hours out of service and distinguish the causes: an aggregate figure can hide problems concentrated in certain vehicles.
Maintenance cost per kilometre relates maintenance expenditure to the distance travelled. The proportion of preventive to corrective work shows how maintenance activity is distributed, provided the company defines which tasks belong to each category.
These data can inform reviews of maintenance plans and vehicle availability. They do not, on their own, show that one strategy is better: they should be read alongside breakdowns, downtime, costs and fleet characteristics.
Relates recorded accidents to a measure of exposure, such as kilometres travelled. One way to express it is accidents ÷ kilometres travelled × scaling factor, always specifying the factor used and the period.
The indicator makes it possible to track safety trends and guide incident analysis. For comparisons across periods, the definition of an accident and the recording method must be consistent. It is also useful to analyse the circumstances, not just the count: a standalone rate does not explain the causes or severity.
For operations involving temperature-sensitive goods, temperature excursions can be recorded and related to shipments or distance, for example, as incidents per 1,000 kilometres. The unit selected should appear alongside the result.
Tracking can help review control and transport processes. To interpret the metric, it is necessary to define what constitutes an excursion, how long it must last to be recorded and which thresholds apply to the contracted service.
A dashboard is more useful when each metric has a stable definition, an owner and a review frequency. To avoid misleading comparisons:
The ultimate purpose is to turn data into concrete operational questions: which service is deviating, where unproductive time is concentrated or which changes coincide with an increase in incidents. A small set of well-defined indicators usually provides a clearer basis for decision-making than a long list of metrics without context.
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