Customers judge logistics by whether goods arrive when promised. On-time delivery is the percentage of shipments that reach the consignee within the agreed time window.

Definitions vary: some measure against the original promise date, others against a revised appointment. Carriers and shippers must agree on the measurement rule or debates replace improvement. Causes of lateness include congestion, documentation delays, equipment shortages, and upstream production slips.

High on-time performance builds trust and reduces expediting cost. Chronic underperformance triggers customer penalties and lost business. Tracking the metric by lane, carrier, and root cause turns a simple percentage into an actionable management tool.

• Share of shipments delivered within the promised window
• Requires agreed measurement definitions
• Affected by transport, documentation, and upstream factors
• Key service metric for customers and carriers