Freight glossary / Operations and dispatch

What is On time delivery in freight?

On time delivery is the share of loads delivered within the agreed window, and it is the primary service metric a shipper scores a carrier on. Definitions vary on whether the clock is the appointment or the requested date and on how much grace is allowed, so two parties can report different numbers honestly. Persistent on time failure costs award volume faster than price does.

Also called: otd, on-time performance.

Related terms

• Appointment
• Carrier scorecard
• Service failure
• Award