Guide · KPIs
Transport KPIs: the numbers an owner should see every Monday.
A transport business can be busy and still lose money. Ten numbers show which.
| KPI | Formula | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Trip margin | Freight − diesel − tolls − driver − other trip costs | Whether a trip made money |
| Lane margin | Trip margins on a lane, after the empty return | Which lanes to keep, reprice or drop |
| Revenue per km | Freight ÷ loaded + empty km | Earning power of the fleet |
| Empty km % | Empty km ÷ total km | Back-load opportunity |
| Vehicle utilisation | Days on trips ÷ available days | Idle trucks |
| On-time delivery | Trips delivered by the promise ÷ trips | Service to customers |
| POD TAT | Days from delivery to POD received | Billing speed |
| Billing lag | Days from POD to bill | Cash cycle |
| DSO | Receivables ÷ average daily billing | Days of freight waiting to be collected |
| Fuel efficiency | km ÷ litres, per vehicle | Driving, maintenance and pilferage |
A Monday review
- Lane margin: best and worst five.
- Unbilled and overdue freight.
- Idle vehicles and empty km.
- PODs pending and e-way bill incidents.
- Fuel efficiency outliers.
SCM for Transporter shows lane margin after empty returns, the 13-week cash plan, receivables, vehicle profitability, diesel and mileage and FASTag and toll on the owner’s first screen, with a 9 AM digest and a weekly MIS (F-22). Try the trip profit calculator.
Questions
What are the most important KPIs for a transport business?
Trip and lane margin, revenue per km, empty km, vehicle utilisation, on-time delivery, POD TAT, billing lag, DSO and fuel efficiency.
How often should a transporter review KPIs?
Weekly for margins, receivables and utilisation; daily for exceptions such as PODs pending and e-way bills expiring.
See it on your own data. SCM for Transporter runs the bilty, e-way bill, trips, billing and accounts in one system. Book a 30-minute working session with an engineer.